Las Vegas optic., 1914-03-11


whom parents never called. were turn
ed over to the Children's society.
Birds Warm Their Feet
'Nighthawks" are not the only birds
for which the lights Of New York's
great white way nave an attraction
The recent cold spell caused many
sparrows and pigeons to take refuge
on the huge electric signs along
Broadway, the great number Of bulbs
making the air appreciably warmer.
The birds were discovered by the en-
ployes of the electric light companies
who were sent to investigate the rear
son for the dimness Of many OF the
signs. 4 They found that the birds had
clustered all about the lights. On
many bulbs birds slumbered peaceful
lily, and in some cases the wording Of
the signs was made almost iilegible.
Most of the birds which sought to
warm themselves on the bulbs were
sparrows and pigeons. A porter from
one of the leading Broadway hotels
discovered four sea gulls nesting in
the sign above the hotel. The electric
light men estimate that the heat from
the bulbs though small in amount has
been sufficient to save the lives of
thousands of birds.
Babies Lives Saved
The lives of 41,OOO babies have been
saved in New York city in the last
seven years by cooperating public
and private welfare agencies, accord
ing to "a report issued recently by the
New York milk commission. During
that time $4,000 babies have been
born in New York city If the infant
death rate Of the five years previous
to the beginning of this work had pre-
vailed there would have been 10000
infant deaths instead of 100000 which
actually occurred. On the other hand,
IL New York's low death rate Of 1918
1O2 per 1000 births, had prevailed
throughout the seven year period only
$4,000 babies would have died Of the
$4,000 born, To prove that this record
is not due to favorable weather con-
ditions or other general accidental
causes the committee publishes com
parative figures showing that while
New York had fewer deaths last year
than in 1912, the previous low record
year, the number Of deaths increased in
Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, st.
Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit. Buffalo,
New Orleans and Toledo
Rhinoceros on Water Wagon
1t is safe to say that "old Smiles"
a rhinoceros which is now the guest
Of the City Of New York, will never
get another chance to look on the
whiskey when it is amber All the
animals in the Central Park zoo are
going to wear the white ribbon here
after The head keeper promised this
several days ago after the thrilling
encounter with the raino. in which he
came as near losing his life as he
ever did in his ventlresOme career.
"Old Smiles" took cold and the keeper
persuaded her to forget her 40 years
OF temperance and swallow pint or
/ two Of whislSey. The following day
when the keeper entered her cage
4 and tried to remove couple Of blan-
kets with which he had swathed her
as an extra precaution against the
/ cold, "Old Smiles" made dive at
him and sent him skipping around the
inclosure at the rate Of 80 miles an
hour. The keeper yelled for help. An,
other keeper heard him and came on
the run. BY dint Of shouting and
causing diversion the second keeper
induced the rhino to stop in her mad
rush. The interruption gave the
frightened keeper time enough to
4 climb q ladder and reach a. beam
across the top OF the cage.
A HEAVY BURDEN
sihoiia: - i