Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-01-08
Barnum'S Gorilla.

1t is seldom that we are called upon
to note more painful fact than that
which We now record, and which is
nothing more nor less than the rumor.
ed death of Barnum's gorilla, who ia
supposed to have persisted in the
flames of the Museum recently consum
ed The news of his untinely and
frightful end will cause a feeling of
heartfelt agony to thrill the bosons of
his many friends throughout the count
ry, who witnessed his playful antics in
his cage wherever Barnum went 81 his
last summers tour, or enjoyed his So
ciety at beer-saloon when the lsbors
of the day and evenings exhibitions
were ended
The deceased gorilla was a young
man of exemplary habits, and by his
versatile industry supported an aged
father and mother in Jersey City, who
can hardly bear their present loss.
His original name was Briggs, and he
was of Yankee, not Celtic, origin, as he
has been enormously stated, Mr..
Barnum became acquainted 9TH young
Briggs many years ago, and keen OBJ
server of human nature that he is, he
soon saw that the boy possessed talents
which would if rightly applied bring
him into public notice. Mr. Barnum
first employed Briggs as mermaid,
but his nervous sanguineous tempera-
.nent untitled him for wearing a wig
aud a cod fish skin, and he was shortly
after promoted to the position of wild
man. In this be achieved no suc-
cess, and it was not until Barnum put
his great travelling show on the road in
1870, and gave Briggs the position of
gorilla, that he developed these eccen-
tricities that's have made him famous.
For two years no better specimen of
the gorilla tribe has been seen on this
vial in his tastes, he has sat IN his cage
an object of wonder and admiration to
thousands, and submitted to being stir
red up with long pole for the benefit
of country clergymen, who stood by
expla- ming to their youthful Sabbath
school scholars how fearfully and
wonderfully WI are made. No muir
muir of discomfort ever escaped his lips,
except at Terre Haute, Ind, last July,
when be was heard to remark thet he'd
"be id if he could stand it much
longer wearing hair overcoat In hot
weather on salary Of SO week. !"
II lis salarywas at once elevated to Sl2. 5O
a week. and he was allowed ice in his
der thereafter, and no better-behaved
specimen Of bis tribe was ever placed
on exhibition.
MIR Barnum, we are informed, with
Characteristic energy has telegraphei to
Africa for specimens of rare Wild beasts,
to supply the places of those destroyed
by the late confagration. lie may
procure elephants, lions, tigers, and
cockatoos. but he can never I'LL the
place of Gorilla Briggs. Not even Dr.
Livingstone, with all his experience IN
African ju1gles. can capture so fine a
specimen, one who coulu capeF 50 u mo
" around his seven by nine cage, and
dance to the lascivious ticklings of his
keepers club with such patience,
Gorilla, adieu and may the hairy
four-egsed Phoenix who arises from
your ashes possess your noble qualities
of mind and heart, and give entire
satisfaction to deluded public for the
usual price of a half dollar.-&. Louis
Democrat
A London dispatch says that hun,
dreds of agricultural labors out of en-
ployment because farmers will not pay
the increased wages demanded are pre-
pairing to emigrafe to Brazil. That s
no place for them. The topical sun
will smire them, and the fevers bred
by the Amazon will carry them off t
a fearful rate. They should 90 to
Australia er come to ;he United States