Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-06-26
IRISH CITIZENS PROTEST.
They Object to Furnishing All the Names
For Central Rark's Animals.

They Object to Furnishing All the Names
For Central Rarl's Animals.
Delegations from five Irish county socie-
ties nat in Ledwith's hall, Third avenue
and Forty-fifth street, to condemn the prac-
tice of giving Irish names to animals in the
Central park menagerie. The meeting was
called by the Mayo men.
There were about $50 people in the hall
when President Joseph +. Healey of the
Mayo men took the chair. Among them
were representatives of the Kerry men, the
Clare men, the Derry men and the Long
ford men. President Healey said:
You all know what we are here for It
is to protest against great indignity that
has been put upon u.s. 1t is an indignity
that must be remedied, and we as Irish cit
liens will demand that it is remedied
now introduce to you Mr.. I. I. Tuney, who
will make a few remarks"
Mr.. Tuney said: 1T is infamous for any
body to degrade our nationality by calling
monkeys, sea lions and hippopotami after
St. Michael, St. Patrick and ST. Bridget.
/ am here tonight as one of you to protest
against this growing habit of the park au-
thorities, and ! think you will echo me
when say that it must stop. Why should
monkeys and other animals be called by
names that we regard holy? Why is it
that as soon as ne'sS,nimal is added to
the collection at the park those in charge,
when casting around for name, never
even think of suggesting anything but an
Irish one? 1t must be Murphy, Crowley or
something like that, or else the animal goes
nameless. 1t is n shame that our race
should be treated so, and propose to work
with the rest of you in bringing about a re-
FORM
Mr. Tuney was heartily applauded, and
then Mr.. John McShane was introduced.
This NATTER said Mr.. McShane, ais
one which must not be overlooked any
longer. We have stood the outrage as long
as decent people should, and the time has
come for us to rise and stamp out this in
dignity which has been perpetrated upon
us. The people cannot refuse to hear us.
They must hear US We come as respecta-
BILE people to protest against monkeys and
snakes being named after our ancestors,
whom we reverence and respect
Mr.. p. p. Sweeney said: when the
Democrats asked us for our votes, we gave
them to them willingly, and when we as
representative Irish-Americans ask that
this insult we wiped ont we should be met
courteously by those in power. l have no
doubt myself but what our demands will
be acceded to, and in very short time /
think that what we now regard as an in
suit will be but n memory of the past
Mr.. p Mahoney said: Il am very proud
TO be allowed to take up the cause of Ire
land in this matter. / for one have felt my
flesh creep when mention has been made of
some orang outaug or sea lion being called
Mr.. Murphy, Mr.. OBrien or Mr. Crowley.
1t is shame that attempt should be
made in our geological gardens to make
laughing stock of the Irish people,
Mr.. John Mulligan made q speech which
vas iondly appIauded and then Mr.. y. Nc
Nichol got up. Mr.. IcNichol said that lie
felt that Ireland did enough for the city in
the way of taxes without being called upon
to supply names for a menagerie of mon
keys and other animals. MIR. McNichol also
said that almost every Irish name imagiH-
able had been tackled on to some animal
whether it was a white owl or a monkey
Mr.. O'Shea then said: why should the
Irish be treated this way in American 1t
was an Irishman who discovered this coun-
try. -Four hundred years before Columbus
set foot in America, St. Branden of County
Kerry came here Instead of merely
questinG that the animals names be
changed, we demand it. We have more
right here, anyway, than those whose an
tecedentS came from other countries"
More than the EnglishI'' shouted some
body, at which there was great laughter.
''They ought to call that hippopotamus
John Bull instead of Miss Murphy" said
somebody else, and there was more laugh
ter and applause.-New York Sun.