News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-09-22
BETTY AT THE FAIR
Letters of the Panama Pacific Expo
sit lion by Florence Livingston
LETTER XII

LETTER XII
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Sept. 16, 1915.
Ny Dear:
You will be glad to know that have
learned large and entirely new lesson
from this summer trip, and that is: how
to arrive at various places. I find that it
is not a question of starting or of keeping
in motion, but rather one of diffusing an
atmosphere of hurry and urgency. These
tangible influences are irresistible in an
ordinary crowd, particularly if they are
accompanied by a slight fitting of the
chin and narrowing of the eyelids. One
may be a person of Importance, since one
affects the attributes; and on the chance
the melee parts, passageway is formed,
and one marches through the midst with
out hindrance.
| We followed this method Friday and
thereby forced our way into the Food
Products Building. tits always SO crowd
ed that it is polite to pretend definite
| destination which must be reached in
great haste. Otherwise one is merely
jostled here and there and only catches
fragmentary glimpses of the clever lady
who cuts your silhouette while you wait;
of hot jam scenes that may be had for a
nickel apiece; and of pulled and popping
grains, sugared, hurried into packages,
| and offered to you across counter; of
pickles triumphantly borne aloft on
toothpicks by enterprising iree-samplers.
Lets run, Joe. They're feeding the
turtles" 1 whispered dramatically. 1
was gratified at the response. 1 gathered
up not only Joe, but six or seven other
visitors who had been total strangers up
to this moment, but who betrayed an in
Simultaneous interest in the feeding of the
turtles. Like covey of small children,
we trailed a sedate old man who was
carrying dish of chopped raw meat to
the sanded tanks in the United States
Bureau of Fisheries. These are occu-
pied by the swapping turtle and terrapin.
1t happened that the turtles were dry
ing themselves on the rocks, but the man
unceremoniously dislodged them with
long pole and sent them Hopping and
splashing to the bottom of the tank, that
they might have equal chances at the
meat which he lad thrown into the
water. 1 am able to tell you that tur-
ties head is impervious to pole-poking,
although at the time we gasped with ap-
prehension.
Presently there foated toward us a
well-fed turtle in gray tailored suit,
his exquisite nose uplfted. An impish
look came into Joe's eyes. and slipping
my pencil out of fingers, he pressed it on
the turtles back and sent him foot or
more under water. With ready bouy-
ancy, the sleek gray creature came to
the surface again, and greatly to my sur
prise the little rascal begged for more.
A .brand-new sensation had entered
into turtledom and was welcomed with
f1attering eagerness. Down went the
pencil, and down went the turtle. over
and over again, and always the little gray
fellow stuck up his satiny head and
asked for another perpendicular ride.
Although attached to an education de-
partment, the turtle most evidently has
a strong leaning toward the unus ual SEN
sations of the Joy Zone.
1 trembled lest we should be scolded
for these geological experiments, but the
lunch man was busy poking his stick at
large. beautiful frog like polished onyx,
with brilliantly watchful eyes, that sat
on stone and snappingly defied anyone
to modest him, He belongs to the edible
species, but has apparently provided
himself with disposition that will keep
him from being eaten for some time to
come.
"We are wasting time, Joe," said re-
luctantly. "You and must get down to
business"
"What is business in here, Miss
Betty?" he inquired, with a trace of
anxiety, as be looked back longingly at
the pretty creatures disportiDg them
selves in the clear waters of their tank.
"That's what we are to find out" re-
joined briskly. Il suppose it is fish and
fur"
"What has fish got to do with fur?" he
asked promptly.
l should like to know myself, but 1t
would never do to admit deficiency to
my small charge, so 1 floundered about
for an explanation.
well, you see, Joe," began, putting
in words to gain time, 1.-THE United
States Bureau of Fisheries has charge of
its seas where the fish grow; but the
seals also grow there, SO 1 suppose they
came to be included. This introduced
fur, and then perhaps they invited all the
fur-bearing animals that live on the land
to come under the protection of the Fish
cries Bureau"
Joe was silent for a moment. swell, l
think it's funny thing. A polar bear
amt a fish to any great extent"
"But he doesn't have to be-" protest