The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-24
MISSOURI HAS A
CIRCUS FARMER
Came!S and Sacred Cattle OC-
Gupy Halls Barnyard.
ELEPHANTS IN The CELLAR.

of Wild Beasts as a Boy and Now
Acts as Broker In Similar Zoology
and Trappinss.
Once an orphan boy Of twelve who
did chores around Lancaster, Mo-. for
his keep saw a circus parade from
choice seat at the top of hitching
post near the courthouse square. 1t
seemed to that boy that to be near
those strange animals was like living in
q land of romance. He resolved that
when he grew up he would have some
animals himself In that there was
nothing unusual; the really novel fea-
ure is that he realized his ideal.
For many years W. P. Hall has been
known as one Of the most important
Of the country's horse and mule deal
ers. He has bought and sold as
many as 10000 horses in a single
year During the Boer war he did
much to advertise the Missouri mule
when he shipped mules to Africa for
the British army, hundreds every
week. Only recently he began filling
an order for $146,O00 worth of mules
FOR the British government for distri-
button to n dozen foreign provinces.
Horsemen long have told of Halls
remarkable memory; how he never
keeps books, but can buy 800 horses
and next day remember what he paid
for each of them.
Queer Barnyard Animals.
But Halls barnyard shows other
things. There are sacred cattle with
a sort of dromedary hump where necks
meet shoulders. Beyond store of
baled hay the shape of an enormous
brick are camels, black and white
and brown, sauntering around in a
sarnyard where cows ought to be. A
sub bear is jerking at a chain fasten-
ed to one of the barns foundation
supports. From an open door in the
cellar of the largest barn comes a
sound never to be mistaken-the
Gumpeting of elephants.
The circus barnyard and the cellar
full of wild animals in cages are sim
ply new departments. A heavy set, mus
eular, ruddy faced man, with clothes
more like a showmans than a towns
mans or farmers and somewhere near
6fty years old, is Hall. He loves large
diamonds and, except during the chilly
days of winter, wears silk hat even
around the barns. Once in awhile he
Is able to fulfill a natural longing that
not every one is able to gratify-he
goes to the big city and buys $3.50
worth Of clothes to show Lancaster
There's no catch about it, no acci-
~,
tions him about the geological garden
barnyard and the cellar of strange
noises. "When | was a kid | wanted
TO own animals, and now I've got the
money and 1 have them. Come into
the cellar and wen talk it over"
Wild Beasts A-pIenty.
Down the hill we go past the uneasy
bear cub and the camels that saunter
around in snow instead of burning
sand; down to the door from which
issues a greater variety OF sounds than
come from the mouth of photograph.
Step in and elephants trunks reach
out toward the visitors legs as in a
shild's dream. Along the walls are
cages full of lions and high strung
ieopards and impudent monkeys. A
llama, which Is a hay eating beast
something like an Angora goat and
something more like a horse, is in one
corner. A parrot shrieks from a cage
in the rafters. A monkey seizes a dog
by the hind leg.
How did | come to get these ami
mals?" said Hall. 81 just went out
and bought 'em; that's all. The circus
men made me mark the first year,
but learned. Now l buy and sell
shows all the time. I guess I've
handled a dozen or so.
81 always did like animals of most
every sort. l started trading horses
at ten. AT twenty | had pretty fair
start Then I just kept going along
and going along, you know, until now
well. my feed bill sometimes is way
over 100000 in a year."
AS to the effects of climatic changes
the circus broker gives some pronounc-
ed views.
Adaptabe to Climate.
you've lived down south and you
go up north some winter" he remarks
"You get used to it, don't you? Well,
I'll Sicpudul uOtSu kuOW WudL SHOW
is and may break his neck on the ice
because he doesn't know what ice
might do to him. But otherwise they
oil get along fine and easy. There
Isn't circus professional on the place
except a man who's upstairs In the
thed repainting some wagons"
"But the elephant trainerP
Hes farmer from the county east
Of here"
In rear shed is a sawdust ring for
preliminary training for the circus ami
mails that the horseman-farmer and
show broker keeps in winter. On the
first floor of the largest barn are
dozens of gilded circus wagons. Out
side are ticket wagons and little clown
carts. There is one lot full of Shet-
land ponies. There are other lots
crowded with horses. There are other
barns full of mules. Goats and dogs