The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-11
THE SQUIRRELS FRIENDS.
TWO INTERESTING CHtRtTTkRS or
TENTRtI PARK.
Both Feed the Squirrels There and Have Made
Pets Of Them Children and Squirrels
Ia Not Agree-Anccdotes NJ Old haek'
and wheeler 90 Somr Squifrtis' WAYS.

reference was made in a rcoeh' s'orF VI
The SrN about the Central PARK sdnlrrel',
TO squirrels 30 tame that they would take 1000
from the hands OF children, To this. exception
IL taken by a gentleman who is very ioho oi
these same squirrels. While not Wishing u"
contradict the statement, he says he has never
seen such a thing. and In support of MS position
he brings forward two Of the best friends ,he
Park SQUIRRELS have. These are Old Mack.
a. he i called. who il described IN Inc Naihe
article as carrying a hickory stick which 'he
squirrels have learned to climb. and Wheeler,
who for many wears has been a Park employee
a, the Ninetv-siyth street gate on tho East
side. Both agree that they have vet Ia see n
squirrel eat from the hand Of a child. Bo'h
have seen children coax squirrels and throw
nuts. which the squirrels would hasten 10
pick I'm. but the squirrels keep AT a distance
from the children.
Mack loves children. They love him and
call him Uncle Mack. and Grandpa Mack. ana
the Squirrel Tanner. In his great pockr's'
besides nuts for the squirrels, he carries u''ie
fancy crackers and other things that children
like. II is wonderful 70 see how many friends
he has among the little ones. when he is feed
ing the squirrels. however. he has neither
thought nor time for the children.
All, I love the children" he saws, but NOT
where squirrels are. Squirrels and children
don't go together"
The SQUIRRELS do not trust children any more
than they trust dogs. BOYS have chased th"nl,
and little Girls have chased them, and babies
have screamed at them. The quick. impatient
movements Of children terrify the shy squirrels.
No wonder the squirrels fear the children.
SAYS Mack. Why. ! have seen women hand
switches 10 their little ones. saying Here,
take the whip. baby. and whip the sanirrolly.'
- H.. N .z.frE,l 10 n
dog. and when the dog got sight Of tho squirrel
AWAY on in the grass. snap would GO the chain
and away the dog would 90. Children and
dogs never do around squirrels"
Mack is one Of the auaintest characters inaG-
Unable He is n Scotch-Canadian. and was
brought M in tho woods. and knows the ways
and habits Of all the fores''- children Sduir-
rels are hi hobby With n pocketful of nuts.
twice every day, winter and summer. rain.
snow or shine, he goes 10 the Park to feed them
When he enters the gate at i0o'h street and
Central Park West, he begins 10 whistle n Pc
culiar call that tho squirrels know well In
q moment or two. before he has walked very
far. Won will see he squirrels coming down
from the trees. and running across The grass
ard NJ the stone walks to him They run Mp
his cane aud they climb upon him when he sta
down. and Iii on his knees and shoulders, and
they crawl up on his arm and take nuts from
his mouth And he talks Ia them and nets
them as though they We're children II IL
amusing To hear him call at II squirrel some
distance IN Hearing his whistle il will -t
up IN the grass. and IL it h~esitate~ h" will call.
Come on. come on. hurry up hurry up in
his deep. husky voice. not softly and lovingly
now, but as II he complained Of the delay A.
many ~ fifteen squirrels may be seen around
him at once
When I first came 10 tho ParE. Mack eays,
the sight ~ a man would drive n squirrel 10
the topmos' branch Of a 'roe ln the early
morning when ] would come ! would 500 them
about Tho benches picking NJ the crumbs leir
nv the children the rielt before So | put
crumbs and nuts around the benches and then
hid behind n tree neNr hy, and kept whis'ling
the same M whistle row
BY and by they would como down and re'
the things When I'd SOC they were gone 7
would come from my hiding place and put
more food there go back ~ the tree again,
whistle. aud by ard bv they'd come again
After p while got them 80 tamc that ] could
1T on the bench and throw The nuts 10 them
and they would come and take them would
throw the nuts y little nearer each time. and
after many week. 81 doing this, they Got 10
know nv whistle aud they would take tho nuts
From my hand
N'l' wv go ~ " ''' 1900" ''''
DAYS carried y biz umbrella 'lat ] fastened
10 The back Of the snni 80 as 10 have both hands
free and there I'd iii aud feed rhem Thai'~
why I'm lame got rheumatism FROM having
nv feet on the Vet walk 80 long. Gazing for
these squirrels bought ell kind " nuts
u-ed to buy them hv the bushcl. aud some
times hrourI' u liitln hammer will me aud
cracked the she'll % the very hard "u"-. uut
because they could MOI orach t!cUt, 'or 'h'v
can run Their teeth round ~" tiarde-t Kind ~
nut and cut il In hall as neatly and ~ guir IL!
a. can he huj iuS' for my OWL amusement
Mack carries li~ hickory stick f"r mere rur-
u,-rs than to lean upon or FER the squirrels 10
climb. He carries II To use on loose dog. 4
squirrel sse- . dog very quickly and fes NJ n
Tree, and II l. sometimes long before even Mack
is allie to cuay il down again. But the guilty
dog rarely e,caaes III hickory cane. tie does
not spare the dogs owner. either. 80 far as words
are concerned.
Mack has hi, squirrels all n~ed-Switchtail
and Daisy and Barney aud Garibaldi and many
uthers. and he knows them all apart. Some
wears ago he had one that would sit up on his
hat. and h. would hand peanuts up tot. When
il was ready for another nut II would bend the
rim Of the hat down, repeating thi. act until
the old man gave i, a nut.
Asto the number Of squirrels nov in tir Park,
Nluth u'r~ lo' lIlllh Nll'l' NV 'Nih Nv
In all. quite frequently he goes ola trips 'of the
purpose OF counting them. tie SAYS that on the
last trip. which wa made only a short time ago
lie was not able to get within a good many of
100, not finding indeed more than eighty. he
whistled To them Us he walked along, stopping
frrt long enough To reward them with a nut or
two for snsw eriug Present " Squirrels are
killed by dogs and oats and are caught for
pets. especially by Italian bows.
Squirrels are born in the summer The female
squirrel builds the nest and teaches the young
squirrels to climb. The nest i built in the fork
Of \ tree and j. composed Of small branches
aud twigs laid crosswise upon one another. II
j. usually very large. It il packed with leave,
and lined with moss and he fine sCrapincs 81
bark torn from the soft young trees. 4 hand
kerchief or a veil or a bit Of cloth or anything
Of the kind that the squirrel finds she will take
up TO pack her nest with.
As soon a. the careful mother deems her
little ones old enough TO walk. to 90 mp and
down the trees. and 10 run along the branches.
she takes them from the nest and carries them
out, and leaves them on the limbs in sight Of