Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-29
GIRAFFE WILL LIVE
IN BIRD CAGE FIRST
1t Is Only Place at Zoo Tall
Enough to Take Care of
Long-Legged Guest!
Glory be. children,

| Glory be. children.
They say at never rains but it
pours," and 1t looks as though we will
all be convinced that is true by the
! time we get that tempera mental
| giraffe of ours safely hued in the
Zoo.
1t wasn't enough that a whole ex-
petition had to be sent all the way to
| Tanganyika to get our giraffe. Once
there, it was discovered that finding
the pet was simple compared to the
dangers and uncertainties that will
be encountered on the long voyage
from Dar-es.Salaam to Washington.
| And now we find that even IL our
giraffe reaches the National Capital
safely, we will just about have to
tear down our Zoo to get him in.
There isn't a house in the whole res.
ervation that is anywhere near tall
enough to admit our long -sha nked
potentate from the brush country of
Africa.
| Onicially Informed that the coming
citizen is boy, the CRATES secretary
hastened out to the Zoo yesterday to
confer with Head Keeper Blackburn
about suitable quarters for the royal
guest. The kind hearted head keeper
was seated in his office. above the lion
cages, in the thrOes of deep femorse.
Yes. yes. yes" he almost moaned
i've searched and searched for
suitable home, and now l must admit
we have none. There Ia only one
place that could he used at all. Woe
is me-it's the bird house, Come and
see for yourself, and tell me honestly
II you think the giraffe would he of
Tended If assured it was only a tenn
porary proposition
AIT, L.
So off we went, the lions and tigers
nodding pleasantly at the familiar
figure Of their foster father as he
her snout up out of her big pool and
opened her gaping jaws with a mo-
ton that seemed to say: Afternoon,
Mr. Blackburn" But the keepers
mind saw only visions of sweating at
PENDANTS trying to persuade an indig
nant giraffe to enter bird house.
Most of you will remember the bird
house at the Zoo, a long. low building
that rises at its extreme end to
fairly high structure. In this end,
you will remember, is the big cage
where some Of the larger species of
birds have room to fly around more
or less at ease. Well, that Is where
our giraffe will have to content him
self until Congress. recognizing his
lofty dimensions. apprOpriates enough
money for a suitable home.
The secretary. who makes no
claims to pride in the length of his
stature, almost ducked his head in
stinctively as he entered through the
back door--the same door. he figured,
that our giraffe will have to use. Out
of sheer sympathy for the bewildered
headkeeper. however. he maintained
~; e,;ln ND .t< inC a a
big cage.
It's plenty high enough. and even
wide enough and long enough" said
Mr. Blackburn finally. half APOLOGIZE
cally. Then seeing the secretary nod
approvingly, he added, more assured:
Really, quite a nice Winter home.
with plenty of emphasis on the word
Winter"
Even New Floor Planned!
We'll have to fix 1t up, OF course"
he continued. We will remove all of
that wire. and put up suitable fence
to protect the giraffe from over
curious callers. Then. too. we will
have to put In different floor.
CRATES. you know. like to spread
their feet wide apart when they eat.
and we will build floor to insure
him against doing split in the
midst of his dinner. It's really the
best we can do--now.'
VERY nice Very nice, indeed
once the giraffe Is inside" agreed
the secretary naively.
The door. All. yes, you refer
to the door" FASTENED Mr.. Black
burn. We'll. that's a bit small
very low, in fact" he admitted. But
We will just have to tear out the
wall Nh to the roof. Then. If we
can coax our giraffe TO stoop little,
he can get in all right. We can either
make a larger door or board up the
wall again until Spring.
Well, children. this proved that
the officials at the Zoo are willing
to do their best. Why. they didn't
even tear out the walls Of any build
ings for the Prince of Wales or the
Crown Prince of Sweden. So. IL
our giraffe has one ounce of graft
tude in his whole makeup. he will
he contented with his new home
for the Winter at least.