The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-20
QUEER INDIVIDUALS IN THE PARK.


QUEER INDIVIDUALS IN TIE PARK
They Get Various Degrees of Delight
by Watching the Animals
Early rlsers who 60 for stroll In Central
park, says the New York Sun, see some
persons who either are not In the park at
later hours or are lost In the throngs Of
sightsesrs. The menagerie offers opportu-
mites for artists who are ambitious in anil
NAL painting, and the lion house Just behind
the old arsenal is a favorite place for them
early in the morning. Six artists were there
at O'Clock recently. One W as makinga pre-
liminary sketch of the lion, who was asleep
on the floor Of his cage, while his mate was
trotting restlessly behind the bars, antici-
pating by an hour or two the breakfast of
horse meat. Another had placed his easel
before the cage Of the black leopards and
was painting Charley, the male. Charley
has habit at that hour, which, Keeper
Downey says. he never varies, OF lying on
the branch OF the old tree in his cage, and
the artist was painting him In that position
The hyenas, which are comparatively new
animals in the menagerie, we're re-
ceivinR attention, two artists, ono of
them young woman, being stationed be-
was lying contentedly, with her nose rest
ing on her mothers back, DOING aud wink
ing. A yonng man with a sketch book was
trying TO tempt her into the water by
throwing bits of bread into IL. He said
that he had been there three times recently,
and bad not had one chance Of seeing
Fatima In the water. Keeper Downey
coaxed the baby away from her mother
and into the tank, and the young man made
a rapid sketch to be filed out later.
"a great maay artists come here to
sketch the animals" Supt. Conk-
lin said, land we always do all for them
we can. But, pshawl it's nothing TO see the
artists. Come out for a walk and I'll show
yon some more interesting persons.
There's man." he said near the deer
Enclosure, whom we have been trying for
stick, no matter what we do or saw
The man. who was about 90 years OF age.
stood In front Of the Enclosure and threw
pieces of bread and punches of grass to the
deer. He wore an old derby hat, much
battered and worn, and an overcoat that
had seen better days-many of them. One
outside pocket was filled with stale bread
and the other with grass.
There now" the superintendent said.
you must stop that. can't have you
feeding the animals. Can't you read the
signsf'
THE poor things are hungry" the man
replied. "They haven't had anything TO
eat for a week. / can talk TO them, and
this one just told me so. Why dou't you
take better care OF your animals3 Poor
thingBl You fasten them up there and they
can't get out TO eat Gods green grass al
though they can ace 10 all around them.
won't have them abused 50, tell you. I'll
just feed them a little now, so that they
won't starve to death, and then I'll bring
some Of my men and break down the fence,
so that they can get out. Gods pretty
creatures and you use them SOP
The old man had begun 70 weep, and the
superintendent called a policeman, who led
him away.
He comes here every day" Mr.. Conklin
said, land every day says the same thing.
OF course we cannot do anything with him
nor do we want to. But he may feed the
deer something some day which will injure
them, SO We have to watch him. The
strange thing about 1t ia that be never cares
about any of the other animals, and doesn't
go near them. And he always comes some
time between Z and o'clock in the morn
ing. When he Is spoken to he gets angry
and then cries, just as you saw him Just
now. The policeman leads him over TO the
Fifth avenue entrance and he walks away,
I've sean him about here for ten years, and
whenever ! accost him he acts the snmo
way. Come up hear to the grizzly BEARS
cage and I'll show you another crank, a
woman this time"
SIRE enough abe was there--a poor, faded
creature OF about so, years. with a neat
straw hat on her head. uaar hair had been
brushed carefully, and she wore we'll made
gray cloth dress and gray kid gloves She
paced with rapid steps in front of the cages
She nodded Familiarity to the superintend-
ent but did not cease her walk.
''She has come here three time a week
regularly for over two years now" the SUI
perintendens continued. ''She comes on
Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays A
woman. perhaps her daughter, for she is
not more that rs years old, always brings
her here at about 1880 O'Clock and leaves
her. She returns at o'clock and takes her
away again. Rain or shine. cold or warm,
she comes on those days aud walks the whole
time up aud down before the cages She
never sits down. had bench brought In
here several times. and placed 1t immedi-
ately in front OF the cages, but she never
used it, and 80 had it taken away again,
The strange thing about IL is that she never
looks at the bears. She seems to be satisfied
q rubber cloak. On the other days, no
matter how cold 1t may be. she wears
neither a shawl nor a coat.
ibid you aver notice the huuchback near
the donkeysP he asked. "This is pretty
early for him, but he always beats the dom
keys In getting on the grounds"
The hunchback had not arrived, however.
He stays the greater part OF the day near
the place from which the donkeys start
He Is not more than feet IN hight, and he
has worn suit Of brown CLOTHES for years.
He is German. His shoes are always but
ton CATERS, and he wears Them with the
buttons on the inside--the right shoe on the
left foot and the left on the right. He walks
about or sits on bench where he can watch
the denkeys. He seems TO have an atfec-
tion for the little fellows, and sometimes
when driver strikes one he will enter a
Yoluble objection In German.
Another individual takes delight in
watching the elephants. Another, an old
man, who walks with a military carriage
and wears q Prince Albert coat and an old
high hat, has wandered in the park for
twenty years, but he does not 20 there
early. He never troubles the animals, but
speaks frequently to the keepers about their
condition. His manner is that of man on
whom rests the responsibility for their good
treatment, his demeanor being that Of
authority.