The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1891-03-20
OLD TIM AND HIS SW ANS.
POINTS REGARDING THE WATER
FOWL IN CENTRAL PARK.

Though Beautiful Creatures, Swans Have
Some 1ncer and Interesting Peculiari-
tics-Nates Arc Always Faithful to
Each Other-How They Live.
Toward O'Clock one afternoon 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 a struggling
and faint hearted sunshine. In the hollow
just below the bridge is a pond, the winter
quarters Of the swans, the snow geese and
the white dncks. Some of the swans float
ed in pairs on the water, now and thendiy-
ing their long necks SO far beneath thesur-
face that their tails pointed to the zenith
and their wcbbcd feet f1oated like the
leaves of water lilies. When they were not
diving they drftcd beautifully about, look
ing like bits of summer cloud dropped to
the pond from the sky. They were evident
~ well contented with their lot, and each
pair seemed US loving as a couple on their
honeymoon tour.
The geese and ducks seemed amiabIe
enough also, Others Of the swans stepped
about upon tho 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 the
swans on land and then those in the water
After each inspection there was drearier
droop to his pumage, and at last he gave
lte thc rnisn nr :, ,,.b.oy,- t,,,rS4eat
stril1ful hands This 1,roI,. c,,n , a.
American ,r1,nnotnr the ny1,. ro1,,a.o,'.a ~
tive Of his Kind unonr Iho ,,,,,,,ort,,,c 1fn;
can and European swans.
HEkIrTJFt'L CRTATT-prS
7,.,.,1,,...., I'D, -
ri. ,t.n Min, /. iii '!N s''c i, 4 snr1ll
,r,I u,oaiN @ .ise Mi'S 'ilNeh lNteh ", on ~ sldes:
tl'4l a'tia ''tiiu ''tiu EetSH th51e "ert on lanu
tooh to tlle Watcr ~ 2 nasty and undigni-
''sa "ay, ihd theIi all began grand water
wye ~ W. pphh, Saillh9 slowly Or rapidly
as lhe leid!nE dnck slacEened or quicken
gu ms movements.
After wllieah Old man came slowly
down Tie pat II toward the pond, and finally
leaned against a little bridge ny.rnot;ns,
it, lie carried II thick thorn s,icl- IJn
wore an old can. an old ovrrcoat and ~,
old fashioned comforter This va. cLI
Tim, who has t;,ke,. care Of I'M swans AMI
water fowl generally for thirty ycors al
though none Of them M eyrr shawn ,ba
least sign Of affection for him, lie II yerv
fond Of tncn,, anu has Come tp know a,t}
admire tlcm thoroughlv.
One thins; h,s always urieyrl hiIn s-rr.,t.
,i'. . De'.'' 49, y I'LL one
,r. r},n ,c.lns Mn ,yl,iol, IT., s..'Il' IT,
When lie sees /, pair together constnntlv
he knows thai one is Il male and one n e..
male, but which Is which he cannot tell rn
u certainty ANY one bu, a man of thirty
years cSDrricnce would decline evcn to
speculate about tie question. for one swan
il. exactly like another, eycept in trii1inr
,i,r,ifs ~ ,i,.,,,', =.
"',,'
,,,,,,,,. ~ 49,. es.t
~ ei.tla - :
,l;fsnr,,,a, NlInn thn s,x,,,. fret - me-
~. Ill
I;n:,', ,..i, .,;,1;,-
,,,ts,,, = -, :, ,,,, ia ,,,;,,,l
tiI,,,r,bIr on, ,,.,c,, ~ thn oint f no vine
cY.,>,,,:,,
SWAN iif L.
i'is' tilt s"''ii Is elc!h hlfu' ana iliis Il
ness. So thcy never ,,opueL urkinf, nj, thn
painted feathers until the last one had dis
;ipprIr55tl. .Aftrr,bai. the s,1ncriritan,1cuS
.:i.gc 1Itt.
t3iIt Md Tim ,v cnrcrI,l w;,rrl,jn,, ba; t]c
lcruliilasl one point which makes him very
Zlljt|lj1 ~ hi. cIt.,f,.-es 1Ir e,vs tll,t tla
male swan in tI,,, snrins- ~ tthr.ud of his
IIrst=ye:lr. takes into hi,nsrlf \ Iyifn anI
rtluziiD5 ti,,t. Il, hcr nnl shr rpmii;,,, r,,,,.
il him jlflt Il ,l,.ath durS ,hcm pur1 There
arc IrrTr two wiyy, lbrremaie. n,9.a.,
IN m =Uirtatin1ls mai arcnn, ~ .,,.,..T,
from tHG1, ,,yafl-. Earh ln,nYst;. esi;th
lfSiflIl9.i,t I.t4.1,4 ia, ;isnlf
IfItliEty wear. ,r,d ,j,ir, I,as ,,s,.rv,, a.
on. jflsi,iIs,.,,I ,,,f,i,lri,l,,esS ,rhurn=,,1s
o11.. female -,,;u vho livnd ,,;tbzi5e.z h3,s.
hand nj, the i,li, cr,.r nf ,li, ink. ,r,,
down tli lilo ,,,h h,,. end i;y.i :, mni,. ,.bo.
.I1+fft I,.,5I, ,i,,+t,it,i,,,,i,.,,
''1> '' - tt'''- g Wy
- ~ " ~ 'ic It'll ~ aat
I1c,. i,,,,,s.l J.,