WANT MARK TWAIN TO LECTURE.
Part of Plan to Raise Money to Buy
Animals for the Zoo.
A lecture by Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) in Convention hall is among the early possibilities, the receipts from which if given will be devoted to the purchase of a menagerie which has been offered to the Zoological Society to be installed in Swope park zoo. There are many rare and attractive animals in the collection which has been offered for $9,000, and can be had just as soon as the money is available.
The Zoological Society, recently incorporated, has found that an effort to interest citizens in raising a volunteer fund for the purchase of the animals has not been encouraging so it is now proposed to raise funds along different lines. A fruitless effort has been made to get Governor Johnson of Minneapolis to come to the city and deliver a lecture, so it has been decide to appeal to Mark Twain.
At a meeting of the society yesterday Gus Pearson, city comptroller, who is chairman of the board of directors, was instructed to communicate with Mr. Clemens, and in addition to this he will be urged to accept by the Missouri delegation in congress.
The mayor, president of the park board, president of the board of education and the presiding judge of the county court have been added to the board of directors.
