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TTTE OMAITA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 2, 1908.
Picturesque Scenes at New York Aquarium During: Feeding" Process
riff VnttV 4 Ana m IhA
EW YORK, Fen. l.-On- of tha
moat picture srtue sights at the
Aquarium in Battery park
the serving out of the dally ra-
'" tlma to the I.W captive sea
' : J dwellers. llttU and but. Tha 10
wall tanks and spacious floor pool are said
to halter the largest colony of fishes-
tit "different kinds ever gathered under
one roof In the world. The fact that X.131.
ln peraona panned through Ita'doora duiinf
tha last year, an average of over S.000
dally, stamp It as ore of the moat popular
aliow places In the world.
Getting up the dally menu for the fishe
quires more labor and expense than one
jlprlit muu". One .ttendJ" devote'
H. i ; -4:" ;
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111 i: . ri Ill itTC a Wt
rMt Csrocotor t., thX rtro&y
noAffDKtt or vmS sic iA mutt .
about half of each day to tha preparation
of tha food and several others are kept
busy the remainder cf the afternoon
feeding the f(lieo The food Is varied to
suit the fishes, and Includes beef- sliced,
chopped or mlneed liver and fish, cod and
herring mostly. Minnows, when procur
able In abundance, arc provided at the rate
of ten or . twelve quarts dally, and are
Imply thrown alive Into tho tanks whera
the larger fishes soon dispose of them.
Bhrtmps to the 'extent of about fifteen or
twenty quarts a week, four or five bushels
Cf mussels a year, small crabs, such as
fiddle crabs, stone crubs and young-blue
era be, by the thousand; marine worms at
the rate of 600 or 00 a month; small soft
clams In quantities of from 10,000 to 12,0j0
during the summer season are also on the
menu. The average board bill for the
Aquarium's guests for a month la tlOO.
Among the chief attractions of tha
Aquarium at present, from the fact that
H is comparatively new and rare here,
the curious aea cow, or manatee, from
Florida, the only one In captivity In thla
country, It was presented to the Aquarium
by A. W. Dhnock and has survived eight
een months, which 'is the record time for a
manatee to live in conflnenment.
The sea cows In their wild habitat are
especially shy and cautious of man, diving'
and disappearing Immediately! on his ap
proach. Being of tropical origin, the mana
tee requires special treatment and care.
The. .water In the pool is, kept at a suitably
warm temperature, between 70 and 72 de
grees; Eol grass and lettuce leave are Its
.chief fare. -, The former is used chiefly
When .Obtainable.
The aea . cow . was captured in a large
drag aelne.. Numerous attempt to take one
had been made at different time for a
month, and many broke and escaped
through the net before one was finally ob
tatned.j i.
The manatee ha considerable swimming
paca In hi tile-lined pool, which Is twenty
feet long by thirteen wide, with ,a depth
of four feet of water. The water la re
newed dally. " .
'Tha feeding of the sea cow I watched
S.O SfCSt L fx Or 3 At
"rrco MQjiAm mo. ow. amirs or coo
with interest by the visitors. It is done by
W. de Nyse,- who throws handfuls of eel
grass Into the tank.
The best view of the animal is obtained
when the water is run off in order that
the pool may be cleaned, thus leaving the
whole form of the manatee strikingly out-,
lined. A very clear view of this strange
creature la shown io the photograph here
reproduced, which waa taken after 6 p. m.,
when all visitors were out.
' The picture shows the manner of giving
thl animal a shrfrnpoo.' In thla process a
long handled brush Is used to brush off
the day' accumulation of various sub
stances. The manatee seem to enjoy, it
daily rubdown and the Inflow of fresh
water, after which It will settle. down In
one corner of the pool for slumber.
Another star attraction of tha Aquarium
is the silver bedecked spotted moray. Thlaj
extraordinary eel inhabits the caverns.
grottoes and coral reefs of Bermuda and
la one of the most Interesting of the many
otrunge sea marvels from this tropical Isle,
which' Is celebrated for Its gorgeous colored
fishes. '
A wholo tank Is given up to the display
of this brilliant coated moray. The picture
here reproduced shows the long serpentine
creature In a characteristic attitude a It
la about to receive a atrip of ood for
luncheon. This, the favorite food of the
moray. Is passed to and fro close to It
open mouth, till the animal suddenly gulp
tha tempting morsel. . -
In he ocean depths the moray are
vorac(ous, even cannibalistic In their habit
and are the terror of tho other fishes. With
their long bodies partly concealed by being
wound around aome ledge or crevice they
lie In ambush, their Jaws with lancelike
teeth open half a foot or more, in readiness
to dart at and swallow the first unsus
pecting victim that swims by.
They are caught In traps and also on
hpok. Tha native negro fishermen lose
.no time in cutting off th head of one a
soon a It la landed in the boat. If a big
specimen happen to get loose a panlo 1
likely to start, among tha crew and they
wilt Jump overboard on the Instant.
Of all the Aquarium's boarder the little
ea horse, six Inches long, are the moat
fantastlo in appearance. They are so
named from the close resemblance of their
head to that of a horse.
The tfood necessary to whet their appe
tlte 1 somewhat odd and hard to obtain.
It has been found that they can be kept
In good condition only when they are well
supplied with gamarua, very minute
crustacean procured by gathering bunches
of fin sea moss, which It Inhabit.
In feeding tha aea horse's mouth Is
placed near the prey, for which it con
stantly searches, and Is suddenly opeaed.
The cheeks being Inflated at tha same time.
the food I captured with the Inrush of
water. When bunches of sea moss are
dropped Into the tanks the f lnh Immediately
camper to the bottom, and pick out the
minute life from tha weeds.
The aea horse Is probable the only fish
having a prehensile tall which It uses in
a monkeylike fashion, constantly anchoring
Itself to woods, stones and sticks. The
position of the body is usually vertical,
especially In swimming.
These little creatures are found all along
the American coui from Cape Cod to
South Carolina. There Is one remarkable
feature about them not known generally.
Contrary to the rule with the reet of tho
animal world the eggs while hatching are
carried by the male in a pouch, and the
young are said to return to this for shelter.
Hundreds, probably thousands, of baby in
dividuate are thus transported around by
the paternal member of the family In
his incubating pocket while Mrs. Sea Horse,
released of care, roams fancy free.
The clever maneuvers of the little harbor
seals from the Maine coast share the pop
ular Interest with the sea horee. They are
hearty eaters and have strips of cod and
herring for their luncheon. These are
usually thrown Into the pool, but often
times when the seals come up on the plat
form the food is suspended over their heada
for a moment and then eagerly snapped at.
These creatures are rapidly disappearing
from the Atlantlo coast. Owing to their
ravages upon the fish some of the New
England states now offer a bounty of from
tl to 13 a head for the destruction of these
animals in order to protect the fishing in
dustry. Lt. B. Spencer has In the laboratory and
In the balanced aquariums many minute
fresh water and salt water forma of life
which are daintily fed on bits of beef. His
collection Is especially rich in example of
living coral and fine sea anemones.
This nature study department, supple
mented by Mr. Spencer's short lectures and
object lesson talks, furnishes a popular
educational attraction which is well at
tended by teachers and school children.
The Florida Crocodile Is about tre most
Indifferent and Irregular of tho Aquarium I
boarders, as days and even weeks will pass
without its taking any food. When rations
are to' be served the animal is roused from
stupor by being punched. Its anger Is
shown by growling, accompanied by open
ing Its ponderous Jaws, in which the at
tendant swiftly lodges a big fish.
In the floor pool containing the nine lan?
aea turtle of fouf different kinds the star
Is ft giant green turtle from Florida weigh
ing B13 pounds. HI shell la aa big as a
small dining table. The slxe may be Judged
from the Eaat Bide boy seated on his back.
This turtle and his mate are fed on a
choice menu of clams, eel grass, lettuce
and whelks.
Great Thing's Are Predicted for the New East African City of Nairobi
fConrritrht. 190ft. hv Frank n r.rn.nt.r ,r.. ' mmmtm -v
(Copyright, 1908, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
AIKOBI, British East Afrlca.-
Nl (Special Correspondence of Tha
I Bee.) Have Vou ever heard of
niuroDu ii is me metropolis of
this faraway colony, and the
'place which tha Kngllsh think
I to be one of the greatest cities of Africa.
They are already' speaking of it as a Chi
cago In embryo, and are prophesying that
ft will have a vast white population. The
town la not half a desen years old. Three
yoars ago it had hardly a house. Today
streets have been laid out over an area
about ten mllea In circumference; hundred
of building of tin, wood and stone have
been erected and the place has almost 12,000
Inhabitants. ,
Nairobi lies in the very heart of British
Eaat Africa. It 1 little more than half
way Inland from the coaat on the road to
ke Victoria, and. aa the crow flies, about
100 miles from Mount Kenla, which kisses
ths cloud at an altitude of 18.000 or 19.000
feet, off to the northward. I can aee
Mount Kenla, from here ona bright day,
and some distance down Wie"rallroad, when
the sun is Just right, one can get a glimpse
of the two peaks of Kilimanjaro, which lies
to the southeast, .in the German posses
sions, a distance Of 150 miles or more.
Nairobi itself la Just about as high as Den
ver, and. Ilka It, la kltuated at the western
end of great plains, which rise In an alti
tude of 6,000 or more feet above the sea.
They are so high that the equatorial sun
Is conquered by the altitude, and white men
can live and work upon them the year
round. The country Is In fact a whit
man a country, and with car people of Iron booths, open at the front, in whlch their nakednu Tt,. . .
our race can thrive upon thousands of Hindoos stand or sit surrounded hv thir .nn ' " . ,ne nav town- stations upon age to make a good show. Allied to them I to i
.m .s i4 " ------ v wicj IQ 1 1 rU Ueri LI V ITlM.KRAJsl nr 1 llair . IjUaB Vlntnrla r wl rv.. it. mi. - .
a,a, - . . -.vV.. uU ii.iaiim. ineiart are me ports men and the scattering ele- They have
' aia.i i j ui Liiein swiifM i vnrm r ro nova vorv on aitMioin , . i -
The ,vmnr w """7. "'cy "V8 uPn ment dunes, lords and second sons of
" ' fiiiisu, AiieBB nive Brown rAn n v. a mnHT nn h nv t . . . .
square mllea of It.
I struck these plains after a twenty-hour
ride from the Indian ocean by railroad.
They make me think of our west as it was
fifty year ago, and I doubt not In time
they will be settled by ranchers and farm
ers. Just as is the western part of the
United States today. This country la an
empire In its undeveloped possibilities, and
the English do right In putting a high value
upon It. But I shall writ mora of that in
the future.
goods..
My hotel Is half iron.
treasury nearhv. 0nutlf f . .h.rf . .v.. . ' " wu unueraeu me noma lamilies who nave come out here to
more than flfte'en feet squire.,, of tin and S LTrt2 IT. lolTVl' !"?
annas, or from 4 to 6 cents each.
regular telegrams from the
Reuter agency, which gives them, the big
news of tho world, apd they furnish full
report of tho local cricket, polo, tennis
and gulf matches. This week's Star re
port the meeting of the East African Turf
club, and in the Globe Trotter I see the
story of a cricket match which was held
laet Saturday between the government
City Batlt af TIa.
This letter Is to be devoted to th tin
town of Nairobi. I should say galvanised
iron, for that is the chief bifllding material.
nere worthy of mentioning, tha rnrot
have not been exploited, and about the only
lumber available Is that which is brought
from our country and Norway and landed
at Mombasa. The ocean freight rates are
heavy, and In addition there Is the cost of
bringing the lumber here by railroad. As
a result the most of the bulldlnva are of
has a tin roof. I could chon It ,k 'Ju L. " . " ",7 "u" irn.. lney usually men or means, ror the prices of
With a butcher knife- and tha nnlv .im nt ' were mourning. , .re ior jewelry, and all sorts of large tracts of land are high and it also
iX X 'i ttl,n rj.mh ' . knickknack. that the African wants. They cost, considerable money to fit out a game
aun L hand ., JS! . , ,k " A",- B,,lck -'"' ln EurPn oods. and one can shooting expedition. In addition there are
gun In hand, stand, outside guarding the i hv. given th total population of bur almost anything from a needle land speculators, who" are chiefly young
wwc. vi&ivo mo jtuiu surveyor is nb mhi - - ir. . ui T j -.. v . , in jl irw nr manh n. ii .,, i.. . - . ... - " -
r,t ii. j - ' : .v. i uuuui wiiBiuar u iias -- - ....... in iinuvui iiidii iruiu ,ngiana or Doutn Alrlca. They elerka and tha Inaimnunla A. in tlx
"na " are ln P0ce Headquarters L0O0 whites. Of the remainder ahont nn there is one long street which la devoted
.... i. . ....... . - ' ' '" i,t1- advertlaemenLa. tha moat of tliam enma
from the local merchants and some are
odd to an extreme. One in the Globe Trot
ter of today is signed by a well known
American circus company, and states that
it wants to buy a white rhinoceros, a giant
hog, some wild dogs .and a white tailed
mongoose and bongo. Another advertise
ment ia that of the Homestead Dairy,
and the house. In which the supreme court third are East Indians and the others are the Hindoo market. The stores are all open top boots. They dash about the country
is held. The more fancy dwellings are the queerest Africans you can Imagine, i " th8 front- n1 th men squat in them on ponies, and are especially In evidence
'- " -"""?,""" apeaji 0t mem rirst, because they are v"c" 8"y Kooam piiea aoout them, around the bars of the hotels. There are
brick bulldlnges are rising.,-, , everywhere. You stumble over them on TheBO Indians dress in a quaint costume but few white women here. Several of the
I the Street: thev wait unnn vnn in th- not uniine mat or the English clersrvman government offlclula havo l,o(r iv.. i,t.
Paatarca. . hotels: their carrv hnron. rnr ,i .n,i who wears a long black coat buttoned nn them, and now and than ntmA ,.
they clog your footsteps when you go out- to th8 throt- Tha only difference Is that out to hunt with her friends. I have met
of the natives wear mnuoo s trousers may be of bright-
three women who have
lions.
themselves shot
I.ararelr Car
The fcalrobl Of todav ia lat-wnlv rvtu tmm
There are no saw mills or planing mills turea It la a city of magnificent dlstanoes. side town. Manv
nnrn wnrrnv nr manf v. . - , - ... . v . , ..
.very piace or importance seems several -dirty, greasy cloths, net more than a yard colorea cmico, cut very UgM. and hu head
miles from any other place of the .ame wida and two yards Umg. They hang them may be cov"ed with a flat skull cap of
character, and the patches between are about their shoulder, and let them fall velvct embroidered In gold. Moreover, his
ofton graslng ground. The bouses are of 'down, on each side, so that they flap thl.
one and two storle., and they are soattered way and that In the bree.e. Some wear
along wide streets which run for an In-, breech cloth., and some do not and not a
definite, distance out Into the prairie. The -few are bar to the waist. In the early Tnls British city, notwithstanding it. shooting tripe, and they will give you por- "rt" ot affrioultural Implements,
chief ways of . getting about are on foot, morning when the air Is still sharp many African and Asiatic inhabitants; and the ter who will carry your stuff and chase One of these newspapers of Nairobi la
oi these people are clad In red flannel rulln clas ne English. They are 1,18 ,lon oul OI Jungles so that you may edited by an American. It is known as
feet are usually bare.
White Poolatloa.
Nairobi haa EnirlUh lrw.. a,,.,. showing the Improvements made along
lawyers. It ha. one photographer and two farmln" 1,ne nd other, state that certuin
firms which advertise themselves as Safari morchnta will outfit hunters for shooting
outfitters. These men supply you with Tner r many land seals advertised, and
tents, provisions and other thlna-a tnr machinery, American wagons and all
UU11 wmuii comes nere in sneeta on horseback 0r In Jlnrikshas, tho latter
being by far the most popular. The Jin
from England and Belgium. Almost all the
buildings ars of Iron, which is put up Just
as U comes from the factory, giving the
whole town a silver gray color. The post
office la of 4ron, the depot has an Iron roof,
and the same la true of the 'governor's
offices. Many of the houses have Iron
ceilings and Iron walls, and the chief .retail
business section la a collection of onstory
blanket?, and they go stalking along with ,,vldc1 UP into caates, almost as much aa
their legs bare to the thigh. I havi al- "re tha Eat Indiana. The government
ready spoken of the ear plugs. Some have of"cial rank at the head. They are the
the holes In the lobes of their cars so wo"8 ot the town. They dress well and
stretched that I can put my fist through Pon1 great deal of time out of office
them. The loops ore so lonir that when a hours playing tennis and golf, which.
shafts and the other pushes behind. They man take" out his ear plug he hangs the ",rnge to say, have already been Intro-
are clad In a sinirle cotton cloth .hi.h 'WP of skin over the too of his ear to nre- ""ceo. into mis pan or ue black continent.
get a shot at them.
rlkshas are much like those used In Japan,
save that they are larger and wider. I am
told they are made In America, They are
pushed and pulled by black Africans, two
to each vehicle. One man goes In tha
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Nairobi Newspapers.
It seems strange to haVe newspapers
away out here under the shadow of Mount
Kenla. within a half day's ride on horse
back of lion and rhlnocerou. hunting. They wild game.
are all banking on the future of tha in tx huv 11, .no ri.u,....t.r,,t.. r..r
flap, back and forth a. they run. exposing vent " catcl"iig onto something and tear- They aUo rld,9 about on horseback and In and all claim to be prosperous. They Barnum and Bailey's circus, and he still
I n. i . , fia,r flvDi nn.l niuin ........ 1 . . ... . . . ..... '
" -o-". - nmn- are gooa Slzea Journals solllna- for trnm
" ttontlnued on rage Four.
the Olobe Trotter, and has a good circula
tion. The editor's name Is David Oarrli k
Longworth, but I am not sure that he Is
a relative of the president's son-in-law. Hd
Is certainly enterprising, and partakes of
our president's character In his love for
He cam out here originally
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HOTEX, AT NAIROBI, WIfKRH MR. CARPENTER 8TATEIX
ing. -ilia loop Inoks just like a leather
strap about as wide as one's little finger
nail. I have handh d many of them, twist
ing them this way and that to be sure they
are genuine.
I see a squib In the Globe Trotter, a
newspaper of Nairobi, which fits the, native
costumes here. It Is: "A London tailor
Bays that any gentlrman can bo rind for
25 (tU'S). The nnlvo gentleman of Nairobi
can be fully clad fer 2 annas (about 5 cents)
Including the smell."
Thla African smell I. everywhere. It
load, the market places, and I verily
think It might be copped up Into blocks and
'.old a a new kind of phosphates. The
natives cover themselves with hair ell and
body grease, and the combination of this
when It turns rancid ard of the natural
. effluvia wfilch exhales from their persons
1s " Indescribable. Others of the natives
smear their faces with a mixture of grease
and red clay; they caver their hair with
the same material, s that they look more
like copper Indians than Africans.
Eaat Irdfaa Traders.
These Africans do all the'hard work of
Nairobi. They are hewers of wood and
drawer of water. I see scores of them
loaded with iron and brass Jewelry of var
ious kinds, carrying baskets' of dirt on
their heads, loads of wood on their backs
snd pushing and pulling carts and wagons
through the streets. The most of my trlrs
from one placa to another arc made In
two-wheeled carts hauled by natives so
clad.
I find tha retail business of Nairobi don
by East Indians. This waa also the ease
at Mombasa, and I am told It la so in
every settlement oa this part of th con
tinent Th Hindoos have made their way
along every traveled rout, and their lltu
tores mar be found in every large Atricaa "
y"' ...fi if! r.-, a h ih E
Hi',i .,ry p .j ' W v 'fl-
.tM V"! . i y- i infer rt
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IN DU BUSINESS QUARTJilUB XV JJUiattfU.
