Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-06-24
THE NATIONAL ZOO.
It win Soon Be Credit to wash
ington and the Nation.
Buffalo Bul's Handsome Donation - How
Baby Bison Was Named-what Con-
gress Has Done for the Enterprise
American Birds and Beasts.
Especial washington Correspondence.,

| Especial washington Correspondence
The National museum is an outgrowth
| of the Smithsonian institution; and the
Geological garden at the national CAPT
tai is an outgrowth of the museum.
Three or four years ago few animals
were collected in little pens called
cages, back of the big brown stone pile
which came to this country from the
bequest of Smithson. Gradually addi-
tiona1 curiosities were added, until last
winter congressional notice was taken
of the embryo Zoo, an appropriation
was made, and now a park is in prog
ress of completion under sIillful man
agement by landscape gardeners and
natural scientists.
For some unexplained reason wild
animals exercise a peculiar fascination
over civilized men and women, and ever
since 1t was ordained that the serpent
should be symbolical of the enmity be-
tween man and the embodiment of
evil, efforts have been made to educate,
train and domesticate that peculiar
species of vertebrate. In all menageries
there have been snakes and snake
charmers, until it has become an ac-
cepted theory that q show without a
snake is failure. Our great national
Zoo is not snalzeless, but the specimens
are as yet confined in cages at
the Smithsonian and are not granted
the freedom of the park. Original
~, the collection was started by
reason Of the kindness of heart of Prof
Hornady. All manner of animals were
sent here for dissection and mounting
in the museum, some of them living
when received but most of them dead.
One OF the living was spared, placed in
cage, and soon thereafter others were
added until the collection became of
public interest. Then there was ex-
pressed desire for the salvation of all
kinds of American animals which seem
likely to become extinct, and the Zoo
was started. A wealthy gentleman of
Detroit contributed q small herd of buff
faloes, and very soon afterwards Buffa-
10 Bill contributed live elk, called q
Wapati. Then pair of giant raccoons, a
silver-tipped grizzly bear, and some rats,
owls, cartridges and prairie chickens
were sent by believers in the American
collection. Then came the birth of q
baby bison, and it became necessary to
enlarge the pens or cages. Baby bison
waddled up to a lady who stood by the
wire screen which surrounds her cage
one day last month and kissed her hand.
There happened to be little white
human baby in a carriage close by, and
her mother asked the keepers to name
baby bison after her infant, and it was
done, so that she is now known as
''May Weedon;" and she answers to her
name, too.
When Noah builded his ark he must
have been a good architect, to have
planned apartments for all manner of
bird and beast on earth, for they are
legion. It has been quite problem
with the keepers of the growing Zoo to
provide quarters for their charges, in
a limited area; but that difficulty is
past, now that we are to have a regu-
lar park northwest of the city in q
picturesque spot on the banks of Rock
creek, in the midst of the trees, among
the rocky hillsides, the smooth sward
and craggy projections of earth's sur
face. When completed we will have
something greater and grander than
Central park of New York, and far
more in accordance with nature than
Lincoln park of Chicago. There will be
very little that is artificial, for the
managers are clinging close to nature
in everything. But it was hard work
to get the economists in congress to
agree to an appropriation for this work.
They were willing to vote for improve
ments of rivers and harbors in their
districts, so that money could be ex-
pended during campaigns on Bitter
creek, Sallow Sal run, Cannon Ball
brook, and other imaginary navigable
streams which have been deserted by
fish for they have long been strangers
to water. The property for the Zoo