The evening world., 1889-12-02
CALIPh A FATHER,
A Female HippOpOtamuS Born In the
Central Park Nenaserie.
She Weighs Forty Pounds and Is
Exceedingly Healthy.
Mrs. Murphy, h Happy Mother, 70
Doing Very Well.
BIRTH.

To Csiph and Fstims Murphy, of Central Park, last
night, q ~dGughtor.
1t is such a little baby!
But its mamma is just a. happy and Just as
full of JOY a. if Baby weighed a ton.
1t came just as the bells were tolling midnight,
and it weighed just forty pounds.
DR.. Conklin was the attending physician and
HuQhey Downey and Thomas Douohue are the
nurses. while grizzled and learned Frank J.
Thompson, who brought the mother TO America
to we'd, In as happy as a lark and will stand as
godfather to the pinkish infant when it Is chris
tened.
If there is ever q time when the head of o fam
lily feels his own importance it is when an heir
or heiress arrives at his home.
Mr.. Caliph weighs something like three tons,
and Is q slaid. and reputable member of the
He has not long been q resident of Central
Psrk' having arrived at the meynassrie in April,
He was 6etrotIed item to Miss Murphy, and
a deal Of sympathetic comn ent at the time.
They have. since lived in the lion house in
Winter. passing the Summer in their delightful
little pond tank just north Of lion house.
There was great commotion in lion house all
day YESTERDAY. and last night Calinh'S Sunday
The connection infected Jack and Jennie, the
old lion couple, and they, roared in sympathy.
Whho ~ Pah1hoib hONIcu aHu ihihOSotOS
At midnight Baby came and. peace was re-
stored. Mamma is doing as nicely as could be
hoped for, hut il III such a state OF nervous eN-
element that no visitors are. permitted to see
her leat she trample Baby to death.
Baby weighs forty pounds. though the average
baby hippotomus weighs 100 pounds, and
Baby's mother tips the beam at two tons.
Baby has a delicate pink skin, soft and oily,
and IL about the size of a half-grown pig, though
far, far. more beautiful, for she has large,
thoughtful, brown eyes, and n mouth to be COM
pared only to that Of the River Amazon,
Little mites OF gray ears stick out Of her head,
as spry as q fifty pound kitten.
Our baby is the first hippopotamus ever born
IN America, A half dozen have come into the
world i'll Europe. but their lives have been
usually very short.
There are now three surviving hippo babies in
the civilized world. One at Antwerp il two and
q half years old. and another at Amsterdam is
born at the London Zoo in 1872 that still lives.
The last one is a female, but il was born on
Guy Fawkes' Day, Nov. 3, and was named after
the powder plot hero.
Baby has no name yet. She will live on milk
for nine or ten months, and then she will be
where she will learn to eat bran. crushed oats
sad hay--half-nnd-hal timothy and clover. In
three years she will have attained her growth.
Mr.. Caliph il philosophical. He says little
but, although he will not own 1t, it is plain to
see that he IL O. happy and proud father this
morning. and when he is not watched he tries
Lard to peep lrouud the corner into Fatima' q
apartment and get a glimpse Of the newcomer
No callers will be received by Mrs. Murphy in
some days owing TO the fright which might re-
suit to Fatima and Baby.