Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-09-13
Joe's
Menagerie
*
By F. L. HENDERSON
Copyright, by w. G. Chapman


door to find out.
She was the mOther-in-laW Of good
natured Joe Beamish, and because she
recognized and appreciated the fact
that her sOn-in-law Of five years was
just that, they had got along famously.
"She knows I'm a harum-scarum, ir-
responsible piece Of humanity" Joe
was wont to chuckle 10 his familiars,
"bIt she likes ne and [ count it a
double blessing to have won the daugh-
ter and the mother At the same time.
/ cOaxed her to rent out the old farm
where she lived and come with us,
and I wouldn't have her leave us for
a fortune"
So with Joe and his mother-in-1aw
strictly friendly and harmonious and
Mollie the happiest little wife and
daughter in the world, they were an
ideal family. Joe had his feelings, or
rather his fads He had rented
20-acre farm and was making a fair
living out of it, but rothing more.
Nothing more, because he invested his
surplus in pets.
Joe was born to love nature and all
her marvellous works, particularly
dumb creatures. His team Of horses
were treated like fellow humans.
There were half q dozen dogs and
double that number Of cats at the Bea-
mish farm. AS to his chickens, there
was scarcely week that Joe did not
add some new species of duck, hen
or gander to his already pOpulous
brood. He had to cart his product 20
miles to market and this gave him a
wide range to select from.
Such investments used up his sur
plus, took up his time and meant con-
siderable in she way Of care and feed
ing Of his motley aggregation. The
limit was reached when Joe began on
an actual menagerie basis. One day
he appeared, buOyant and triumphant,
with a crate on the old farm wagon
containing a great, placid, but cumber-
some bear He passed q delightful
week in rigging up comfortable quar-
tiers for his new accession. The fol-
lowing week he added two silver-ta
foxes to his list.
'Tve struck it rich - he announced
grandly, a month later. "GO out,
mother and Mollie, and look at the
two cages in the wagon. Lion in one
and a genuine royal Bengal tiger in
the other. Don't be afraid-the lion is
tOothlesS and the tiger old and gentle
as a kitten"
"But, joe" demonstrated Mollie,
"what in the world do we want them
for?"
THAT'S So" nodded Joe soberly. 81
never thought of that. They were sell
ing out a stranded circus and I felt
sorry for the poor critters; they went
cheap, and-Oh, / like to have them
around. Just as I do you" shouted
the light-hearted fellow, selling his
mother-in-law and giving her a swing
and a kiss.
81 suppose it will be a camel or
rhinoceros this time!" observed Mollie
on the present occasion, as she crowd
ed to the door after her mother.
"He'S capped the climax" gasped
Mrs. Green, and both started in won
der.
Hitched to the wagon by a chain
and clumSily keeping up with its prog
reSs was an elephant. 1t was SCARED
and aged. One ear resembled a tat
tered sail It's tuSkS had been sawed
off short and it was minus an eye, but
n1n t,sfo CriY q
after it were half a dozen village chill
dren, taking in this great free menage-
RE treat.
"The bargain Of my life" announced
Joe enthusiastically to the two dazed
women. "a bill poster took old Romeo
for debt, but the animal was eating
it's head off and he could not afford
to keep it,
"Then how can you?" ventured Mrs.
Green mildly.
"Oh! we've got a farm and can raise
its feed"
Alackaday. not for long. The inev-
liable developed. At the end of the
season Joe was unable to pay up his
lease. Two cereal crops failed The
future doomed ominously. There was
a week Of anxiety and uncertainty.
Then the great blow fell. The owner
of the farm found new tenant.
Don't be discouraged, Joe. dear"
Soothed mother-in-law. "Weu just go
back to my old farm and begin all
over again."
YES, but the animals" remarked
Joe pathetically.
Give up that fad and get down to
practical work, son." suggested Mrs.
Green. you must sell off everything
except the furniture and that like
Mollie and l will go on to Moorside
and get the old place in trim for YOU"
1t took Joe a week to make all due
arrangements. 1t was when he came
to the animals that he found himself
all at sea. No one would buy his
royal Bengal tiger, nobody wanted Ro-
meo. 1t looked as though he would
either have to abandon his menagerie,
or turn it's members adrift. He adver-
tiSed In the city papers. but no cli-