The New York herald., 1922-12-13
TIGER FAILS TO FIND
WAVERLY PLACE HOME
Gives Up Quest and Goes to
Visit Tigers at Zoo. =

i The astonishing M. Ciemenceau, upon
his arrival from Chicago yesterday. in
sisted upon straightway trying to- find
his old home In Seventh street" and
then going TO the Bronx Zoo Ito see
my friends the animals"-including
Bengal Tigers. His friends had feared
that he might break down under the
strain of his $500 mile speaking tour
1t was even predicted, when he started
out on November 23, that an ambulance
might be required when he returned
But the Chicago train came into the
Pennsylvania Terminal. and out walked
Clemenceau. no younger. It Is true, but
insisting that he felt better than when
he set forth.
''rired?' he said, on the way TO New
York. to newspaper men who had ac-
companied him, II am not tired. feel
better than when left France, TIL tell
you. it must be the American grapefruit
And then those American eggs of the
colors. 1 permit myself four yellow
eggs and three white ones, and IL the
colors get mixed up that is a terrible
thing, you may be sure"
The Tiger refused to be serious. When
asked for his view of the effects of
his tour on public opinion. he said that
was not for him to Judge but for
Americans, and he added that some
things were hard to determine, as for
example the sex of a baby before II
is born.
He was met at the station by Col.
z. NJ. House and Elisha Lee. vice.
president Of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road. Clemenceau was accompanied
from Chicago by Bernard NJ. Baruch,
stephen Bonsal. his travelling COM
panion; his secretary, Louis Lefevre.
and of course, the admirable valet.
Albert Bouln. Col. House and Mr..
Baruch suggested rest. but. no. Glenn
enceau must 60 Immediately and see
IL the house he lived in from 1855 to 1853
was still there. 1t was. he said. "in
Seventh street near Sixth avenue" and
If 1t now stood he would recognize 1t.
There is no West Seventh street, but
he was told that Waverly place was
part of Seventh street at the time of
his New York residence.
The party alighted from automobiles
beneath the elevated railroad In Sixth
avenue and Clemenceau, pointing with
his cane, started westward In Waverly
place toward Washington square. But
one could see that he was puzzled and
then hopeless. Instead Of the frame
houses, fences and front yards that
young DR.. Clemenceau had known he
saw stone and brick. A sign French
minder that this was once a French
quarter. He trudged along, looking
right and left and upward. but half
way along the block he stopped. "Its
all rebuilt again. he said. Nothing
is the same. Let's CO." On the way
back to the motor car he said nothing.
Two truck drivers. probably. graduates
Of the A. e. F., snapped bands to fore,
head in the military salute the instant
they saw him. Everybody else along
the street seemed merely to wonder
why the old stranger in the blue over
coat was being followed BY such q
retinue. ~. - ~.
The next stop was at the jewelry
store of Cartier at 653 Fifth avenue
Clemenceau went in to shake hands with
Pierre Cartier, head OF the American
firm. whose Paris house made the baton
given to the Tiger by the French re-
public. Then a fast ride to Bronx Park
The visit was unheralded. but Raymond
L. Ditmars. curator of reptiles. quickly
appeared as guide. What did M. Gle
menceau desire to see first? THE
tigers" This was unprecedented. He
has gone like boy to ZOOS and mu-
scums, but always until yesterday
avoided the tigers. He watched half a
dozen of them in their cages In the lion
house. Your brothers?" said some one
in French. and Ciemenceau smiled.
He was unable to take from the Zoo
the pygny elephant that fascinated him
there. but he felt partly compensated
last night when he boarded the steam
ship Paris and found twenty-five turtles
awaiting him. Two weeks ago he told
Bernard NJ. Baruch he was fond OF
turtles. Mr.. Baruch sent word to his
old home at Georgetown. s. c.. and or
dered twenty-five OF them. They ar
rived yesterday and were put aboard
ship as surprise for the voyager.
They are soft shelled turtles. good for
soup. but whether Clemenceau will per-
NIT his fondness for soup to overcome
his regard for turtles as pets Is yet to
be discovered.
After the visit to the Zoo stops were
made at the home, OF Col! and Mrs.
House, 112 East Seventy-fourth street.
and Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson.
127 East Seventy-third street. for the
leaving of cards. Clemenceau got out
at the Lotos Club TO see Melville L.
Stone. with whom he chatted several
minutes as they sat on a lounge. my
old friend. just had to come and see
YOU" Clemenceau said as they met. At
last, after one OF his liveliest afternoons
In the United States, he was taken TO
the home OF Mr.. Baruch. s West Fifty
second street. There he had dinner
with Mr.. and Mrs. Baruch and their
daughter, Col. and Mrs. House and Mr..