Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-11
BERKS CO. CERTAINLY
IS PROUD OF ITS ZOO
Col. Henry W. Shoemaker, News.
paper Owner, Fostered Idea;
Has Many Animals

SAihSs iNhtidr Will ilS
beautiful mountain scenery; with its
dozen Fairgrounds and public gar
dens: with skating rinks on top of a
reservoir holding millions of gallons
of water where ice and roller skating
is a pleasure whether it's Christmas
or Fourth of July; has another charm,
and among the little folks of this city
with 10000 homes and 100000
people. the sparkling diamond"
among all the varied attractions is
the little geological garden at the foot
hills of Mt. Penn and almost in the
mediate vicinity of the entrance to
Mineral Spring Park.
Indeed, the zoo has not gained any
great proportions, as to the number
of beasts and animals, but it is just
large enough so that the children care
little whether Barnum & Bailey's cir
Gus comes around.
Such a zoo like Reading has would
be a crowning feature for many a
larger city. and if well managed is
not too expensive for even small
towns to maintain. The expense of
the upkeep could be we'll paid. if the
dividends would be credited to the
laughter column of the children's
ledger.
Many a stranger as he found his
way to this initial zoo of Reading, has
asked the question: How did Read
ing get a zoo anyway" The one who
is responsible for the zoo has hardly
ever mentioned it to his friends, but
Reading people feel so delighted with
this little animal show that they think
il is time that others knew how it
really obtained bears, wolves, squir-
rels, raccoons, deer and elk.
To manage a zoo successfully you
must have a good caretaker, suitable
xx.I,N f,,.-, ,-l,
right kind of animals, whether wild
or domesticated. When that is as
sured any town can have a zoo.
Some years ago Reading found just
such a man who would furnish the
animals. They had the money to Sc
cure the food, because the park board
provides for that and, of course, the
Reading park system is so we'll or
ganized that they found the proper
to it that Reading children and the
children of other cities who happened
to be the guests of Reading children
could always spend a couple of hours
feeding peanuts to the animals and
enjoy a good, wholesome hour of
laughter while watching the squirrels,
raccoons. monkeys and opossums in
their tricks.
Newspaperman Donor
Recently Governor Brumbaugh
honored Berks county by choosing
two men closely allied with Berks
county interests as members of his
staff. Well, one of these men is re-
sponsible for practically every animal
in the pretty geological garden. This
man, of course, is a newspaperman,
and as a rule editors do not get any
credit for what they do say, particu-
Ipx- fa rrtFN faI In aRn obi ia1
However. Reading feels that here is
an exception to the rule, and that to
Colonel Henry w. Shoemaker it owes
a whole lot. He was the donor and
fostered the idea some years ago
when he was still the owner of the
Reading Times. After he went to
Altoona he began to ship one cage
after another, containing bears, Wild
cats and the like, so that to-day
Reading children love him a great
deal better than Santa Claus. for they
realize that he is not a myth, and
that what he drops down his chimney
between Mt. Penn and Mt. NeVersink
is bound to stay.
The Reading zoo was started with
three fallow deer,as they are known in
Europe, their native habitat, and they
are also known as cervus DANA. Then
someone though the buck deer that
most lonesome creature, so he was
transferred to the zoo grounds. Next
came three big e'k. one known to-
day as BILL who is certainly master
of what he surveys. in his 100-foot
runway. and who keeps the thousands
of children guessing as to what kind
of capers he will get off next.
All Kinds OF Animals
Nearby are thre raccoons that have
afforded lots of delight for the little
ones. The. head of this group is said
to be one of the finest specimens in
captivity, weighing forty pounds, and
he is about as cunning as his neigh
bors, the red foxes. The raccoons
have an old tree in their pen, and
around this they climb to the very
top of the cage, and then scratch
their backs in such a spectacular
manner that they are the real comedy
show of the zoo.
Their next-door neighbors are a