Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-10
zoo FROM AFRICA
Twenty-One Animals Brought
to Rock Creek Park.
GIFT OF w. N. MCMILLAN
supt Baker Tells of Transportation
Trip.
BEASTS NEVER SEEN BEFORE
Deaths of Cheetah and Eland.
Washington's Facilities Are
Inadequate.
BEASTS NEVER SEEN BEFORE
BY WILLIAM z CIRTIS


Written for The stag and the Chicago Record
Herald.
A. B. Baker. assistant superintendent
of the National Geological Park. has just
had the unique experience of personally
conducting a party of wild beasts from
da rkest Africa to Washington. He tells
of his adventures.
The larger number of the animals We're
gift 10 the government of the United
states from ". y. Mcmillan. formerly of
st. Louis, who has spent twelve or tf-
teen wears in central Africa. and has
done a great deal of exploration in Abys-
sina also
Mr.. Mcmillan has several plantations
lin Africa. He has an ostrich farm where
lie raises feathers for the market; a fruit
farm at NachakoS near the east coast.
and his pricipal estate. called Juja farm,
comprises from eighteen to twenty thou
sand acres. lying twenty-threc miles
from the town Of Nairobi. where ex-
President Roosevelt made his headquar-
tiers for several months.
The ex-President's party has been oc-
cupying Mr.. McMllans buildings ana
has had the use of his facilities for hunt
ing and for transportation. Maroon IS
80 miles from the port Of Mombassa. on
toria, 80 miles farther
Mr.. Mcmillan has quite large plant
at Julia farm, with droveS OF cattle ana
sheep, and irriSates several hundred
acres unon which he raises alfalfa. corn,
vegetables and other food supplies for
his employees and fodder for his animals
There is village of natives upon the
ranch He spends good deal of time
there but has a place in London ana an
other on the Riviera also.
He * the only American in that part
of Africa The land around him has
been all almost entirely taken up IN
large tracts by Englishmen.
No Shooting on Estate.
Mr.. Mcmillan has no hunting pre-
serve" said Mr.. Baker. but shooting is
forbidden upon his property. as upon all
neehhoring places except by permission
Consequently the surrounding country is
full of wild animals
1T is possible to shoot a zebra or "A
hartebeest-a large antelope with long
head-at almost any time within fifteen
minutes walk of the plantation houses
The plains are thick with zebra. There
are thousands of them, and other Wild
animals abound
.Hippopotami haunt the large streams.
and even come into the gardens and eat
the vegetables The rivers are full of
crocodiles.
MOI long before dfIlNtd there
buffalo which came down to the river
for water was seized by a crocodile and
dragged into the stream. The crocodile
kept the animals head under water until
it was drowned.
Lions are numerous. but they wander
all around, and you never can tell where
to find them. While ] was there a zebra
was killed and the carcass partly de-
voured by lion within ten minutes
walk Of Mr.. McMllan's house
''McMillan'S men occasionally catch
young animal. the cub of lion, or a
leopard. an antelope. They gradually
accumulated quite a menagerie. which
became a care. and was presented.
through Lieut. Col. Mearns of the Roose-
welt party. to the government Of the
United States for the National Zoo. And
was sent after them.
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