Evening star., 1926-10-26

The greatest collection of wild an
imals ever to arrive in the United
States came to Washington this morn
ing.
They reached Union Station. aboW
l 200 of them of all sizes, in express
trains about 10:30 and were taken in
charge at once for transportation to
the Zoo by DIR. William NJ. Mann and
Head Keeper Blackburn.
All but the hoofed creafeiIes from
the cargo of the City of Calcutta We're
brought at once from Bnstory to
Washington. The hoofed animals
must spend two weeks in quarantine
in warm, sunny quarters at the Bos-
ton Army base, or until any possi-
bility that they are infected with the
dreaded hoof and mouth disease is
eliminated.
Were Examined in Cairo. -
There is no possibility of this, ac-
cording to DR.. Mann. They were given
q thorough examination by. Veter1-
narians at Cairo before the City of
Calcutta sailed on the last lap Of her
voyage home.
lie SISdltSl NlllllCultiCo III oCltlIl3
1000 wild animals from East Africa
to Washington were met yesterday at
the East Boston docks, where steve
dores accustomed to Juggling bales of
cotton and barrels of oil, insisted on
handling the delicate jungle creatures
the same way.
DR.. Mann, Mr.. Blackburn and John
T. Benson. wild animal expert, had a
continual fight on their hands to keep
the larger animals from being abused
and the smaller birds from being
smuggled into the pockets of the dock
workers Seven or eight valuable par
rots disappeared in this way.
Native Attacks StevedOre.
The situation was complicated when
Saidi. red-fezed Tanganyikan native
who has acted all the way as foster
father to his jungle cOmpatriots. at
tackled with his fists stevedore whom
he found holding a delicate lemur by
the nape of the neck in driving
rain. Saidi was getting the best of
the husky dockman when DR.. Mann
interfered DR.. Mann and Mr.. Black
burn We're afraid not only for the
safety of the animals, but lest the
stevedores ignorantly tear open a box
COUIulllllS SOlUt; vi lIiC hVttuAN ASPNAA' .
whose bite would be almost certainly
fatal.
When DR.. Mann told them that
these splitting cobras and mambas
we're scattered indiscriminately In the
cages, the attempted pillaging ceased
A large crew of StevedOreS worked
from s am. to 6 pm. getting OFF the
priceless cargo of the City of Calcut-
ia. while half of East Boston thronged
the docks peering into the closely
barred cages. The two giraffes, stand
ing nine feet high, their necks stick
ing out OF their crates, offered the
greatest difficulty. They were swung
with hoists from the ship to truck
waiting on the pier, but when 1t came
TO getting them on a ferry boat at
was found that they We're too tall.
AT last one ferry boat was obtained
to take them to the Boston Army
base where. with the rest of the
hoofed creatures, they will be quar-
antined for the next two weeks.
Saidi Rides With Leopard.
The others. mammals, birds and
rantiles. were loaded into express cars
and the indispensable Saidi was locked
in the car containing the cage OF the
largest leopard in captivity, which he
accompanied to Washington. The
leonard showed signs of being nervous
and DR.. Mann's last instructions to
Saidi were, in case the leopard broke
ont of the cage, TO dive into the cage
himself and bar himself in. Saidi
however. was not particularly worried
over his assignment of a night of cap
tiyitv with a maneater.
At home he supports his numerous
wives by the trade of gunbearer-
that is. he carries the guns of parties
Of wealthy American and English
hunters and usually shoots their
game for them. He IS a veteran of
the German army in Africa. DR..
Mann intends to keep him and his
James at the Zoo for a
few weeks until the animals begin
to feel at home. James, by the way.
is a devout Christian, but he and
Saidi have remained close friends, de-
spite their religious animosity.
Before leaving Boston last night
DR.. Mann insured the more valuable
of the animals. The two giraffes
were insured for $4,000. The shoe
bill stork. the second of its kind TO
reach this country and one Of the
rarest birds in the world. was insured