Evening star., 1944-06-19
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeu.
18th STREET.

II read with considerable interest
few evenings ago, the letter published in
your column from the acting director
of the National Park Service in which
he indicated that the story of my en-
counter with a gang of hoodlum boys
in upper Rock Greek Park recently lust
isn't so,' in other words my story was
of my own imagination and manu-
facture.
Just why he is of the opinion that I
would make up such story and my
reason for so doing he failed to state,
for his explanation
First, let me state that my letter was
not in the slightest degree a criticism
OF the park police who guard our beau-
tiful park. I know how difficult 1t Is
for these guardians to be on patrol duty
at all times, and I realize the vast
acreage they have to cover, nevertheless
for either the acting director or a men,
Der or members of the supervisory staff
to state that my story just couldn't be
true is, to say the least, a matter of as
sumption on their parts.
* X
Il will venture to state that I am just
as familiar with all kinds of firearms,
guns of different makes and caliber as
any member of the park police or the
assistant director, having spent many
days during my life, in season, in legiti-
mate hunting of all kinds of game,
feathered and furred.
MY encounter with the band of half
grown boys took place just as stated by
me in my former letter, and the threat
from two of their number occurred when
I got out of my car and demonstrated
with them for killing the birds that
two of them had on display, and called
their attention to the law prohibiting
the discharge of firearms of any kind
in the District or in the public parks.
"They derided me with catcalls and
epithets as they entered the woods by
the path at the left of the spring. My
wife and I met the same gang a little
later as they emerged from the woods
and crossed the creek near the Miller
cabin. These were not small boys play
ing Indian or Commands and carrying
wooden guns, as stated by the assistant
director
They were ruffians, IS and Is years of
age, plenty old and tough enough to
do bodily harm to any person opposing
their sport I live on the edge of Rock
Creek Park and enjoy frequent strolls
through this magnificent estate, along
the bypaths, observing the many varie-
ties of birds that make it their habitat
Very truly yours, w. M. M
This column takes pleasure in intro
ducing to the park police the writer of
the above, Mr.. William NJ Mooney,
former Washington city postmaster,
who gave us all one of the best postal
administra tions.
Bill Mooney. as he is familiarly
known, Is one Of the finest gentlemen
and sportsmen we have ever known CHe
boxed with President Teddy" Roose-
velt)
The park police should look him up,
instead of ignoring MIN, as they seem to
have done to date. Although we gave
them his name, with his permission,
they had not called upon him up to this
writing.
Perhaps the park officials feel that
he went over their heads in writing to
The Star. No Government official
should so feel at any time. The Star
is the friend and confidant of the peo-
pie of Washington. They write to it
Vi Si4S4A JoJS anu GAOuUi6S. WIlblIlR
Letters to the press is one of the great
institutions of democracy You can't
do it in Germany or Japan!
X Ks
Park police have many difficulties. All
that Mr.. Mooney or any one else wants
is to cooperate with them
There is tale going around the Eight
eenth street neighborhood showing what
the faithful guardians of our parks are
up against.
Several years ago a neighbor of Mr..
Mooney bought his little girl a pair of
baby ducks for Easter. The ducks grew
so large that the man took them down
to the park and put them. in the creek
with the other ducks. Then he got back
in his car to watch their reception.
The large ducks went after them bill
and claw, with a little wing action
thrown in for good measure
The man went down and lifted his
ducks out of the stream. When he got
home, he found the park police already
there. Some busybody had reported
his car number to them!
What do you mean by stealing ducks
from the park?" asked the officer.
why, they are my ducks!" said the
man. But he had to get affadavits
from his neighbors before the vigilant
officer was satisfied