The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-21
MOVING DAY AT THE zoo.
How 1t Affected Caliph-NIiss Murphy's
Iris and Siris.
New York Mail and Express. }

This was moving day in the animal
house at the Central Park Zoo, and its
largest incident was the transfer of
Caliph and his companions from the tank
under the roof to the tank out of doors.
Caliph is the big hippopotamus. His COM
panions were Miss Murphy, his spouse;
Iris, their little boy, to whom Mayor
Strong gave his maiden name, and Siris,
son Of Fatima, who had been lured away
from her family by the glitter of the cir
Gus.
Caliph was an easy thing. Keeper
Snyder moved a bag Of fresh grass under
his nose, and the big river horse waved
his little tail, blinked his little eyes and
ambled after it, When he was in the
runway leading to the open air tank, the
d ,ors changed shut behind him, and Miss
Murphy gave desolate below.
1t worried Caliph, and he started back
but, under the united cajolings of ten
keepers, he about faced again and pro-
ceeded into the tank A louder wall
came from Miss Murphy, and it reused
his sluggish affections. To get back to
her the big fellow tried to climb over the
railing, but a keeper argued the question
with club, and he gave up.
Miss Murphy was problem which was
solved through her maternal feelings.
She wouldn't stir, and neither would
Iris. The water was drawn out of the
tank and they were forced up on the plat
form. Here they turned and opened their
hoct 1of@ %ho
cage. By and by they got the youngster
going down the gangway SO fast he could
not stop. Miss Murphy rushed after him
and again the doors changed, and they
were safe outside.
Siris was very hard nut to crack
Keeper Snyder entered the tank to reason
with him and threw a very odd fiip-f1ap
when the youngster got in his rejoinder
and his surrebuttal. Flushed with victory
the little fellow dashed about, swapping
his teeth in challenge. There was no
denying his wide cavernous smile. 1t
looked carnivorous.
For the next few minutes Siris had a
good time lodging lassos and biting the
nooses in two. The air was filled with fiy-
ing ropes, and every keeper angled for
him. Everything was going his way
when, over elated by his easy success, he
paused to pose to the crowd. At that in
slant Keeper Snyder's lasso hurtled
through the air and settled over his nose
and upper jaw. In a jiffy four keepers
had hold of the end and it was drawn
taut.
Siris weighs 300 pounds, but that ism t
his fighting weight. The keepers could
no more restrain the war dance which he
began when the moose fell than they could
have held in an express train. They
had to give the rope twist about the
ars of the cage. The boy hippopotamus
was hitched fast, and he began to bounce
up and down, stiff-legged, with vehe-
mence that made the building rattle.
Several keepers entered the cage, but did
not tarry.
At last nine keepers applied their
united muscles to the rope and Siris had to
come. He moved about as easily as a
house. Snyder and Farrin showed from
behind with pitchfork handle; it
snapped.
1t was due to Director Smiths strategy
that the little river horse was circum-
vented. 1t occurred to him to stand in
the runway. Siris saw him, and recog-
nized him as the source of all his misery.