Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-24
A PRIVATE zoo


MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, Sept. 24.-Unique
among geological collections is that known as
Longfellow Gardens near Minnehaha Falls, just
outside of Minneapolis.
Most geological gardens in all parts of the
world are government Institutions, provided os-
tensibly for the education of the populacey and
kept by persons who hold their places by politi-
cal preferment. This zoo is the work of a pri-
vate individual who has collected wild animals
from all parts of the world because he loves
animals and starting with little capital. What
is more, he seems to have made some OF the
animals realize and even return this love. Crea-
lures as diverse as seals and pelicans. tigers and
bears. respond to the sound of his voice and
show pleasure in the touch of his hand.
Zoos in general are places where animals
look supremely happy and often unhealthy to
boot. There is a considerable tendency or late
to make fun of them and c~riticise them as sur
yivals of a more barbarous age. The custom of
keeping wild animals in captivity certainly goes
back to barbarous times. 1t was the successful
warrior and monarch of the more primitive ma
lions who first caused lions, tigers, elephants
and all sorts of other strange and ferocious
beasts to be brought together for his amuse-
ment. In those days, of course, the animals
were made to fight with each other and with
men.
The Modern Zoo.
Nowadays the zoo is generally about what II
was then, but its ostensible purpose mas been
c0dnEeU I U SulI Tic llC IL 40 =" oSShoN -
an educational undertaking for the benefit OF
the children. This educational purpose has been
a good deal laughed at. One satirist asks what
there is for the average child in watch
ing the amours Of a hippopotamus or In OBJ
serving the technique employed by a chimpanzee
to rid himself of fleas. The habits OF animals
are the things best worth studying, and their
habits are hopelessly cramped ana distorted III
cages. u.
of the educational %pretense, the motive back OF
the zoo today is the same one that impelled the
barbaric conqueror to cause strange creatures y
be brought from all parts of the world-the de-
sire to assert power over creatures OF q lower
order, 1t flatters the vanity of the average
citizent to look through the bars at some some he ebet
he is a part Of a government which is powerful
enough to catch and confne this animal Tor ms
pleasure. Condescendingly, he offers II a pe"-
II there is any justification for combining WIG
animals, 1t is a genuine interest in them ana az
lection for them, and the best PROOF OF such al
lection is the health and happiness OF the AM
NAL. Both the Justification and the PROOF are
found in Mr.. Jones's little zoo. ne mas ss f fofte et-
slickest-looking lions in the world. Az ieas Mu,o -
is hard to imagine any fatter or silcker. LWo
of these lions were bred and raised by MT.
Jones and have never known any world except
their cage. Mr.. Jones employs a professional
trainer to put the lions though their trlcks' oue
upon special occasions he himself enters tne
cage with them. Unlike any other trained am
NAL master, you can see he carries no weapon
not even a whip. and yet his Mons go 'hrous"
On one occasion one of the lions uttered a few
snarls, but Mr.. Jones explained that ne mad re,
Gently been deprived of his mate for a time anu
was therefore in a bad humor. one Oh ne uons
performed consisted in making al! OF the Mons
stand on q row of high stools, eacn one d nt.ie
higher than the one behind 1t. Mr.. ZONES
climbed to the highest stool and sat GOWN VII
the lions back.
Can n Lion Be Tanned? e.
Animal trainers will tell you that q hon Is
never really tanned, that nothing but rear keepn
him I'M subsection, and that sooner or later eteiS
lion rebels against his trainer ana IS hepI a.
control only by physical violence; MT oon
who has been going into the hons zen as un-
armed as was Daniel, for twenty years seems
to be a living demonstration that some hons are
really tame. 4. roros u,ears 4
swallow tail coat and a high SILK nat. l. No.
been suggested by some that hons are ooN
pletely overawed by his dignity.
A more remarkable proof of Mr.. Joness III.
duence over animals Is the way they respoho ~
his voice. He utters a strange a and ereat
ne,icans come Tapping down to him. he uoes
not feed them anything either, They seehlins,S
come merely to acknowledge his greetlng any
thew appear to take real pleasure in his presence.
A. orranr-outang leaps into his arms IKE d
happy child when he calls 10 IT, anu no 20"
tiger on the head as you would a nouss VWads-
Mr.. Jones is a great adm1rer OF Hehry Waus
worth Iongfellow, and has named MS zoo LUhS
fellow Gardens in memory of the poet. IhelI
proximity to Minnehaha Falls MAKES ~
especially appropriate. A statute oL IA ma
in heroic size ornaments the Garuens, ~ The
mnveiIed with appropriate ceremonies. Inc
tou.a in which MIR. Jones lives is a replca "
the T,ongfellow house, and contains a coiie0'Ao"
NJ things owned and used by Longfellow. !. &c
All in all, this is a most unusua, 80, aIs bnt
no mere meaningless collection OF animals ou'
the expression of a human personally