The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-13

ranges from white rats and mice to cinnamon cub bear. A small lion has also b cen received. The arrival of the opossum, raccoon. or even a cat or dog, fails to create more than passing interest among the younger members of the Presidential family.
 Probably the most commented upon animal at the White House is the house cat, Slippers. She is different from ordinary cats in that she has six toes. Slippers is now a permanent fixture in the Presidents household.
 A parrot of the Mexican double yell low head variety is pet of which all the Roosevelt children are fond. It is an exceptionally intelligent bird, and pronounces distinctly the names of the different members of the family. It has been at the White House for sev- eral years. and was especially fond of girl there. Its voice, shouting Alice, ' Alice" Alice" could frequently be heard ringing through the railways.
 The story of how two Kansas jack rabbits found their way to the White House is interesting. They had been brought here from the West by E. S. Schmid. One day. while being fed, they escaped from their cags.
 A wild scramble was made to cap ture them by the attendants, but their training on the plains of the Sunflower State stood them well, and they left their pursuers practically at the post. Reaching G. street at Twelfth, they se- parated, one going east and the other west, both through busy and crowded thoroughfares.
 NeWsboys and messenger boys join ed in the exciting chase after the rab- bits, and for a time business in that vicinity was practically at stand still. Both animals were large speci- mems, and they spread out their long limbs many though they were young | deer.
 One of the rabbits was captured at a distance of more than two miles. The other took refuge in the White House grounds, where it remained for sev- eral, aftording an opportunity for sey~ eral hunting expeditions on the part of the Roosevelt boys.
 l As q means of capturing this rabit it's mate was taken to the White House grounds and turned loose, and 1t is said both are still there, Mi. Schmid having decided, on request of representatives of the President not to molest them further.
 MT. Schmid is also responsible for the presence of a large number of squir- rels at the White House and the near by parks. About two years ago he H. berated 200 squirrels in Lafayette Park, just opposite the Executive grounds. They were mostly of the gray and red pine species, but among them were some flying squirrels.
 Those in the White House grounds have become so tame that they will eat from the hands of those who dis play enough interest to stop and pet them. On days when the sun shines brightly they are much in evidence in the trees, in the shruhbery and on the lawn, and the younger Roosevelts of ten stop to play with them.
 The other day one of the squirrels made so bold as to walk right into the vestibue of the Presidents offices, and would have gone in had not a screen prevented
 Recent additions to the family of pets at the White House are two An gora cats. These were left to Pres ident Roosevelt by the will of New York woman, who also made him ex- ecutor of her estate. The property was turned over by the President to the womans relatives, and, as they did not care for the Angora cats, they were given place in the household of the first family of the land.
 The Roosevelt children also have as pets several guinea pigs, but it is their dogs and ponies that give them the most pleasure. One of the dogs Skip was presented to Archibald while he was hunting bear and other big game in the Dakotas. The other dogs are Rolla big St. Bernard, ant Sailor Boy, a retriever.