Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-09-03
West Virginia Thursday Sepenbr3 s4
A Giraffe And A Sunshade.

A Giraffe And A SunSnade.
When was in London few years ago,
SAYS a Companion contributor, ! went
one day to the Garden OF the Geological
Society-the famous 600" of all English
storybooks. My particular object was to
see, and perhaps photograph, the Somali
giraffe, which only lately had been brought
from Eastern Africa.
Until a few years ago giraffe was a
giraffe, and not only the average man in
the street, but more learned ones, thought
that all were substantially alike, whether
they came from the borders OF the Sahara
or the plains of Cape Colony. DR.. SAM
uel Johnson did not quite cover the facts
when, in his celebrated Dictionary, he
defined the creature as ian Abyssinian
animal taller than the elephant, but not
so thick" if | should now try to correct
him, should have to explain that there
are at least two kinds-the one with two
horns, long familiar to us, and a second
species, that dwells in Northeastern
Africa, and has third frontal horn in
old bulls, or. in the Uganda variety,
with as many as five small horns on its
crown. Inthe second species the patches
in the network OF coloring are larger and
OF a brighter chestnut than in the ordinary
kind. Ii was one of the second species
that 1 wanted to see, and my acquaintance
with it began by very amusing incident,
as shall relate.
Giraffes have had curious history as
show animals. They were first intro
duced to the Romans by Julius Caesar,
after his African conquestS, and took the
name that we have translated "camelo-
pard," for they were supposed to be part
camel and part leopard. People in those
days easily believed in such impossible
combinations, and delighted in monsters.
Later, the beast came 10 be called, much
more sensibly, by its Arabic name, giraffa,
which means "faSt walker" lis long
legs, which swing together, first the two
on one side, and then the two on the
other, carry il along at rocking gait that
few animals can equal without running.
After the Roman Empire disappeared,
few giraffes were seen in Europe; so
that in 1896 great sensation was created
in England by the arrival OF one of them
at the Zoo. Ii was led from the ship
landing at Blackwell, at five O'Clock in
morning, by "four Africans in native cos
tune" A mate was soon found for it,
and for many years after that most Of the
giraiieS exhibited in circuSes and mena-
gerieS were born in London-but the
circus men did not always say so! BY
and by, however, all these died out, and
and no new ones were TO be had, so that
for some years hardly single captive
giraffe was seen in Europe or the United
States. This scarcity was due 10 sin
gular fact. All the giraffes had come
from, or by way of, Khartum, and when,
in 1870, the war with the Mahd in the
Sudan began, the supply was stopped
one of the least OF the "hoTorS" Of that
| war.
The first person, | think, to describe
the giraffe was the Roman naturalist,
Pliny; and he said that it was as mild in
disposition as sheep. But mild is
not al all the right word. II is timid and
nervous, but not at all gentle in temper
| ament. Keepers must be cautious in ap-
preaching it, first, because it is easily
startled, and may spring away in fright
and bruise itself, or even break its legs,
in its narrow quarters; and. second, be-
cause il may deliver terrific kick, or
seize a mans arm or head in its teeth
without provocation or warning. Visit
ors TO amenagerie should be careful not
TO go too near its cage, unless the front is
very high, especially woman with flow
ers on her hat, for they may be npped off,
if nothing worse happens-and that brings
me to my story.
After studying the new giraffe for some
time as it stalked about the yard in which
il was confined, | seated myself on
raised platform short distance away, and
continued TO watch IFS behavior over the
heads Of a group Of persons standing be-
fore the paings. The giraffe's head tow
cred gracefully above the people, and its
beautiful soft eyes gazed away over the
pretty park. Just then lady and gentle
man joined the crowd they attracted my
attention by their careful dress and rath-
er pompous dignity. Each was the i'm
age OF British propriety and both evil
dentlY felt that discriminating Provi-
dence would neverpermit any embanass-
ing accident or adventure TO happen 10
them, whatever might be the misfortune
of ordinary persons. The lady's black
silk rustled with responsibility, and she
seemed TO carry her plain black parasol
as protection angainst any possible cor
diality from strangers as much as against
the rays OF more or less impertinent
sun.
Just as these two paused to favor the
giraffe with their notice, prepared my
camera to take picture of the rather
pretty scene, and was on the point of
swapping the lever over when that wick
ed giraffe darted his head over the fence,
and; seizing the black sunshade in his
teeth, lifted it straight up.
With funny little squeak, the SUI
prised lady rose OIL the TIPS of her toes,