The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-09-10
EWS OF WASHINGTON SOCIETY
Governor PinchOt Finds the
Garden Of Eden on Galapagos Islands
Gives Picture Of Unusual
Wild Life in Letter to
Senator Norris


Senator Norris
Former Gov. Clifford Pin
chot, of Washington and
Pennsylvania, is finding
time to write letters to his
friends in the Capital from
the far-away islands In the
Pacific, where he il cruising
on the Cuddysark,, . three
masted topsail schooner pur-
chased by Mr.. Pinchot some
months ago.
Enthusiastic
h q Ietter to Senator George
Norris, Of Nebraska, . personal
and political friend, Mr.. Pinchot
tails enthusiastically Of wild life
On the Galapagos Islands, situ-
nAed about 700 miles west Of
Ecuador:
i II suppose the q Alapagos
ABlands," writes the former Gov.
Srncr," are as much like the
Garden Of Eden as any place
remaining on the face Of the earth
.-at least so far 40 the tameness
ne Wild things Is concerned. II
khera IL any place like them. ]
@pnat know where 1t il, and I
think It would be- great thing
FOR the people OF the whole world,
who win eventually be able to
mome to the remote places Of
ahe earth easily, cheapiy and in
treat numbers, II q part at least
Dc this archipelago, say three or
pur islands. could be set aside,
ither under the control Of the
nited States or, II Ecuador would
not consent to that. then under
She control of the League Of
Nations, as q perpetual wild life
eetuge and b protected Is such.
Very Tame
II hardly dare to tell how tame
Wild creatures are on the Gala.
pagos. There is not one of us,
think. who has not had wild
birds perching on some part Of
his person. Mrs. Pinchot had a
hawk light ON her head. sue
eeeded In coaxing q 1our.foot
9guana actually into my lap by
FEEDING him grasshoDpers out
OF my fingers. ana the second
mate and I sat down one day on
either side Of q sea lion, 30 close
that he nuzzIed the shoulder Of
each one Of us in succession by
merely turning his head. We sat
there for perhaps ten minutes.
70 put it in q word, wild things
which elsewhere run away from
man. the killer, just as soon as
ne heaves in sight. here run to.
ward him. They regard him as
news, to be looked over and
learned about, and they show not
the slightest fear. even when
given good reasons.
Operation
Take this example. One day
when a lot Of noclxing birds
were eating oranges and sand
witches out OF our hands we
noticed one Of them whose beak
through accident had been twisted
30 that the upper and lower
halves crossed each other instead
OF meeting. The bird had great
difficulty In eating anything,
90 DR.. Mathewson decided to
operate.
II caught the bird without the
9nghtegt difficulty with a moose
of string and held him while
the doctor trimmed his beak in
TO proper shape. When / let
hina go he flew off six or eight
&eet. stopped and rubbed his bill,
which was bleeding slightly. at
the end of a branch and got the
two halves in line. About that
time had to start for the coast
ana 80 lost sight OF him, but
haven't the slightest doubt that
! would have been able to catch
him again with the same moose
had I wanted him."
Mrs. Pinchot is the only wo.
man on the cruise. Clifford Pin
chot jr., fourteen-year-old son Of
the Pinchots. and young boy
companion are the only chill.
dren,
Former Governor Pinchot, who
maintains q residence in Wash.
tngton for the purpose OF keep
ing an eye on the peoples bust.
ness" as he puts it, plans to re-
turn to the United States In No.
vember, Just before Congress con.
venes in regular session.
And Mrs. Pinchot will, perhaps,
resume the reporters job on Cap
atol Hill, which she found rather
absorbing until she had to give
4t mp in the early summer for
this cruise.
4 HA