The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-22
ALL|GATORS BREAK
THE TURTLE TRUST
Tired of Being Used as Foot
stools and CouChes
MONKEY LEARNS TO SWING
Course of True Love Does Not Always
Fun Smooth In Cages at the
New York Geological
Park.
MONKEY LEARNS TO SWING
From the New York World.

From the New York World.
Slap! Crackl Snap!
There was rebellion in the tank of the
young alligators at the New York Zoolog-
ioal park yesterday. Because of the eth
les of the Jungle the snapper known as
the gator turtle has occupied the same
tank in the snake house with the half
grown alligators. These turtles and
gators live together IN the same creeks
and mud brooks of Florida. In the close
confines of the snake house in New York
the turtles have abused their privileges
and used the backs of the alligators as
resting places.
The gators stood this with wonderful
patience until yesterday morning. While
the turtles were still asleep young Hook
Teeth called a mass meeting of the
gators in a corner of the pool. They
put their noses together in a secret con-
fab
When the turtles woke up the gators
were lying, feigning sleep, with their
noses out Of the water Young Hook
Teeth being the largest, was singled out
by Hard Shell, leader of the oppressive
Turtlemen's combine, as footrug. Hook
Teeth waited till Hard Shell had climbed
laboriously upon his back. Then the
gator opened one eye and looked around
to see if all the other turtles had select
ed their doormats, and seeing that the
psychological moment had arrived, gave
the signal by bringing his big tail around
with flap that sent Hard Shell into the
water. Another crack fired him against
the wall of the pool like piece of wood
tossed by the tide. Hard Shell ran his
head out Indignantly, but ducked 1t again
to escape another swoop of the tail. The
other turtles were being slammed and
banged against the wall by Hook Teeths
friends.
Hook Teeth got Hard Shell into his
big mouth and tried to bite through his
shell, but 1t was too tough and wouldn't
crack, but It caved ominously every time
the rows of white teeth came together
on It, and Hard Shells eyes bulged like
a boiled egg coming out of its shell.
In four minutes the water was dashed
into foam, and every turtle was hiding
at the bottom, while the gators grinned
at each other and guessed they had
busted the trust.
ostrich's Diet of Stones.
An indignant woman set up a cry in
the OSlTlcn IOOtIl VI TIC ISW ludu-
NAL hosue
TITS a burning shamei" she cried
'They don't feed the ostriches enough.
The poor things eating stones. Just
think Of 1t. l am going to complain to
the Society for the Prevention of Cru
city. Why don't you give those ostriches
some corn?" she demanded, shaking her
finger In the face of a guard.
"They have had all the food they
could eat, marm,' said the guard po-
litely. whats the matter?'
Matter? Matter enough. They are
eating gravel. l have seen them
watched them ten minutes"
And she pointed at one of the great
birds who was busily picking up small
white stones from the sand in the bot
tom of his cell and eating them with
relish.
but they always do that! said the
guard. "They need small whites stones
to help digest their food. We give them
gravel for that reason
"Monstrous Who ever heard of stones
being digestible? You have got them
into the habit, I supnose. There was a
man who died with pint of shingle nails
In his stomach. But he had the hard
ware habit. Give him something to
eat and he will stop eating stones, 1 am
sure"
Just then the keeper came along to
feed the animals, and threw a quart of