Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-05-05

Of BIRDS.
One of the greatest attractions Of
the zoo is the aquarium which has
several thousand marine inhabi-
tants.
Another attraction which l be-
lieve is an universal one is Monkey
hill. This is a small mountain Of
rocks with caves for housing the
monkeys. We stood and watched
their antics for an hour or more
marveling at their almost human
traits. The caves are heated on
cold days, and on dull foggy days
they are bathed in artificial sun.
light by means of ultraviolet rays
The reptile house was equally az
interesting and also artifcially
heated and lighted. We observed
that one fat, especially vicious
looking copperhead was listed as
being imported from the hills of
southern Ohio and l could not help
wondering if it had been former
reptilian neighbor of ours as that
particular specie of snake seems to
abound in these very hills.
A most amusing place was the
home of the talking parrots. We
IOuuu more NlollOIo tACiC IA1A IL
any other part of the zoo and it
seemed that everyone was talking
at once and the parrots answering
simultaneously. 1t was such din
and it gave us a laugh to hear the
British accent of the birds. They
used mostly English phrases such as
sta, ia! old fellow" "cheerio, old
top" s'I jolly we'll do" and other
such slang as the British people
use. In another room we were as
founded to hear two little black
birds not as large as our common
variety of crow, speaking as well as
the parrots. The guide explained
that they were supposed to be the
cnlv birds of their kind that talk.
| In fact there were SO many interest.
| ing phases of life in the gardens
that we could scarcely tear our
selves away. But our faithful
"pick-up'' guide had already proven
himself a highly competent one and
we willingly accompanied him back
| to the heart of the city atop one Of
the many double-decker buses, from
which high position we enjoyed
| fine view of the city. We stopped
at famed Westminster Abbey, at
which place the recent coronation
took place. AS you all probably
know this very antique and historic
building was originally constructed
| by the Romans. 1t stands on the
bank of the Thames, near the Par
| lament buildings and is really
| Church and not an abbey. 1t is
built in the form of a cross over
| 500 feet in length and has beauti-
Iful stained glass windows. Burial
beneath the floor of Westminster is
considered the greatest honor that
can be bestowed My descriptive
power is inadequate to do justice
| to the most exquisite interior of the
labbey. l remember hundreds of
beautiful statues and plates on
| which are carved illustrious names.
| A depressing feature Of London
as we'll as other cities and small
Villages throughout the British Isles
| is the too~strict observance of the
Sabbath, long established custom
! that Just doesn't fit into the scheme
of life as we Americans live it.
should like to forget | ever spent a
Sunday in large city like London
or Edinburgh, Or any other city in
Scotland, for it is all SO quiet with
Everything closed tightly. Motion
pictures as well as any theatre, even
restaurants and tea rooms and drug
stores all closed on Sundays. /
Tread an article recently that an
American had written in regard to
"blue Sunday" in London that so
adequately expresses my sentiments.
/ am quoting this article ''The shops
are shut, the streets almost de-
serted, the aspect is that of an i'm
mense and well-ordered cemetery.
| The few passers-by in the desert of
| squares and streets have the look
| of uneasy spirits risen from their
graves. 1t is APPALLING. After an
| hours walk in the Strand especial
/ ly, and in the rest of the city, one
has the spleen; one meditates sui
| eide" The truth of the above ar
ticle impressed me so much that l
filled it away with my numerous
clippings.
Ten Days In Paris
| In 1926 we crossed the channel
| from Dover to Calais, France, and
on to Paris where we spent a most
| enjoyable ten days, but as Mrs.
Button and others have so COM
pletely and so competently describ-
ed all the places of interest there at
a previous meeting, l feel that there
is little I can write to interest you.
| We had an unusual experience on
our journey from Paris to Cher
| bourg, where we embarked for
home, that I might mention. We
rode for fifty miles or more through
the most. disastrous flood ever
known in France. All through the
district of Normandie and northern
France and part Of Belgium there
was water on each side of us and at
times the train travelled with diff
Guilty You probably all knew about
| the floods at the time but no doubt
have forgotten for the most part.
| We rode for miles and miles
through the apple orchards in Nor
mandie about which the once pop
ular song "When it's apple blossom
ltime in Normandie," was written.
At that time it was the last of Feb
ruary and too early for blossoms,
and with all the muddy waters and
trees it was rather difficult to
imagine just how blossom-time
could be so attractive in Nomandie
Burial At Sea
One of my most haunting men,
ories is of burial at sea, which oc-
CURED on our first voyage and just
three days before reaching Liver
pool, England, and although / did
not even know the man whose fu-
neral 1 attended, was the chief
mourner, and most pathetic, yet
ridiculous one I proved to be. 1t
was my first day out on deck after