St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-11-08
Story of a Chi1npanzee.

A Chimpanzee which | recently saw
on exhibition is the liveliest specimen
L nave ever beheld, most of them being
SO sluggish and dull. But with the one
L saw lately the case is quite different,
for he is us lively us any kitten, and is
seldom quiet two minutes together.
When approached the cage, there was
quite crowd of spectators watching
his antics and admiring his wonderful
agility. His cage is very large one,
and is fitted up for his convenience with
some large tree branches, Il hanging
rope, and IL ladder suspended from the
the roof by couple OF rings and staples
so as to swing back wards and forward.
He is very clever with his ladder, de-
lighting to set it swinging and then to
leap on it, swing to the other side of
his cage, transfer himself to the rope,
and then return to the ladder as it
swings back again.
While was watching him, the keep
Ell entered the cage, and was employed
in arranging the straw on the floor
The ChlmpanZee at once saw his OppOr-
tunity, darted to the opposite end of
the cage, swung himself by the rope to
ladder, drew it us far back as he could,
and then released it. His aim was per-
fectly good, for it struck the keeper Il
smart blow on the shoulder, and before
he could start up, the ape was clinging
to the very top of his cage and look
ing down in defiance of the agrieved
keeper. | found afterward that this
was very common trick with him,
and that whenever the keeper forgot
to watch the animal, he was sure to
have the ladder swung at him.
Just as | reached the cage, a small
mirror had been given to him, and his
performances were most absurd. He
held it at little distance, and on see
ing another Chimpanzee in the glass.
he stretched out his neck, protruded
his lips until they formed a funnel-like
tube, and made all kinds of grimaces,
ending by pushing his lips against the
glass itself. He then peeped behind
the mirror to see the imaged compan-
ion. Failing several times in this en-
deavor, and evidently thinking that
the creature behind the glass had slip
ped away while he looked round, he
ingeniously put finger on the glass, so
as to secure the supposed companion,
and then looked quickly behind.
The keeper then took the mirror and
fastened it to the wall by nail. He
had not reached the door of the cage
when the Chimpanzee swung himself
across by his rope, and in a moment
he had twisted out the nail and flung
the mirror on the floor. AS to the nail.
he put it into his mouth, and held it
there as if he were trying to smoke it.
The keeper was much alarmed at this
proceeding, thinking that he might
swallow it, and made every endeaVor
to take the nail away. All his efforts
were futile, for he could not come neal
the ape, who ran up the sides of his
cage, and looked defiance. At last the
keeper wisely gave up the chase, and
IN few minutes the animal dropped
the nail and did not trouble himself
any more about it.
The animal has his full share of van
ity and likes to be noticed, looking
round continually to see if the visitors
are admiring him. Whenever he per.
forms any very absurd antic, and the
spectators laugh, he considers himsel
eneored, and repeats the performance
The ChimpanZee was i'm very bar
state, seeming far on the road to deatI
when he arrived in this country. One
day some potatoes were boiled i'm the
room, and the animal contrived to stea
couple of them out of the saucepan
while 1T was standing over the fire il
order to allow the steam to escape. HI
would not give them up, and bit at an,
one who approached him. The pota
toes were SO hot that he could not hoIC
them, and was forced to toss then
about from one hand to another. Wher
they had slightly cooled he slipped of
the Jackets" and ate the whole of thu
potato. This incident afforded clev
as to the proper diet for the animal
and from that time he has lived chiefly
on hot food, potatoes being the staple
of his diet. About five P. M. he has hi.
tea, of which he is very fond. About
half pint of tea, well sweatened, il
given to him, and he drinks it out o.
the bottle, according to the keepers ac.
count, never putting down the bottle
until the tea is finished. The bottle