Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-03
The Orang-Outang.

prooaoIy before long become, in its
turn, center OF attraction and 1.-THE
lion of the day" in the geological gar.
dens. The orang in question is not,
like go many of his kindred who have
preceded him to England, an infant in
years, but of middle age and full
grown. He stands five feet without his
stockings, and being little bald and
we'll whiskered, is a very respectable
looking specimen of the man ape. The
baby orangs who have hitherto been
exhibited have been guileless urchins
OF no decided character, solemn of
countenance like other babies, and
easily put out of sorts. Visitors called
them "poor little things" and though
they were coddled with blankets and
sop, women thought it, on the whole,
rather shame that they were not also
allowed perambulators and rattles. The
human helplessness of the very young
orangs certainly justified this maternal
solicitude on th.,e behalf, and the re.
peated failure to rear them to maturity
told 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 will cry
fretfully for nurse. They like being
rocked in 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 bottle or plaything given them they
Groom in a contented 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 helpless fashion
on their backs, turning their heads oc-
casionally from one side 10 the other,
with all four hands in the air, hoping
apparently to find something to take
hold of, but unable to guide their fin
gers to any particular object. As time
passes and they grow adventurous,
they try to tumble out of their cradles,
and often succeed to their own immense
discontinue, for. their legs being too
weak to hold them up, they have to lie
on the ground on their stonachs until
friendly hands place them right side
up. All these baby traits Of conduct
and character commended the very ju-
vepile orangs to the very tender sym
pa by OF their visitors, and their visit
full chid.e7es always made them the
pets OF the p iblic. But who, we should
like to know, is going to pet the elderly
ape that has just arrived; or how can
we lavish any tender sentiment over o
creature that stands five feet high and
has bald head and big whiskers
The great strength OF the orang-
outang now among US has indeed ne
cessitated extraordinary precautions in
his confinement. The cage in which
he travelled was 80 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. Impo-
tent, therefore, for mischief, the hairy
prisoner sits huddled up and roaring.
Any interference with hin, however
kindly meant, is at once resented by
language which might easily be trans.
lated 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
excl ties the 81 #. hearted compassion of
the gentler sex, for it is impossible to
connect this great hairy ape with any
idea SO tenderly suggestive as feeding
bottles and perambalators. If given
blankets he will probably eat them, and
as for coddllng him. the keepers might
as we'll think of coddling steam en-
CINE. In their native hsunts they were
never trihed with. for they were mon
archs of all they surveyed, and the
only neighbors capable of molesting
them were the infrequent crocodile
and the still rsrer python; while even
these, so the natives say, the orang
does not hesitate to meet in q single
combat. The huge ape, it 10 said, will
leap upon the back OF an alligator and
tear its jaws asunder. Literally trans
lated, "orang. means 1.-the
man of the woods" aud the first half
of the name is title of respect, i'm
plying wisdom in those So called, for
the chief of the Malays are styled
"orang," and SO, also, in compliment
10 ltb lutcllA&cut So6ocAtys 40 tho CAO
plant. I'm their natural state they are
not only inoffensive, but. when sud
denly intruded upon, oetray no symp-
toms of alarm, behaving from first to
last with the greatest presence of mind,
and always dying with pathetic dignity.
Naturalists tell us that these apes
watched them when trespassing on their
haunts with curiosity. but without fear,
and would remain quietly where first
seen in spite of preparations for attack
being in progress. If escape seems
desperate. they make no effort to run
from the enemy. but, utilizing the
best cover that is available, avoid the
missiles, spears or bullets, 40 long as
they can, and when badly wounded
move away leisurely into the thickest
foliage they can reach. and expire
without cry.-LOndom Telegraph.
BAKED Calls HEAD.-Boil the head
until Won can pick out all the bones,