The Washington herald., 1912-01-21

Ice water baths, taken In the open air
with the temperature IL degrees below
zeroi Merry romping while the finely
powdered snow-dried by the intense cold
falls silently. covering trees and shrub
berry. Bellows Of pure. keen delight when
all humanity Is hurrying toward fire,
warmth-anything but the penetrating
cold!
Some animals. like some men, seem un-
able 10 understand why they are gener-
ally disliked. and it is this quality. most
probably, that has enabled the polar
bear at the Geological Park TO assume a
pained expression and ask plaintively why
the Bengal tiger. the lions. the elephant,
and even the spiritless ring-tailed ba-
boons are selecting a joint committee to
lynch him at the earliest opportunity.
Unmindful OF the fact that brutishness
Is the one quality that ruffies humanity
and animallty TO a point OF maddened
fury. the polar bear has done all Of the
things mentioned above. Like a healthy
man seated opposite a dyspeptic. he has
accentusted theN others misery by his
own joy. When Rex, the patriarch
of the lions, caught cold and snuffied
pitifully. and when Leo, who rooms next
door. was shaking his head mournfully
as the drafts struck his vulnerable
pOlnLG. the polar Dear SplaSneQ IN water
that was SKINNED with ice
When the toucan's adenoids became af-
fected-and as a toucan is mostly beak.
an adenoid affection is no laughing mat
ter-the polar bear batted chunks Of ice
around his cage. Even when the laugh
of the hyena' became a croupy Snarl, the
polar bear continued 10 defy the weather.
And still he wonders why the other ami
mails hate him.
No other animal has at this time suffi-
cient life to contest the polar bears
blatant claims TO supremacy. But
whether or not he is king, he is having
a lonesome time. Until the warmth of
next June reduces him to his proper
place, the polar bear will be hated second
only to the man who steps on your foot
in street car, remains there until he
has MANNED you, and then excuses him
self on the ground that he didn't see
your foot.
A reporter who knows all about the
Darwinian theory and the languages Of
the lower animals went out to the Zoo
on that particularly cold day last week.
People in Washington were freezing In
the relative warmth OF the streets, Down
in that natural hollow, where the ami
mails thrive. It must have been FIVE de-
grees colder than It was anywhere else.
anu inc DtdStS lOOheu II.
Buffalo Speaks Out.
First to cross the path OF the reporter
was Pete, the veteran buffalo, who has
an amiable weakness for homicide when
ever occasion offers. Pete never looked
more piratical in his life than when, with
his mighty main ruffied, he stood near
his cowpen and glared at the storm.
"Pleasant?" suggested the interviewer
Come in this cage and say that"
snorted Pete viciously. and III butt you
ten feet over that wire fence"
Don't like II. eh?''
Don't like IT." reiterated Pete in that
some snorting, savage voice. Suppose
you had no clothes behind your shoul-
ders and somebody tied you to a chunk
of ice. Would you like it?''
Tn sorry" said the interviewer
NO, you're not" grumbled Pete.
you're glad. Everybody's glad. Say,
young man, II you want to do me a
favor go over to that cussed bear and
butt him In the abdomen until he can't