The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-28
KANSAN RUNS zoo
III. r. Mitchell Chief Clerk of
New York Institution.
With Largest and Finest Animal
Collection in World.
REAREDINWABAUNSEE
REAREDNWABAUNSEE
Was a Famous Baseball Player
Twenty Years Ago.
Also Lived in Topeka and Re-
news Old Acquaintance.

H R Mitchell. formerly OF Kansas
and now chief clerk of the New York
Geological society of New York City,
was in Topeka Saturday renewing old
acquaintances-
Seventeen years ago Mr. Mitchell
lived here. After graduating from the
Topeka Business college he worked in
the local postoffice for a time under
Postmaster James L. King After
ward he went into the Santa Fe gen.
eraI Offices and later served as agent
at various owns in the new territory
of Oklahoma
Mr.. Mitchell was born and reared on
Kaw valley farm near WabaunEee,
where his mother still lives HIS
father was a county commissioner OF
Wabaunsee county when the Santa Fe
got its right of way through for the
old NJ -. & B. railroad The elder
Mitchell was agent of the road at Wa
baunsee for a long term Of years and
under his direction n p, Mitchell re-
ceived his rudimentary railroad train
ing.
In those days H R. Mitchell was a
famous baseball player He Is physa-
cal giant, standing six feet two, and
old timers in Wabaunsee and RlIey
counties well remember the hard nit
ting first baseman who helped Pitcher
Frank Mossman and his Mission creek
team gain state reputation.
Ten years ago Mr.. Mitchell went TO
New York City as chief clerk for the
New York Geological society. This
society operates by far the largest and
finest animal park in the world ana
Mr.. Mitcheu's work there has been
notable. With characteristic modesty.
he tells very little of his own work.
but the story is told by tbs park rec
ords, and by those familiar with the
workings of the great institution.
The park. which comprises 264
acres, with S5 acres of water, is owned
by the City OF New York and operated
under a perpetual lease by the New
york Geological society. In its animal
colleck1ons, the park is the largest IN
the world, containing 4,o34 specimens
Berlfn's geological park Is next, with
.314e specimens, London next with
2,s27 and Philadelphia fourth with
2526 The New York institution has
an unsurpassed collection Of reptiles
and birds and the collection OF bears.
lions tigers. Asiattc deer and tropical
auteIopes are equal to the largest ana
finest of their kind
The Park buildings are the most COM
pIete in existence, for their purpose. ana
were erected after careful study OF
similar buildings all over the world
Mr. Mitchell as chief clerk is the
financial man and disoursing olncer TOT
this great institution The park repre-
sents an investment of nearly $780,
600 and in maintaining it nearly quar-
ter of a million dollars passes through
Mr.. Mitcheu's hands every year Last
year there were. approximately 100000
visitors On Sundays and holidays the
attendance ranges from $4,000 to 10000
people and on special occasions Il has
exceeded IS, 600 in a single day. As Dt-
rector W. T. Hornaday states IN q late
report: 1T is probably the most pop
Mar educational institution, public or
private, In the world, and it has an at
tendance that IS greater than that OF all
the other public museums in New York
together"
Mr.. Mitchell has a positive genius
for detail and organization. In addi-
ton to his duties as disbursing officer
he has developed the privilege business
of the park to colossal proportions The
receipts from the park privileges are
used exclusively IN the purchase OF an
iunals and are nearly sufficient to main
tain the collection m numerical COM
pIeteness The Rocking Stone and
Boat House resta urants, under his man
agement are becoming famous, even
among New York restaurants and form
no small attraction in drawing visitors
to the park
Mr.. Mitchell had read Of the propos-
ed gift of buffaIoes to the city Of To-
peka- He thought the gift should be &C
cepted by all means. They can be kept
cheaply," he said, land about all the
-Eal+a- tl-av mead Is a good shed