The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
TALE OF AREFORMED GOAT
mr.. LEARY TOLD 1T AND PROMISED
TO Sta Nd BF IT.
There Was stern Devotion to Duty In n ana IL
Concerned tho Hare Creature known as a
sheop-Goat-Mr smith CorrrctA Some FIR
rnra m fhn AnIInn. - ~ n.anh nj A,nnfn.

mohts lho othorday. Mr.. Lenry was sitting IN
MS ONCE IN tho old ivy-clad Arsenal at tho Cen
trhl fark mehogcrlc and the lions were roaring
lhe SuS'cS were screaming. anu tho hychns were
giving everybody their merry ha'hn from inc
cages near by. But that was not the reason
why inc secretary OF the PARK Board was SAD
10 put 1t Briefly, tho cause oflis depression was
Soals-or the lack of goats. Just as you choose
"hch inc reporter asked n simple nut VITAL
question concerning these interesting anin'aiS
AZ INC Joy anu confluence ned from Mr. heary .
iace' tic tclt MS throne ms Grand dispenser OF
thc secrets OF the Animal World tottcr beneath
hIn' ana no made u frantic clutch at H. for
years inc newspapers harn contributes" wonder
tul taics 10 the science OF natural hlstory, ana
these tales havo bech lnid AT tue door OF inc
good'natured Mr.. Lcary. what MIR, Leary
doesn't know about natural history when the
reporters get through with hin. mt worth
Knowing, and rho thought that he was TO meet
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MS Waterloo IN n goat was uiS'ostetul TO him.
Tint was tho aimnl. ,.o, fran, the yo,t,s poi,t
r., ,,o, ,,t,I omes,,,n ,rh;oh st,enorod A.
o. View' vital question winch staggered Mr.
"Go,ts," he excla,mc cd snaIlr. with an accent
u0ass. nc eSe'aIn"1a un".,y' WIN an accent
THE goat is u noble animal" apoloeized
the reporter.
"Ihat may be- o'ii, noble or not. We don't Keep
EN-. Goats!" he added TO himself with reflect
ixo ,n,t,n,n, .'Enn,s,,
I'VE non'cnp'. "ou.s.
But perhaps you know something about
their daily food r. =, ruus
I should saw M to TnrsrY, said the secretary.
The familiar lcary twinkle wns reinstnted in
the corner Of his eve, And n n Goat should
oho,u VI ~ .Se run So eoa. IoA
why. Id consider him an animal of such
superior intelligence that he ought to be in tho
Park mcnagcrie, even IL he isn't now. IL you
want to know what a goat cats. by tho way. why
don,t vom consult ,tc aIcs ~ vour own naner,
ooh I you consult ,he mes OF your own paper
It's %a'pcrfect encyclopmdia OF on the
SUBJECT Oh goats; You II ma records OF soa.s
that ate everything IRON electric arc !ights 10
1t was suggested that these incidents might
- s%o,aa ~. in.aanansih,o nansona -
have been related by irresponsible persons UNI
worthy OF the sober confidence which would be
"Bni, repeated that gentleman. II tell, you
voice of thunder. TO make any statements rcla.
tive to your proposition"
unphant scream at This point and Mr.. Leary
wegeea his head; 1t was q wag which plainly
my business. and II isn't goats!' However, in
his attempt to clinch his position Mr.. Lcsry
made n fatal mistake. He rang the bell for Mr..
he compiacently awaited that sentienan's ar.
began to wag his head once more.
~ Just wanted you to tel! TIE srN." he said.
InAI we uOn I keep goats. i III thNlt SCreWm6us
"Well." said Mr.. Smith. with the Difference
due to his superior. I'VE have got some sheep
High bred o. asked Mr.. Leary. hopefully.
NO, hybrid; sort OF II curiosity. you know"
"Oh, yes!' said MI. Leary, and then he twirlcd
meditatively in his revolving chair.
There was no use in trying to get around the
aao M ihG Lathe there s. I bern SG ia sn ln .h so mSnSStEeF's sb Snd
everything within the stone wall OF the Park,
his duty was plain, There were goats in Mr..
something about those goats.
OF course we have sheep-goats.' he said
finally. "Al progressive menageries have
MISREPRESENTATION they arc lucky enough TO
get EN-. When you began talking. l was Just
o I course, ! am not prepared to make any state
ments relative to the diet of such commonplace
iec1 sasie, We Of fc onf zoo ad% bnt t MSen into e oo 1ns I to
these high bred. that is to say hybrid. specimens.
animals. and il I were TO tell you the history Of
the oldest one. you wouldn't believe me. Indeed.
you wouldn't!"
TRY it."
"But no one will believe that II Is true"
"Other goat story tollcrs have suffered in tho
True" said Mr.. Leary. Its but the common
1t to the police y in a tragic whisper.
Being treasured on this point, the history of
to a waiting world, with the exception, OF course,
OF the police.
Several years ago. said Mr.. Leary i'm.
pressivcly, "a Harlem resident found himself
LIANT. kid ! What's that !"
nat, Sili .NlI ls'tl y. lICbl IL JuNChllO
for shcepgoat. OF course"
"Oh OF course"
This ignorant man." resumed Mr.. Leary
" did not appreciate the hybrid character OF his
new possession. but he Kept it, nevertheless, and
house was founded. Time went on and so did
arch and an appetite like a mill hopper. You
asked me what goats eat. Well. I'm not tho
man to take a mean advantage of n reformed
animal, 50 | wont tell you all the disappear
anccs which are ascribcd to this particular
goat. Maybe it didn't have much judgment,
but it had an awful good digestion md that's
something. ! know lots Of people who are Just
as short OF Judgment as that goat was, and they
haven't got The digestion, either.
"Of course. he went through the usual stages
of kidhood. He cut his teeth on The customary
tomato cans; he broke the record of Knocked
any two goats in his assembly district, and
otherwise gave promise OF unusual talent, but
guished himself as the really extraordinary
animal that he is. He had been guilty OF some
trifing depreciation on a ncighboring washlinc,
and the policeman OF that street received a
complaint. or course. he went to the owner of
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