The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-30
Orange utangs at the London Geological
Gardens.

turn, a center of attraction and the
lion of the day" in the Geological Gar
dens. The orang in question is not,
like so many of his kindred who nave
preceded him to England, an infant in
years, but of middle age and fulf-grown.
He stands five feet without his stock
ings, and, being little bald and well
whiskered, is a very respectable look
ing specimen of the man ape. The
baby orangs who have hitherto been
exhibited have been guileless urchins OF
no decided character, solemn counte-
nance like other babies and easily put
out of sorts. Visitors called them
spoor little things" and though they
were coddled with blankets and sop,
women thought it, on the whole, rather
a shame that they were not also allowed
perambulators and ravtles. The human
helplessness of the very young orangs
certainly justified this maternal solicit
tude on their behalf and the repeated
failure to rear them to maturity told i
pitiful tale of lungs too delicate to bear
our climate. Their ways and habits,
so those say who have kept them as
pets, are exactly those of human babies.
They refuse to sleep alone and even if
left by themselves when awake will cry
fretfullv for a nurse. They love being
rocked in a cradle and hate being
washed. When anything is offered
them not to their taste, they kick vio-
lently, Just as human beings of the same
age do, but when satisfied with the bot
tie or plaything given them they Groom
in acontented way over it until placidity
merges into sleep. Toys have to be
provided for them, and they break them
all punctually, after, of course, having
tried firmly but Intellectually to choke
themselves with them. When happiest
they lie in a helpless fashion on their
backs, turning their heads occasionally
from one side to the other, with all
four hands in the air, hoping apparent
ly to find something to take hold OF, but
unable to guide their fingers to any
particular object. As time passes they
grow adventurous, they try to tumble
out of their cradles, and often succeed,
TO their immense discontinue, for their
legs being too weak to hold them up,
they have to lie on the ground on their
stomachs until friendly hands place
them right side up. All these baby
traits of conduct and character COM
mend the very juvenile Orangs to the
tender sympathy of their visitors, and
their wistful child-eyes always made
them pets of the public. But who, we
should like to know is going to pet the
elderly ape that has just arrived; OF
how can we lavish any tender sentiment
over creature that stands five feet
high and has a bald head and bic
whiskers?
The great strength of the orang-
outang now among us has indeed neces-
STATED extraordinary precautions in his
confinement. The cage in which he
travelled was so small that he could not
have fair play for his tremendous arms,
and the bars so thick that he could not
make any impression upon them with
his enormous teeth. lmpOtent, there
fore, for mischief, the hairy prisoner
sits huddled up and roaring. Any in
reference with him, however kindly
meant, is at once resented by language
which might easily be translated into
human equivalents, and the vigor with
which he shakes his cage proves the
sincerity of his ill-feeling. He is not
of the interesting age that eXcites the
soft-hearted compassion of the gentlel
sex for it is impossible to connect this
great hairy ape with any idea SO ten
DERBY suggestive as feeding-bottles and
perambulators. If given blankets, he
will. probably eat them, and as fol
coddling him, the keepers might JUS
as well think of coddling a steamer
CINE. In their native haunts they were
never trifed with, for they were mon
archs of all they surveyed, and the only
neighbors capable of molesting then
were the infrequent crocodile and the
still rarer python while even these, SC
the natives say, the orang does not feal
to meet in a single combat. The huge
| ape, it is said, will leap upon the bach
of an alligator and tear its jaws assunder
Literally translated, orang-outang
means "the man of the woods" anC
the first half of the name is title of re
spect, implying wisdom in those so
called, for the chief of Malays ART
styled "orang," and so also, in com
pliment to its Intelligent sagacity, is the
elephant. In their natural state they
are not only inoffensive, but, when sud
denly intruded upon, betray no symp
toms of alarm. behaving from first t.
last with the greatest presence of mind
and always diving with pathetic dignity
Naturalists tell us that these ape.
watched them when trespassing or
their haunts with curiosity, but with
out fear, and would remain quietly
where first seen, in spite of prepare
tions for attack being in progress. l
escape seems desperate, they make NJ
effort to run from the enemy, but utiliz
ino the best cover that is available
avoid the missiles, spears, or bullets a
long as they can, and when badly
wounded move away leisurely into TIL
thickest foliage they can reach, and ex
pire without a cry.-Lond0n Telegraph