WILD BEAST MERCHANT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9629, 9 April 1917, Page 7

WILD BEAST MERCHANT

DEATH OF NOTED CHARACTER. In tho death at the age of seventyone of Mr Albert Jamrach, the famous '"purveyor” of all manner of wild beasts "from elephants to' earwigs” (his own phrase), a remarkable figure has passed away, says the London "Daily Mail.” "The war killed my trade, and it is slowly killing me,” he said only a few months ago as wo 7 stood beside the empty cages in his formerly won. derful menagerie in St. George’s-in-tho-East. “Mr heart is broken, my beloved beasts bate gone except a few small birds and beasts) and all that is left is the museum of curiosities collected by my father in his travels. Even these I am now selling off, but ©very time a blue vase or a heathen god leaves its dusty cabinet, I feel as it a part of myself goes with it.” The Jamrach business mas started by Albert Jamraoh's grandfather, a harbourmaster, who bought strange birds and beasts from deep-sea sailormen. From, speculating in parrots and monkeys his son Charles launched out. It was quite | a common thing down by the docks to see him gravely conducting a camel through his wide shop-door and showing it into the back premises, where alligators, ostriches, eagles and man-eaters lived in harmony, quelled by Jamrach’s eye. He died in 1891, and Albert Edward (named after the Prince of Wales, who in early days was a patron of Charles) reigned in his stead. Under his sway the business prospered, _ and nobody who wanted, a good, reliable hippopotamus cheap, or an alligator warranted quiet to ride and drive amid the ornamental waters of a country estate, ever dreamt of going anywhere else than to Jnmrach’s. He took just as much trouble in supplying his customers with kittens as with kangaroos. Best of all, he was a cultured, kindly gentleman, generous and simple-mind-ed. He considered his trade not as a tradesman merely, hut his heart was in it.