The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-16
CLOSE ID MATURE"
 MOTION PICTURES AT THE BU0U THEATRE
These Ruskin Pictures of Wild Animals Cost Over S250,O00-Mr. Ruskin
 to Lecture

ants. including easts, birds, reptiles and insects, which are to be shown at the Bijou theatre beginning this afternoon, al p. m and continuing all the week, by Pohn W. Ruskin, the noted naturalist derful film productions which have yet been achieved
 The films, thrilling to young and old from the first to last scene and full of informat ton and educational value, were secured at a cost of. $250,000 in gold and nine precious lives were sacrificed In the work-extending over period of 1. years. ..--5,.s
 MT. Ruskin himself, who secured the film of every detail shown in the exhi- bition which from the very nature of things has no parallel, will lecture at each performance. detailing numerous an ecdotes about various interesting fea- tureS
 AN ARCTIC. EXPLORER
 Mir. Ruskin is best known as an arc tic explorer with the Harry Payne Whit ney expedition of 1909 ana 1912, but has had equally exciting and dangerous ex- periences in the jungles of Africs, India and South America, as we'll as in the wilds of Australia
 Very few men have had the experience and the narrow escapes from death ex- perienced by MT. Ruskin. In an inter- view this morning MT. Rusl1in stated the incentive for making the pictures: About 10 years ago my father with a party of friends and myself were roaming around the moors in northern Scotland. In going through thick piece of woods We saw a big wildcat, evidently watching something We immediately hid ourselves and continued the watch. In the course of 15 minutes or so, a. large rabbit appeared in little opening and the wildcat, with one leap, had the rab- bit by the neck
 My father suggested that it would be an interesting experience to travel the world over and get pictures of animals, reptiles, birds, bugs and insects catching their prey.
 Continuing. said MT. Ruskin, my father had always been a great student of natural history and had practically spent all his life in the wilds among na- ture. l. too. had shown a great desire to wander off when ea.te a little boy and had been lost 0ozens of times.
 With our Knowledge of the hablrs of animals found in the jungles of Africa we knew that in order to get close p;c- ture some special device had to be made in which to conceal ourselves from the sight of the animal
 we had built an imitation tree trunk This tree trunk was made of wood pulp and made in four sections. These we took with us to Nariobe, British East Af- rica, the point where we picked up our native guides and helpers.
 After travelling about 27O miles into the interior, we located some little clear ings at the edge or outskirts of the jun gles. In the bottom of the gulleys or depressions, we found water holes We knew that the lions and other animals which followed the lion around would come to these water holes to drink Two of these tree trunks were erected, one at either end of the gully, bolting them doWn to rough platforms. This tree trunk. when erected, was about 15 feet in height and 2o feet in circumference and looked exactly like a genuine tree with the tops all off. The open space at the top was covered with a very fine mesh wire grating. Here we lived con cealed inside of the tree trunk from 2O to 30 days, taking with us enough pre- digested foods and water to last us that length of time.
 Although the six white men. members of our party, before sailing from Lon don, had been inocnlated for fever on the fourteenth day five of our party were stricken with jungle fever, I being one of them Three of these poor fellows we buried right on the spot and our first expedition made at tremendous cost. resulted in failure
 LATER SUCCEEDED
 Later, with improved apparatus and the assistance of acclimated and expert help CTS, the scenes were made which are now part of the many hair raising episodes and scenes included in the show.
 of n f1s,