John Mertens operated the reptile house by a remote control. He would tell his stepson, “Do this and do that,” and everything would be all right. They had been operated under this way for a year since the reptile house had been opened. Shortly after I came there, John Mertens was hired as curator of reptiles. John was a good reptile man, very, very knowledgeable. Steve, his stepson, was very knowledgeable. Later, Steve, I don’t know whatever happened to Steve, but later Steve became boss reptile man in the Atlanta Zoo. I don’t know where he is now.
