The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-19
CHILDREN ARE OUT
IN FORCE TO VISIT
M|SSFANCY At zoo
Gets Double Portion of Eats
as Result of 'LOuie's"
Death-Interest in the
Plan to Lift Debt
s16.165.023.66

At the zoo yesterday were hundreds of
Birmingham lxiddies with their parents,
who had come to call on Miss Fancy and
her numerous friends domicied in Avon
Gale park The day was summery in the
last degree and was ideal for an outing.
The little ones. of course, wanted to pay
a visit to their elephant and the result
was large crowd.
1t was the first Sunday in about six
that so large a number of the little ones
paid a visit to their elephant friend and
she evinced the greatest pleasure at their
presence The peanuts were as thick as
blue daisies in the latter part of March,
and Miss Fancy's' cup of joy was near
to overfowing.
She did not receive all of the attention.
however. The bear was visited and he
proved himself much more of beggar
than is the elephant. Teddy" takes any
thing that would even be suspected OF
edibility. He bars not paper, sticks
stones or anything else. He is careful
however, for he will always minutely In
spect whatever is given to him for con
sumption, and if it really has no food
>yalue will reject it. Apples and oranges
food, and he will cut all sorts of capers to
get choice morsel.
Many of the little ones congregated
about the empty cage that had once con-
tanned Louie" the champion funmaker
of the animal collection. Miss Fancy
is satisfying; her temperament is of the
slow, plodding kind. that eventually ar
rives and as a steady, true friend, she
takes the ribbon. Louie" however, was
MADE of different calibre. He cared nos
if he had friends and lived his life as he
saw fit, and that was making those who
came to view him happy. That he sue
ceeded we'll on this sphere there can be
no doubt, for the many expressions of
regret heard yesterday testified to tie
fact that a childs memory is far reach.
ing.
Louie did not extend himself In a
frantic effort to curry favor, but that
does not mean that he was without
friends. He did have friends. In fact.
everybody who had had the pleasure Ct
seeing him in action entertained friendly
feeling for him. His sunny temperament
made itself felt over the entire animal
home in the park.
during MS lfet1me no visitor to the
zoo left without first paying a call to the
cage of the clever monkey. And they
!. were always repaid by his antics He
seemed to live for the purpose of creating
laughter. Louie was missed yesterday
The children asked for him. They could
not understand why it was that he should
be away from his accustomed place. and
it was hard for the adults to make them
understand.
Passing the empty monkey cage, with
Its new coating of whitewash, the chill
: dren slowly and with many a backward
glance of wonderment walked on to visit
Miss Fancy" The elephant received
the double portion of peanuts because OF
the monkeys demise.
Much interest is being taken In the
plan to lift the small debt which still
rests upon Miss Fancy. She cost $1,000 in
cold cash and a note for $500 was made
to swell the elephant fund to this sum
One hundred dollars have been definitely
subscribed toward paying this $500, and
other citizens who are Interested in the
happiness of children are asked to assist.
Any desiring to contribute to the e,e-
phant fund can do SO either by mail OF
personal messenger to Webb w. Craw-
ford, president of the American Trust and
! Savings bank; The Age-Herald, or tn
frank w. Smith, 1914 First National Ba..k
building. In the summer the children
will receive in amusement full value for
any money SO expended by public spir-
tied citizen.