The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-28
IN STRAW HATS, Have Always See tn. they at
prices from o
"OOO X WA uSON, Boon
The Leaders hVhdve the
THE FIRST ROOF GARDEN.
A Jungle and = Mssagsris on tho
Roof Of q Factory

There 10 at least one roof garden Of
which the average New Yorker knows
nothing. 1t doesn't have q complete
change OF bill every week, doesn't sdver-
tisc In the newspapers, and Sin the event
OF rain" the performance does not take
place In the music hall beneath. In fact,
there Is no music hall or theater under
this garden, for Ii Is on the roof OF pri-
yate property, that OF Franz Mayer OF 538
East Eighty seventh street Mr.. Mayer
is jolly German OF 342 pounds He tells
this story OF how he went into the roof
garden business:
"You see,n said he, "when was In
circumstances not quite so good as sIn
now my wife and lived over on the
west side, In Fif.y-fourth street. At
fifty-fourth street and Fifth avenue in
those days was a beautiful conservatory,
and Mrs. Mayer used to look AT Ii and
long to have similar place for herself.
Well, bought this house without my
wife's knowledge. fixed II up a little,
and on her birthday presented IL TO her.
The roof garden then was nothing but a
few palms and potted plants"
That's how II started, ana now Mr..
Mayer has on his housetop small jungle
and a menagerie. Last December fire
almost obliterated the garden, but It was
soon refitted, as Is shown In the illustra-
tion. Next door to Mr.. Mayors house is
his gn-painting factory. On the front
part OF the factory roof Is pigeon house,
where there are over 400 pairs OF pigeons,
not TO mention q peacock and few pairs
OF German pheasants. Back OF this, COW
ering an area OF about 600x25 feet, is the
root garden proper, with a fountain in
its center, and containing many kinds of
native and tropical plants.
MIR. Mayer is now awaiting the arrival
form Germany OF some cultivated fruit
trees from the nursery OF j. Kristian Noel
ler at Biebrich- Rhine. These trees
are trained from young shoots. All
the small branches and leaves are
clipped of and the sap is driven into
the fruit, causing 1t TO grow TO immense
size and delicious flavor. One OF these
trees, not over 10 feet in height, has
yielded over two hundred pounds OF fruit.
Moeller Is one of the most noted horticul-
turists In the world, and has furnished
most OF the ornamentation for the gar
dens OF the crowned heads of Europe.
some idea OF the pride which Mr..
Mayer takes in his roof garden may be
gained from the fact that .or his import
ed trees he expects to pay $500 marks,
about 1890.
The four hundred pairs OF pigeons are
Mr.. Mayors especial pride and care.
There are all kinds, Cernardines, Jacob
ins, nuns, pouters-in fact, everything
from an ordinary pigeon up to carriers,
some OF which are valued at 900 pair.
When Mr.. Mayer visited the Worlds Fair
at Chicago he took with him several pairs
OF carriers, and they rivaled the Exposi-
tion Flyer on the return trip, making the
journey in from 10 to Fl hours. Then
there are fan tails and dan GERS, who spend
most OF their time hopping up and down
Q ladder, and black trumpeters, whose cry
sounds like the music Of a brass band. Mr.
Mayer, going within the enclosure, gives
q short. shrill whistle, and In moment
he is covered and surrounded by the
AL II -
hand, while others are 90 bold a. to pick
out kernels which he holds between his
lips.
In fountains and tanks are hundreds OF
fishes, including four specimens OF the
very rare Paradise fish. Beneath the wood
en- floor of the roof garden and the ce-
ment roof of the factory, a distance OF
about four feet, there is a very prosperous
and numerous colony Of frogs, which is
occasionally somewhat depleted TO fur
nish toothsome morsels for Mr.. Mayer and
his family.
The illumination has been looked out
for carefully, and when the funny-shaped
German trees are in place Mr.. Mayer ex-
poets to fll them with colored lights and
produce many novel effects. Tables and
benches complete the outfit of the gar
den, and a dinner there is something
long remembered by Mr.. Mayors friends.
The place is surrounded and covered at a
height of Ia feet with wire netting, and
many awnings serve TO keep out the
suns rays. The pleasure and beauty of
the roof garden are increased by the fact
that II is not over hundred yards from
the East River and a cool breeze is never
lacking, while the constantly passing
boats lend variety TO the outlook.
Mr.. Mayer says that his original roof
garden, the one destroyed by fire last De-
cember, was the first one In the city, and
that VIXEN the theatrical roof gardens be-
came SO popular the architects avsiled
themselves of many of his ideas botn in
obstruction and in decoration.