Old Print Article: “Bears In Terrific Fight In Central Park Zoo,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1902)

July 8, 2010 in Old Print Articles, Urban Studies | Permalink

Come get some, Garibaldi. (Image by Sakurai Midori.)

People seriously had nothing to do in New York back in the day, so they would stand around for hours at a zoo and watch a couple of bears beat the crap out of each other. Thankfully, a reporter from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle likewise had nothing better to do and was on hand to file a ridiculously long and unnecessary article for the September 28, 1902 edition. The piece was subtitled, “Rocky, the 960 Pound Grizzly Boss of the Cage, Meets His Equal at Last.” An excerpt:

“While nearly a 1,000 people cheered and groaned alternately, Garibaldi, a 450 pound cinnamon bear, fought to a standstill a 960 pound grizzly bear called Rocky in the most terrific and bloody fight ever witnessed in the Central Park Zoo yesterday afternoon. The battle was fought on the cliff in the bear cage, and, although, neither one was killed, both were so badly used up that they lay on the ground panting for half an hour.

Garibaldi is a trained bear, and this fact is probably responsible for the defeat of his heavier rival. He was presented to Director Smith of the zoo a week ago by Joseph Sareix, a wandering Italian showman, who told Mr. Smith that Garibaldi was becoming so ugly in his temperament that he was afraid to keep him longer. Sareix said that the animal had been trained for a number of years and was as agile as Jim Corbett. He knew all the tricks of wrestling and was especially strong. His long confinement had made him ugly and Sareix was afraid the animal might turn on him and kill him.

Rocky has been in the zoo for some time and has been master of the bear cage. He is an ugly looking brute and has always been considered dangerous. Director Smith feared if the two were put together a fight would ensue, and he concluded to keep Garibaldi in a wooden cage until he got used to the feed and the ways of the keepers in the zoo. So the new bear was put in a cage near the big bear cage and the keepers soon discovered why the Italian showman did not care to keep him any longer. The first day he was put in the cage Garibaldi attempted to force the sides.

This will be my best story ever for the "Eagle."

The climax came yesterday morning when keeper Billy Snyder went to feed the cinnamon. He discovered that the bear had gnawed a large hole though the cage and that it would be a question of a only a few hours when it would be large enough for the bear to crawl through and make his escape. Snyder reported the matter at once to Director Smith, and, after a consultation with other keepers, it was decided that the only thing to be done was to put Garibaldi in the big bear cage. It was concluded that the little bear could not kill the big fellow, and if the cinnamon was killed the city would not be at a loss, for the animal was a gift.

The word was spread rapidly through the park that the bear was to be transferred and that there was liable to be a fight, and a big crowd gathered. The reserves were sent from the Central Park station and the crowd was kept at a distance by a roped line. When all was ready the cage was carted up on top of the hill and Garibaldi was admitted to the big bear cage.

Rocky had been attracted by the crowd around the cage and the roars of Garibaldi, who tried to resist the efforts of his keepers. He recognized a foe and made ready for his entrance into the cage. The cinnamon didn’t flinch, but waited for the grizzly to approach the top of the cliff and then suddenly springing into action dealt the big fellow a blow on the head. Garibaldi had knocked the chip off the other fellow’s shoulder and the fight was on.

The terrific growling of the bears served to attract a greater number of people than had witnessed the transfer, and when the battle opened there were nearly a thousand people surrounding the bear cage. Men yelled and cheered the little bear on and women groaned and some cried as blow after blow was struck and the bears clinched. For fully twenty minuted the fight continued, first one, then the other, seeming to have the advantage. When the fight was about half over both animals were covered in blood and the sight was so sickening that the women were forced to go away and dragged their children with them.”

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