The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-06
OLD TIN AND HIS SWANS.

UlA LIN AM LID OW dlNO.
POINTS REGARDING THE WATER
FOWL IN CENTRAL PARK.
Though Beautiful Creatures, Swans Have
Some Queer and Interesting Peculiars-
ties-Mates Are Always Faithful 70
Each Other-How They Live.
Toward o'clock one afternoon q scene
of serene domestic bliss was to be observed
from the high bridge which leads out Of
Central park at Eighth avenue and Seven
ty-seventh street. There was struggling
and faint hearted sunshine. In the hollow
just below the bridge is pond, the winter
quarters of the swans, the snow geese and
the white ducks. Some Of the swans float
ed in pairs on the water, now and then div
ing their long necks so far beneath the sur
face that their tails pointed to the zerith
and their webbed feet foated like the
leaves of water lilies When they were not
diving they drifted beautifully about. look
ing like bits of summer cioad dropped to
the pond from the sky. They were evident
" well contented with their lot. and each
pair seemed as loving a. couple on their
honeymoon tour.
The geese and ducks seemed amiable
enough also. Others of the swans stepped
about upon the ice and gave no sign of
being troubled with cold feet. They all
made strange cultural sounds, except one
swan. He stood alone. observing first tho
l,aI nd hap n "a w fQr
After each inspection there was a drearier
droop to his pluraage, and at last he gave
vent to his feelings in long rafting note
like the noise of q wheezy trumpet in I'M
skillful hands. This lonely swan was the
American trumpeter. the only representa-
tive of his kind among the numerous Afri-
can and European swans.
BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.
Presently one of the ducks gave shrill
croak that was taken up on all sides
Those swans and geese that were on land
took to the water in hasty and undigui-
fled way. and then all began grand water
tour of the pond, sailing slowly or rapidly
as the leading duck siackened or quicken
ed his movements.
After while an old man came slowly
down the path toward the pond, and finally
leaned against little bridge overlooking
it. He carried a thick thorn stick. He
wore an old cap, an old overcoat and an
old fashioned comforter. This was old
Tim. who has taken care of the swans and
water fowl generally for thirty years. AL
| though none of them has ever shown the
least sign of affection for him, he is very
| fond of them, and has come to know and
| admire them thoroughly.
One thing has always grieved him great
! IT, He has never been able to tell one
| swan from another or TO be positive which
| are the males and which the females.
| When he sees a pair together constantly
| he knows that one is a male and one fe-
| male, but which is which he cannot tell to
certainty Any one but a man of thirty
years experience would decline even to
| speculate about the question, for one swan
| is exactly like another, except IN trifiing
| details of plumage, which alter constantly.
! Until swan is year old you can tell
| that he or she is younger than the others.
but after the full plumage comes there Is
/ no difference When the swans first came
| the superintendent saw that there would
| ie this difficulty, SO after much thinking
be hit upon cunning scheme He painted
number on each at the joint OF the wing
| SWAN LIFE.
But the swan is a clean bird, and has a
strong admiration for his uniform white
ness. So they never stopped picking at the
painted feathers until the last one had dis
appeared. After that the superintendent
| gave up.
But old Tim by careful watching has de-
termired one point which makes him very
! l. oh 10
| male swan in the spring, at the end OF his
| first year, takes unto himself wife, and
remains true to her and she remains true
to him until death does them part. There
are never two wives The females are not
at all fiirtatious, and accept no caresse:
from other swans Each domestic estab
| Gshment keeps to itself.
In thirty years old Tim has observed but
one instance of unfaithfulness. There was
| one female swan who lived with her hUs
band at the far corner OF the lake. away
| down at the other end lived male whC
| had been so unfortunate as to find all th'
| females married when he came TO maturi
ty, SO he set up housekeeping for himself
| Once in while he used TO aoat up the LAKE
and inspect from a distance the domestl'
happiness of the others. He always re
turned with a sad air He firted with sew
eral of the females, bat was whipped boil
BY them and by their husbands.
At last this female who lived at the othe
end of the lake took pity on him and stol
down to see him one day when her bus
band was on a foraging expedition A
she had to sail by all the other swans Il
get to this bachelors abiding place sh
soon became scandal to the community
Her husband caught her and punished he
and the bachelor Then he got sick abou
it and died. The bachelor came and con
soled the widow, and as no one could tel
him from the dead husband he quite natu
rally dropped into his place. This was fiv
or six wears ago, but old Tim still talk
about it Indignantly.
SWANS SOMETIMES FIGHT.
In the winter time the swans live hap
piy enough together and never fight o
quarrel. But In the spring their trouble
begin and last until winter comes again
When a pair of young swans set up house
keeping they choose q certain spot on Ia
shore of the lake for their nest This spo
remains theirs for the rest Of their hveE
They return to it each spring With Oh
land location goes a certain amount c
water surface in the nelghoorhood- an
| that is the cause of the trouble They seer
TO be pretty well agreed among thenseive
as to how much Of the lake surface belong
to each pair.
But sometimes a swan in search OF a b
of cho;cer mirror for his plumage than hi
own pleasure ground affords. or of SOFT
bit of food in his ne.ghbors' territory. wi
get on. of his limits Then the row begin.