THE COST OF A LION'S KEEP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1678, 3 October 1887, Page 3

THE COST OF A LION'S KEEP.

"Apropos of economy, you must have heavy expenses V

" Yes. I calculate my expenses m Paris : at about 12,000! a month, and it ia at : Paris we spend least. At Bordeaux, I spend HOOf a day, and of course when we are travelling m our speoial train, we spend far more. The expenses inolude food for the beasts, rent for space, and the tax on entertainments, which goes to tbe Public Assistance Office. I use one borße a day to feed my ao irnala. We give them beef twice a week. One day m tht. month they fast. A lion sats 201 bof fle.h per diem, end drinks two quarts of cow's milk every morning, Tho Polar , bear got_ fish oil threo times a weak Then I there Is the loss of the beasts to be considered, There Is terrible mortality by con sumptipn a .Tion g lions, and a lion is worth from 20,000f to 30,000f. The coat price of a lion, untamed, is £ .00. That is what I paid for Sultan, who is now worth at least £2000 He ia the moet magnificent specimen of a blaok maned Atlas lion In Europe. You must oon.ider tbe capital we have to sink m our ' subjects ' when you calculate our expense?. On the otber hand, the receipts are good. Neuilly Fair is one of the most productive of the plaoeß we vlßlt, We give two performances every night, and make a dally average receipt of £60. On Sundays we usually mako £100 or £120, but with six per^ f( nuances at reduced priceß. I forgot to mention one item of expense, whloh is the band. We only employ Frenotimen,and they are more expensive than Germans. ' I have not had a single German employ d | since 1371 • You caw what a fuss was i made because my colleague Penz.n bad - a German band. He has had to dismiss : them and to employ Frenchmen, The , Germans are being hounded ont of every entabliabmeot Io the bysjaeia."