The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-24
BULL FROGS START
TROUBLE ON TRAIN
Arkansas Croakers intended for
Public Baths Zoo Escape
In Passenger Coach

Twelve huge, blear-eye green skin
ned, grimy appearing Arkansas bull
frogs will hereafter be a part of the
Harriet island zoo, having been pur-
chased in st. Louis by DR.. Ohage and
the newcomers introduced themselves
to the st. Paul children by stunt that
is sure to increase their popularity in
the infantile mind.
The twelve denizens of the South
ern swamps, and three more active
brothers, escaped from their cage yes
! terday, which happened to be an or
! binary basket covered with paper, and
for some minutes made things more
| than lively on well filled passenger
coach of the Minneapolis & ST Louis
while on the way to st. Paul in charge
| of Inspector Burns, of the health de-
partment. The escape from captivity
was made by forcing a hole through
| the paper that covered the basket, fol-
| lowing which the fifteen kings of frog
dom proceeded to stretch their huge
and powerful legs in a manner not
| novel to frogdom,s but highly discon-
certing to the passengers.
"WOwi" yelled woman, when she
beheld one of the ugly creatures re-
clining on her lap and leering at her
as only a frog can 1eer. She jumped
to her feet and the frog alighted at
the end of the next jump on the bald
head of a male passenger some fifteen
feet away. The jump added impetus
to the frog. which landed with con-
| siderable force.
Frog Lands on Bald Head
The male passenger, believing that
he had been grossly insulted by some
other passenger, sprang to the aisle
looking for his assailant, and came to
the conclusion that instead of finding
the miscreant he had discovered
coach load of raving maniacs, for, by
this time, the huge frogs were hopping
in all directions. and all of the women
| and some Of the men were on the seats,
noisily demanding the suppression of
the frog nuisance.
Inspector Burns was doing all in his
power to locate and capture the huge,
hopping, croaking frogs, one of which
stationed himself on seat and sent
forth one of those unearthly Arkansas
| croaks, as fearsome as the below of a
bull, with the result that the women
were more badly frightened, but some
of the other male passengers interfered
with his efforts. Frightened by the
noise, and desiring to avoid being cap
tured and again thrown into the bas-
ket prison, the frogs jumped as they
had never jumped before, it being
claimed by one of the passengers that
particularly large specimen actually
jumped the full length of the car, lack
ing two feet.
Woman Passenger Faints
The fun was at its height when a
woman passenger, from fear of the
grimy creatures, tainted and fell to
| the floor upon which the men turned
! in to capture the animals, while the
other women sought safety in another
car. While the door was open three
of the frogs made their escape, jumped
from the train, and are doubtless roam
ing about the country somewhere
| about six hours out of ST. Paul, and fig
uring upon the possibility of founding
| a brood of their kind in the North.
After some minutes of effort the re-
naming twelve were captured, and
this time were securely tied in the
basket, and were brought into st. Paul
without further mishap.
Dr. Ohage will construct pond for
| the frogs on Harriet island, and will
| endeavor to as nearly as possible re-
produce their natural surroundings in
the South, although he expects to have
some difficulty in securing wire fence
sufficiently high to keep the frogs
within the domain intended for them.