New-York tribune., 1906-05-20
GOSSIP OF THE BOROUGH
Nesc Boats for Prospect Park
Some Dissipated Squirrels.

As 4 fitting accompaniment of the handsome
new boathouse that is soon to take the place of
the old black temporary structure that has
blotched the landscape for the last quarter Of
century new fotilla Of rowbOats will soon
make its appearance on the lake at Prospect
Park As the park authorities declare that the
boathouse is the handsomest of its sort in any
public pleasure resort in the country. SO the
new contractor who has taken charge of supply
ing the boats declares that his equipment viii
soon be unsurpassed At present there are los
boats on the lake. The new boats viii he al
most equal in number. Most Of them will be OF
the cedar built lapstreak model They are now
in the course OF construction in the yards OF
the famous Racine boat builders of Wisconsin.
About half Of he boats will be sharp at b th
ends and al Of them will have movable bronze
or galvanized iron oarlocks The old boais in
use in former seasons were all built with tie
regulation PROV snd stunpy stern. and with sta
tionary locks. The lake is also TO have two new
electric launches. Tney are now being built in
The members Of the congregation of Plymouth
Church who laughed at the story told by the
Rev. DR.. Newell Dwight Hills concerning the
mendicant squirrels of a town that he visited
while on his lectu~ing tour last winter may be
surprised learn that the kind hearted visit
70 Prospect Park are breeding such another i'm
pOverished of rodents under their very
noses. DR.. Hills explained that in the above
mentioned town the laws against killing the
squirrels and the general habit Of the pc pie of
feeding them had caused them to become lazy
and inprovident. As a result. they had given
over the custom Of storing up nuts for the win
ter season and were in consequence dropping Off
from starvation yearly. with every Likelihood Of
shortly becoming entirely exterminated.
Not only the squirrels of Prospect Park
failing 70 store up stores Of their accustomed
food, choosing rather TO live on the cracked corn
provided them by the authorities. but they are
Ealing into another habit that so often brings
the improvident human being to an untimely
end They have taken to drink, Here is a story
Vouched for by friend Of the squirrels:
i was walking the other day on the shore oP
me lake when came across squirrel sitting
upright In the centre Of the path watching the
antics OF another squirrel in the grass Not
Wishing TO disturb what thought at first to be
lovers tryst, was about to steal softly bv
when the peculiar movements of Mr Squirrel
IA the greensward attracted my attention He
was circllng around some dark object at a great
rate. now and then pausing in his mad career
70 make what appeared to be a Aeries oP Iyie,or
assaults. So strenuous and fre1uen+ an So 81
these attacks that thought for a time thar tbe
DronEe Honess OF the flower garden had broken
loose and mad been corTalled by Mr. Souirrei
Then bis antics suddenly took another tacl
he began eagerly TO seek every little raised
ona ~ Ot tuLl' or spot where the earth was bare
eno, "nen MS search had been rewarded he
would plant his head squarely beneath him anG
e1ano upon L. He would finish OF this amazinf.
ts0 oy twisting and twirlng himself CON-
pletely around several times before falling ovar
when he generally landed on his back Soroa'
times. just for yaFiety's sake he wonId Jo,,bIo
up and tumble headforernost turninp oyer LIE oDiS
over Unconsciously, he had been grsduaiiT,
WORKING nearer the waters edge SuddenIv
Enere was splash! A second later a drinTi-1gy
eno much surprised squirrel scurried b1 re
1ne cold water and the shock seemed to have
49, SSDstlns enect IoF ne remained quiet a long
The lake. 4-'0e dOul
WIS When LEFT IN possession OF the field. pro-
Seeoed 70 examine the dark object in the grass
2Le9uy % my disgust, this proved only to he q
fungus growth OF the toadstool variety II bad
soS SaO4en s7 ana smashed. causing the juice to
elOly tAls tungus might have the same effec,
on ne squirrel that catnip has on puss A
came under my observation caused me to i-1oL Ioi
" me subject Of fungus growths in the encU
lowing paragraph: e''' ava
c, ]ossE.cus - Ss mIscar1us. very poisonous spe-
eating by the sat,Hes ssse es es means OF intOxi
4 e only Just 70 the author of this talo %
obseS .S ne ae y the only person who has as vet
'le Phenomena Of which he speaks
STooklynites are somewhat given 20 original
seml-seientific observations A youth ,vbo 49,
nov about completed his post-graaua4e vvor,- -
the New York University Law School p,a,nea !
hepful reputation for knowledge through tb,.
means while he was still an undergraduate
when he left the Brooklyn Boys High schooI
for the university he did not carry avay xyttt
hrn any gole medals for English composition
an1 ne did not make HIS fortunate use OF tbs
Unborn faculty which Is ar least latent in al
MS fellow fownsf0lk until toward the middle n.
his sophomore year.
The English professor one day told his elas,
70 write original scientific observations and tur,
fhe1n in 70 him fn the form OF brief themes IN,
Brooklyn youth wsS much depressed by the les
s5n and co FIRST determined 20 shirk e. He wa,
not original. he lacked literary talent ana tber
H4se those who occasionally hinted that he hell
Mark 1Ealn's belief Ia the usosxsity Tor III