BOSTOCK AND WOMBWELL'S CIRCUS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13174, 26 May 1906, Page 7

BOSTOCK AND WOMBWELL'S CIRCUS.

Following is an interesting account of the foundation of iWoiubwell's menagerie, which is msw. touring New 'Zealand a's Bostock and Wojmbwell's circus, a>ncl whidh will appear in Now Plymouth on Thursday and Friday noxt «: The world-ro-nov/ned m^nag-eau'st was 1 born at Saffron .W^iklttn, in Essex, in the yeur 1777. IHe had in early life a passion for domestic pets, and 'ho took a great pleasure in rearing birds, rabbits, 'dog's and other animals. In the course of years he wont to London^ ami .was •ong'a'gcid in business in Soho. 'The circiunstance "whicih entirely ah'dngeid his forinor i b l usin i css and commercial liKe was, that he haippened one "day to (pay 'a visit to the London l>ocks,wbere ho saw sdrno of the largest boa constrictors landed that had ever been brought into Britain. These reptiles had ihen (no great attraction fo,r menag«risfcst— 'as frottn fear as ignoiTrios of 'the art of muuraging thera^ J Poar was tm element t(hat aiovcr mtscred Mr Aflotaibwell's inin-d, so ho bxmg«ht >a p.ear of these ophMian msonstei's for i£7s, and tihey formed his first investm-ant, and laid the . foundation of Ws aftersuccess aad fortujne. ilta three weeks' time ho realised -by their c^ihibifckm, considerably more than the sum ex : pemdad upon than., jit taray bo here stated that he always entertnincid a partiality for the boa constrictor tribe, i'^d' all the time the Menagerie has been hi existence it has never been without several of these reptiles. At^ tfhe age of 30, Mr WonJ^vell was so stimulated by 'his success, that 3io resolved to start .upon his celebrated, caravan peregH^'ations *hromgihout Great Britain. At the same time that ho started out on 'his first journey, •he! scorned an •o.'ffice and yai!d at, Cotoiimercial Road, London, Where he built wag-ons,' and bo'ugiht and stold anlimals, &c. His business card, bearing a Jw-oodOit of a tiger, •wtas 'as follows :— j, "Wombwell, Wild Beaslt [Merchant; Commercial Road, London. All sorts o£ Foreign Animals, Birds, etc., bought, sold, or exchanged, at the Repository, or the Travelling , Menagerie." In order to secure animals he pait himself in, communication -with tihe Thames and other pilots, so thiat when the" East lindialnen and the other foreign sea-going ships entered the Dowins, these pilots learned if there werei a^ay( wild animials on I board, and had them retained fof. Mr WomWell' to get the first chataoe of buying them. He also engaged agents specially <io watch the 1 , ships-* arrivals. Gcve&% risks; are and wtere run in the purchase of these* animal's. Mr Womb well bought the first girtaffe that was imparted, arid p>aid £1000 for it. It was 'taken to Commercial Road, and feepit there whilet a force of men were set to. work to tfaiid a special waggon for it, but it died in the cc(urft6. : i6iihre© : weeks'* 'aftqr ita rival. The same, experierice aax<d risk occurs . Yfiihy lions, tdgefg, leopards, etc.^ while -tihe chimpaniZee and other specimens of the monkey tribe, diet off rapidly; utnless the utmost care and ckutioar are taken, not only in getting them acclimatised, but also insecwring the foods suitable lot these animals . when brought 1 fronn the Equator to -Great Britain's ch'a'ngieafole clknate.