Trail and Camp-Fire 



Upon investigation, the committee found 

 that a measure had already been introduced 

 at Albany, providing for the establishment of 

 a zoological park on city lands, located north 

 of 1 5 5th Street. This bill had been intro- 

 duced for several years in succession by Mr. 

 Andrew H. Green, and had each year been 

 defeated, chiefly on account of a clause in it 

 which authorized the New York Park Board 

 to turn over the existing Central Park Men- 

 agerie to the proposed Society. This clause 

 had provoked violent opposition from certain 

 East Side representatives, who declared the 

 bill to be a mere attempt to secure the control 

 and removal of the Central Park Zoo, and so 

 to deprive the poor children of the pleasure 

 afforded by it. The strength of this opposi- 

 tion was good evidence of the popularity of 

 any sort of animal collection, for a more 

 wretched exhibition of ill-kept specimens than 

 the existing Zoo cannot be found in any large 

 city in the world. 



Curiously enough, there was also in circula- 

 tion a rumor that the proposed Society would 

 engage in the business of breeding small ani- 

 mals, such as dogs and fowls, to the lasting 

 injury of the small animal dealers. 



314 



