New-York tribune., 1911-12-21
PARK EMPLOYE 81 YEARS
Seeks Retirement as Keeper of
City Menagerie.
HAD CHARGE OF FIRST ONE
Philip Holmes Talks of Old Days,
When Uptown Was All
Farmland.

employ of the Park Department. has just
asked TO be retired on half pay. At pres
ent he is keeper in the Central Park
menagerie lie began work as an Office
boy. running errands for Calvert Vaux and
Mr. omsted. the designers OF Central
Park lie was also well known to Andrew
IT, Green in the early days Of the park
and carried messages for the Commissioners
10 and from the Arsenal IN the park and
the offices down in Union Square.
Holmes is known to all the park force as
Phil" He was born in Ireland and Is
now seventy-one years Old
The old employe remembers distinctly
the negotiations for the acquisition Of the
present park site after there had almost
been a settlement made in the matter of
the purchase of Jones's Woods near the
East River.
When II became known in the Park De-
partment offices yesterday that Holmes
had asked 10 be retired It was said by the
officials there that he was at present the
oldest employe in point Of service. No
other has had such a variety Of duties.
either. as has Holmes in his more than
half q century OF work.
j remember well when Central Park
was bought" said Holmes. who has been
connected with the menaeerie ever since II
was started by himself In a small way be-
fore the Civil War. Il can remember dis
tinctly the farms that were on what IS
now some of the best developed land in
the park. Those were the happy days, but
there have been good many since
When a few monkeys and birds were
given 70 the park in its early days Mr.
Green turned them over 10 me, He gave
me nearly the whole Of the basement Of
the Arsenal Building. On Sundays I used
10 have monkey doing stunts on tight
rope on a lawn where the present me-
uagerie buildings are situated. Talk about
crowds More people used 20 come and
see that one monkey on Sunday than now
come on one day to see the whole colec-
ton
'"The crowd got so destructive that Mr..
Green said the performance would have
70 be given up. so IL was But the coll
lection kept growing until finally IT had to
have new buildings erected for IT,"
Among other early animals in the me-
nagerie. according TO Holmes were pair
of lions named Lincoln and Jennie. That
WIS during the Civil War
Shortly after the Mall was completed
Holmes used TO take camel UP there
on Sunday afternoons so the children could
ride It free of charge IN those days he
dressed as an Arab.
'Sure. l was born in Ireland, but l made
a fine Arab" SAID Holmes in describing
the novel sort Of entertainment If / did
not care TO wear an Arab kings uniform
used 10 put OF one Of an Arab priest.
Sometimes the fellows would try 10 stick
mo with pins 10 see If 7 was an Irish Arab
or a real one
II was about twelve years ago that Phil
was caring for the elephants I'm the park
while Bill snyder, the head keeper, was
away. that ne was attacked and badly
injured bv Tip. an elephant which was
finally put To death after II had likewise
badly injured Snyder and other keepers.
Holmes showed the scar Of the wound
500 his chest made by ouo Of tips tusks.
Tho elephant had almost impaled him. To
this day the scar is more than an inch
deep. IT One side OF the breast bone. The
,aterau keeper had three ribs smashed az
the same time.
And YOU can bet I would have retired
ior keeps a long time ago" said Holmes
in talking of the incident yesterday. III
1t hadn't been for the pitchfork welded
10y Patrick Marin. another keeper, Who has
since died Marin saw Tip when he hit
mo and drove me up against the wall. 7
fell down in front of the elephant and
saw his knees bending. It's all up I said
20 myself for I thought Tip would kneel
on me before ! could roll away from under
him. ! was so badly hurt I couldn't get on
nv feet
But Marin was there with the pitchfork
lie attacked TIP with all his might and
then he helped drag me to the door That
vac the closest call ever had since 1 have
hecn on the job
Among the persons whom Holmes has
met since the beginning Of his long service
IN the Park Department 10 one impressed
him more than General Wade Hampton.
who. some years after the Civil War, made
a visit TO New York and was also a visitor
At the menagerie He was more than in
ferested IN the menagerie. according to
Holmes. for two of his Cape buffalo which
had been captured during the Civil War
had been sent on and placed in the me-
nagerie.
1T doesn't seem very long since the gen
cral came here 10 sec his Cape buffalo"
said Holmes Il remember him distinctly.
lie said TO me: I would like to have them
back again, but since they are in a me-
nagerie and will be well taken care Of I
guess they might Just as Well stay here
We have two Cape buffalo here now that
are the offspring Of those two captured on
General Hampton's place"
--e--
UNITED CIGAR NOW INDEPENDENT