Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-09

tuition, of which he was then the as
Sistant secretary.
INDEED, in the basement of this
old building, in the late 70s, the
writer is reliably informed by we'll
known gentleman who was then a cub
reporter on his fathers newspaper,
that there was miniature ZOO, con-
slsting OF live snakes of various species,
which were there for scientific pur-
poses and which were occasionally
pitted aainst each other in mortal
combat much to the delight Of those
who had ring-side seats, including
this young scribe, who still recalls one
particular fight between king snake
and calico snake, which was fought
to conclusion. round by round. Be-
ing right out of college and equipped
with technical knowledge, this young
man, still in his teens, was assigned to
cover the downtown public depart
ments in the quest of news. and this
National Academy of Sciences held its
annual meetings, and it was upon one
OF these occasions that he listened to
demonstration of the photograph
by its inventor, Thomas A. Edison.
This was the first time this marvel
GUS invention was exhibited in public
and 1t naturally created great interest
even among the grave scientists of the
National Academy, who gave it their
closest and most profound attention
and showed much delight when they
heard the squeaky little voice Of the
instrument repeat the children's verse:
"There was a little girl who had
little curl,
That hung right down on her fore
head.
good. indeed,
But when she was bad-she was
horrid"
An interview the reporter had at
this time with Mr.. Edison regarding
some of the scientific problems he was
then working on, and published in The
STAR subsequently proved of the great
est value to the inventor in a con-
troversy over priority rights and a
certified copy of the story later ma
terially helped to prove Mr.. Edison's
side of the case
However, it was the reptiles re-
ferred to that formed Mr. Noyes' early
interest in the movement to obtain
for tljc citu tho r,roco,,f 1o1lorioaI y,o ~
when he was just serving in the ranks,
and today nothing pleaSes the editor
of The Star better than to visit the
park when the weather is pleasant
and to sit in the sunlight and review
the current news of the day, when not
interested in the antics of the animals.
THE late Samuel H. Kaufman, at
one time president of The Eve
ming Star Newspaper Co., also was
greatly interested in the park move
ment and never failed to say a good
word for 1t when the matter was
pending in Congress.
Back in 1885 Col. John M. Wilson,
later Gen. Wilson, advocated ZOO
logical garden for the city, regarding
which The Star of July "a Of that
year said:
"Col. Wilson's expressed hope that
the National Capital will some day
have geological garden is one that
should awaken a responsive echo in
the breast of every American citizen.
His idea that portion of the Smith
sonian grounds should be devoted to
this purpose will not. however, be so
generally approved. They are neither
large enough nor otherwise adapted
for such geological collection as the
Government ought to and doubtless
will some time bring together. Fur
thermore, good thing to do with the
Smithsonian grounds is to keep them
just as they are. The notion that the
parks of the city should be used for
the accommodation Of everything for
which no other place can conveniently
be found is one that ought to be dis
couraged. The most appropriate and
profitable use to which a park can
be put is to keep it as a park"
RUT to return to Mr.. Hornaday and
his early and more active inter-
est In the National Geological Park.
The writer recalls him as early as
1888; recalls also the nucleus of the
present Zoo as it was later housed
In the two-story frame building, built
in 1884, out Of the appropriation for
the New Orleans Exposition, and
which stood between the old building
of the National Museum and the Med
ical Museum, as we'll as the small ami
mails which were once located in cages
around the rotunda of the Museum
Building, where now stands the plaster
model of the Statue of Freedom.
These animals were all accumulated
by Mr.. Hornaday, and he was prin-
cipally instrumental in obtaining those
which were later housed in long shed
to the rear Of the Smithsonian Build
ing.
One of the earliest specimens in the
museums geological collection, which
the writer recalls, was a 3-month-old
buffalo calf, captured by Mr.. Horna-
day and sent to Washington, where
1t died in captivity July %, 1886.
This little bison, together with other
live animals, was housed in the frame
building to the east Of the museum
building.
1t was not long after this that Mr..
Hornaday's entire time was given.
over to the care of and attention to
the animals under his charge, and the
Department of Living Animals was
created for him, with the title Of
curator. At this time, according to
DR.. Frank Baker, director Of the park
for many years, there were no fewer
than 220 living specimens in the
museums exhibit.
RY APRIL %, 1888, the collection
Of living mammals, birds and rep
tiles had grown to such large proper.
lions that Senator J. B. Beck intro
duced a bill in the Senate for a ZOO
logical park, which finally resulted in
the establishing Of the present park.
Senator Becks bill follows, in part:
Hpo o,,o rfod ar ~ 4rla.