Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1882 — Selling Out a Menagerie. [ARTICLE]

Selling Out a Menagerie.

New York Sun. Bolivar was a very sad elephant yesterday as he stood under the larse tent At Van’Am burgh & Co.’s wiuterquarters at Amenia. He glanced wistfully from the double-horned rhinoceros to jl. R. Thompson, who stood upon a high circus wagon proclaiming Bolivar’s virtues. Bolivar was sad because he was about to be parted from his friend, the rhinoceros, who himself was much depressed. The Burmese cow was eyeing enviously the doublehumped Bactrian camel, called by children and poets “the ship of the desert.” Two dromedaires “which,” said a keeper in an explanatory tone, “they has but one hump, whereas most folks think they has two,” were hanging their heads in decorous silenoe. The hyena laughed his mocking, sardonic laugh at the oryx and the hartebeest. and even went so far as to ridicule the Hay animal Bolivar has been for mafly years the five-ton pet of Van Amburg& Co. They never never punished him when he strolled from his stall to the candy stand and consumed its contents in the absence of the guileless vender. They merely called out, “Johnson is coming,” and then Bolivar hurried back to his stall. Johnson had been Bolivar’s keeper, and his insinuating manners have given him great influence over this child of India. These five tons of elephantine matter were greatly admired yesterday. Ad, Forepaugh and his son Addie with respect; Johnny Forepaugh, O’Brien’s agent, was lost in calculations, while W, W. Cole, striking an attitude in which he resembled Edwin Booth in Hamlet, muttered: “To buy or not to buy.” Jim Bailey, Dan Shelby, Doc Thayer, the ex-showman; W.W. Stewart, Doc Riley, Sam Booth Oscar Hyatt, W. C. Coup, Wiggins o Detroit, Lewis Sells, Kelch, Gayiard & Tryer, Hutchinson, Fuqua, Barnum’s horsemen; Martin, the Robbinses, and Furzman were there,while Hys ft Frost and O. J. Ferguson, who are Van Amburg & Co., pervaded the tent. “Bolivar,” said Mr. Thompson, from the wagon, “is the largest elephant in this country. The only elephant that is larger belongs to the Prince of Wales, and is at the London Zoo. Bolivar will dance a waltz, balance himself on a pedestal, and stand on two legs. What do you bld for Bolivar, gentlemen?” “Five thousand dollars,” sang out Jake Reed, Ad. Forepaugh’s buyer. Bailey went him one hundred better, and the bidding continued until Bolivar was knocked down to Forepaugh at $7,100. “The double-horned rhinoceros, gentlemen,” called out Mr. Thompson, “weighs 3,500 pounds. There’s none like him. What’s your bld gentlemen?” Again the bidding was between Forepaugh and Bailey, until the rhinoceros was knocked down to the former at $2,450. Most of thd other animals were also bought by Ad. Forepaugh, whose purchases aggregated $17,500. The bids on the Burmese cow and the zebra were so low that these were not sold; and they regarded the proceedings with contempt. The Gromedary brought $325, the Bactrian camel $325, and the hartebeest $260. Then some wagon cages and wardrobe wagons were put up. A large number of horses were sold to farmers from the neighborhood! The prices varied from SBO to $257.

All the animals excent the oryx were left op the ground. * The shades of night had fallen when two men emerged from the depot bearing a wooden slat box. A horn moved violently to and fro between two of the slats and a leg was kicked lustily at the nearest carrier. A man who walked alongside was poking his umbrella into the box. and stirring it around as one stirs a soup ladle. “Is that the oryx?” asked Cole. And again he received an affirmative answer, he again struck a Hamlet attitude and muttered: “Alas, noor Oiyx!” □ ,r Van AmburghA Co.say that they are not selling because they intend to retire, though the contrary opinion was expressed by several showmen. Van Amburgh’s name has been on the show bills for sixty-one years. New Zeland is constantly taking more and more of our canned things.