The evening times., 1896-03-16
Beautiful Scene Presented by the
Snow.Covered Valley.
CARING FOR THE ANIMALS
Some of Them Enjoy the Frigid
Weather, But Many Do NOt-The
Topics of Conversation A nOng Them
as Divuiged to a RepOrter-The
Man-Eater Tiger.

park, skurrying In whirlng, biting gusts
against the Individual who selected yester
day for a visit to Uncle Sans menagerie.
A Times reporter made an excursion TO
the Rock Creek collection Sunday after
noon because he had to do it. When he got
off the Chevy Chase cars SO did a hand
some young woman in blue mat cklntosh, arc
tics, English walking hat and a mink boa
nesting under the curves OF her firmly
rounded chin. She had lovely grayish blue
Irish eyes, a saucy nose and lips like 4
scarlet bow. She, too, was on her way to
the Zoo, for what reason in such t.eastly
weather is beyond the conjecture of man.
When she reached the brow of u hill over
looking the park the young woman paused
and looked ut the scene beneath her. 1t
was worth regarding. Under sky OF pearl,
heavy with snow clouds, the garden lay
between the graceful swell OF hills, topped
by straight pines, bare and pale with the
fluff OF natures ermine.
THE EsNOw-COvERED VALLEY.
All was white, glistening and sparkling,
except here and there in the valley, where
young grass pushed persistently its green
through the snow. The flakes fell steadily
rifting themselves on the fluted tiles of the
carnivora houses, and the quaint straw
matched roofs OF the other buildings. Gray,
towering, and forbidding granite cliffs
raised their crests over the iron-spiked bear
dens. In all their somberness they were u
relief to the eye, wearied by the monotone
of white. From below came harsh NUT
terings, fierce cries, and low, dangerous
grcwls. 1t was feeding time, and the ami
NAL world, pent up between the hills, was
expressing its gratitude in snarls.
The pretty unknown went directly to the
elephant house, and SO did the reporter.
Dunk and Gold Dust were still swa ying their
bodies with the swinging motion that seems
almost eternal. Both OF them have seen
circus life, and enjoy their retirement in
a dignified, ponderOus manner.
Perhaps when night is on, and they are
alone the two become reminiscent OF the
old days OF glitter and glory, and the pair
may long again to hear the golden notes
of trumphets, sounding before concourse
of people, announcing the grand process
sion, which has been headed by Dunk and
Golddust many u time.
The buffaloes, elks, caribou, and deer
seemed to enjoy the wintry conditions.
A great bull, with wicked, blood-shot
eyes and matted mane, lashed his tufted
tail against the smooth naDks, trumpeted
like an elephant, and rolled over and
over on the ground in his ecstacy at the
Dccembe da Y ymixedup in Il March calendar.
IN THE ANIMAL HOUSES.
All the elks were out taking an airing,
thinking doubtless, when looking at the
long stretches OF snow, of their -ears OF
freedom ON the North Platte, never to
come again. Thellamas, camels, Angora
goats, and the zebra, in cosy, warm quar-
tiers, told the reporter, who had lost the
young woman i'm blue, that they didn' give
a rap about the weather.
We were just discussing the Armenian
question:" said one of the goats, stately
old ram, bearded like the figures On an
ancient Egyptian frieze.
II told him. chimed in the zebra, there
was enc man in the world, and only
one, who could influence the Sultan to let
up on the poor devils. That's Barney
Barnato. met him at Cape Town. He can
jolly any man on earth, bar none. He'd
fix the business with that old turban on
the Bosphorus in jiffy."
Allah be praised sighed a camel in
the corner.
"shut up," said the zebra. you're out
Of this. Get another hump on yourself or go
out an an ad for that do you see that hump
business
The reporter left them and crossed the
road TO the carnivora house. Keeper Ed
wards was there and said the health OF
all the government pets was excellent.
Come over and see George, the hip
popotamus," said Edwards, hes tickled
to death over the latest arrival at Central
Park, the baby hippo.
THEY ARE RELATED.
"The baby is my niece" said George,
opening his mouth eight or nine yards to
catch a loaf of bread thrown by Edwards.
.Yes. her mamma and your humble are
brother and sister, often, oh, how oftep,'
continued George, trying to look senti-
mental, "have we floated side by side down
the Nile through the burning nights"
bravo, George" said Edwards.
'Then cruel fate and men ensnared us,
aud We were shipped to this countryside
to New York; 1 with circus and finally
here.
Her husband Is a very clever fellow. l
remember, one day just at the point on the
river where Anthony is said to have caught
his first glimpse of Cleopatra, my brother
iu-law caught Fellah girl wading, ard.
give you my word, he finished her at one
snap" and George, yawning few more
yards, slipped back into the water.
Edwards introduced the reporter to Jen-
uie, the rhinoceros, but not as q news
paper man.
"rn tell you why" whispered the keeper,
..last summer a wicked correspondent was
out here and gave her copy Of his paper,
which she foolishly swallowed and the poor
girl suffered from the dose for a long time
Jennie wouldn't talk. She
saw a newspaper in the reporters pocket,
and absolutely refused to say anything, ex-
cept that she might be thick-skinned,
but nobody could fool her twice"
THE SLEEPING LIONS.
Logan, the African lion, the most mag
nificent specimen in captivity, was asleep.
Lying on his back with his great pa ws cush-
ioning cruel ella VS. stuck in the air, he was
a mass of color, ia why as the yellow hair
of Bernhardt. Logan is a docile brute,
passionately fond Of the head-keeper, Mr.
Blackburn, and showing great intelligence
In the next cage to him slept the lion and
his mate who are the parents of two little
cubs, just five and a half months old to
day. The cubs look like st. Bernard pups,
playing with the abandon of kittens, and
showing none of the ferocity that time will
develop.
At the end Of the corridor, taking his
siesta after a hearty meal, sprawled the
beautiful, man-eating tiger from
Bengal. He is dangerous and ill-tempered:
Indeed, he looked all of it as he opened
10 ,eIln,y aplethy.st eyes and curied his