Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-04-23

4
| gorilla: Coriander's keepers were too
| watchful to permit much conversation, but
| taking from the gorilla-for such he still
was to me-the address of Jack Gale, No.
! 1888 Morusmulticaulis street, went home
| to revise some of my deductions relative
to the origin of the human species, found
| ed on observations of the gorilla in state
| Of comparative wildness The menagerie
closed at 10 o'clock in the evening, and
precisely at halfpast tent was at Jacks
lodgings, to which climbed up four
flights Of crooked and very dark stairways.
The room was small and cheerless the
windows were carefully guarded by thick
curtains: three or four swinging bars de-
pended from the ceiling for the practice
of its inmate in acrobatic exercises across
the foot of the bed lay well-dressed gor-
| illa's skin, and at small table, and absorb
| ing the contents of pot of beer, sat the
wearer of this discarded robe This was
the haunt of the African gorilla. He told
his story in few words.
| "When you and l were used to talk
with each other along the Tallapoosa and
Athens wire, never thought to meet you
as live gorilla; but here | am. After
the war was over, and the Government
discharged so many telegraph operators,
it was hard scratching for a while; and
after you and left the Decapolis office, |
| was ell-nigh broke more than once, only
a few cents standing between me and beg
gary. But kept stiff upper lip, and
struggled up to Cincinnati, where | met
with Coriander. He was out there with
his menagerie, and was about to come on
to this city and open big show. He is
great old villain, but he has the sweet
est, incest little daughter that ever was
given to man. You haven't seen Clara
Coriander, have your No! Well, you
have not seen the loveliest and best girl in
the world, then. But, as was saying,
old Coriander was preparing for year s
campaign in this city, and allotted q great
deal on a real, live gorilla which had
been captured in the wilds of Africa
somewhere. Oh, curse that gorilla;
wish had been dead before ever heard
of him"
And here Jack groaned.
| II loved Clara Coriander. I suppose
you have guessed that out already. But
it was the old story; poor young man,
without fortune or friends; cruel parents
determined that their only daughter shall
not marry beggar young lady incon-
solable and devoted to aforesaid poor
young man, but dreadfully afraid of papa,
whose only child she is. Well, Coriander
came on here and followed, the old man
| giving me the job of writing his posters
and advertisements-to keep me from
starving, 1 suppose. The long expected
| Gooroo arrived from Zanzibar, but no
gorilla was there on board for Mr.. Corian-
| der; there was skin of that celebrated
animal, the beast himself having departed
this life off the Island of st. Helena, in
imitation of the example of another much
feared person who once resided in that
locality.
"Coriander was frantic. The great
card for his menagerie was not to be his.
His long cherished plans were wreck !;
his money was spent for naught; he had
no gorilla After all, rather like the old
wretch (Coriander / mean). He has an
absolute passion with his profession, as
he calls it, and was more In despair be-
was a bad financial operation, which
left him without that for which he had
spent so much money. He was wretched
in his disappointment, and postponed in
definitely the opening of the menagerie,
though my elegant advertisements were
in ali the papers, and our flaming posters
covered the walls of the city from one
end to the other. Gloom reigned in the
house of Coriander.
"This was my opportunity. I was in
love with Clara and without any perma-
nent occupation. Presenting myself be-
fore the old man, l said: Mr.. Corian-
der, you want gorilla?'
"'To be sure said he testify.
"'I will furnish you with one.'
"'The devil you willr
"tLook here said /, stepping back
few PAGES. Grasping the top of heavy
old wardrobe that stood in the room,
swung myself up, clambered along the
tor, sprang up and down, over chairs and
tables, raced around the room with huge
strides and jumps, and finally wound up
my performances by rushing at the aston
ished Coriander, and, beating my breast,
gave terrific howl that fairly made the
old man quail as he writhed in his chair
/ had not been practising for nothing,
evidently. Coriander was actually fright
ened.
"tWhat does this mean p he gasped,
with some rage mingled with his pertur-
| baton.
"'I am the live gorilla from the wilds of
| Africa said I. Give me my skin that
arrived by the Gooroo from Zanzibar, and
l will scare this city out of its senses,
when the menagerie opens, after brief
delay on account of the difficulty of pre-
pairing for enormous additions, which a
discriminating public will be delighted
to see.' s>sN@r
| "Old Coriander embraced me, with
tears in his eyes. declaring that was a
real genius and was born to the show
business. e..s---
"But,' said /, though am poor and
need the money which you will pay me, l
have one other condition, and that is that
you shall give me your daughters hand
If succeed
| "The old man was rather taken back at
| this, and fatty refused at first; and we
wrangled over the matter for two or three
days, but after seeing me- in the skin of
the gorilla, go through many antics and
performances, he reluctantly gave in and
agreed that after one year of gorilla life
in his service, should have the happi-
ness of marrying Clara. He only stipu-
lated that should not hereafter tell any
| body of the cheat and that not even Clara
should know of it now.
81 am aware that my profession is not
high art, as you call it, and on hot days it
| is precious uncomfortable. But what
won't fellow do under the pressure of
an exchequer in distress, and enticed by
the promise of the hand of the prettiest
and best girl in the world The pay is
not much, but / keep soul and body to-
/ gether, which is more than some poor
devils do in this great city. By the way,
/ G-n Iola oh