“Mermaids are excellent journeyers because they can avoid pier pressure, make a splash, ride the waves, and seas the day.”
America's first giant pandaIn 1936, the first giant panda infant to reach the U.S. alive, was brought back from an expedition in Tibet by Ruth Harkness, a young Manhattan socialite. A welcome diversion from the news of the Depression era, the lady and panda were a media sensation. The panda baby, named Su-Lin, appeared on the front page of the Chicago Tribune for nine consecutive days. Entrepreneurs sold toy pandas. Su-Lin was eventually acquired by Brookfield Zoo, Chicago. Shortly after their marriage, her husband, a wealthy adventurer, had left for China on an expedition to capture a panda (1934), but instead died there of throat cancer. Ruth left home to complete the quest on a remarkable adventure trekking through Tibet. (Su Lin died 1 Apr 1938.)«[Image: Ruth Harkness with Su Lin] |
