The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-10-14

Sharp, in Detroit Free Press; :, ,,,s,
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Orang. Outangs' at the London geological
a. ~ tuo e6ardens. as To kssTs
AN adult orang-outang has arrived IN
this country from Malacca and. swill
probably before long become, in it's
turns center Of attraction and 1.-THE
lion Of the day in the .Zoologi Gar
dens. The orang in question IS not,
ikesso many of his kindred who nave
preceded him to England, an infant in
years, but Of middle age and fu1f- grown.
He stands five feet without his stock
ings, and, being little bald and well
whiskered, is 4 very respectable look
ing speeimena of the man ape. - The
baby orangs who have hitherto been
exhibited have been guileless urchins Of
no decided character solemn couIte-
nance like other babies and easily put
out Of sorts. Visitors called them
.poOr little things."s 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 ractles. The human
helplessnessi of the very young orangs
Iscertainly justified this maternal soliei-
tude on their behalf and the repeated
failure to rear them to maturity told 4
pitifnl tale Of lungs too delicate to bear
our climate. Their ways and habits,
SO those say who have kept them as
pets. are exactly these of human babies.
They refuse to sleep alone and even if
left by themselves when awake will cry
fretfully 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 contented way over it until p1acidity
rnerges 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.p When Aappiest
they lie in 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 holds them up.
they have, to lie on the ground on their
stomachs until friendly. hands place
them right side sup. Alb these sbaby
traits of conduct and character COM
r1apd tho uovsxy s.t,ronsfns %o,,n
tender .sympathy of their visitors, and
their Wistfuls child-eyes, always made
them pets Of the public. But who, we
shouldl dlGke'to know is going to pet the
elderly ape that has Just arrived; or
how can we lavish any tender sentiment
over9a creature; that stands five feet
hjgh EI.Se1as and has bal bald head ,and big big
" The great strength sof the Orange
outang now among US has indeed neces-.
STATED extraordinary precautions in his
confinement. y The caees III which IA
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. Impotent, there \
fore, for mischief, itheo hairy prisoner I
sits huddled up and roaring. ANY, in
reference with him, however Kindly
meant, isat once reseAted by LAM nguaga
which might easily bestranslateds into ]
human equivalents, and the vigor with
which he shakes his cage prov1s the
sincerity of his ill-feeling. He, is not.
of the interesting age that excites the
soft-hearted compassion of the Egentler
sex for it is impossible to connect this
great hairy ape with any idea so ten
derly suggestive, as feeding-bottles and
perambulators. If given blankets, he
will probably eat them. ard as for
coddling him, the keepers might Just
as wen think Of 1coddIing a steam-en-
gine. In their native :haunts they veres
never trifed with. for they were mon-
archs of all they surveyed, and the only
neighbors capable sof molesting them
were the infrequent crocodile and the
stiIl rarer python while even these, so
the natives say. the orang does not fear
to meet in q single combat. The huge
ape, it is said. viii leap upon the back
of an alligator and tear its jaws assunder;
Literally translatee,a @crang-outang"
means I. the man 1T the woods p and
the first half of the name is. a title of re-
spect,, implying wisdom in those 50.
called, for the. chief of Malays are 4
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 noisymp-
toms OF alarm, behaving from first to
last with the greatest presence Of mind,
and always dying withpathetic dignity.
Naturalists tell US that these apes
watched them when trespassing on
their haunts with curiosity, bat tswith.
out fear, and would remain quietly
where first seen, in spite Of prepara-
tions for attack being in progress. II
escape seems desperate, they make no
effort to run from the enemy, but utiliz-
inc. the, best cover that is available,
avoid the missiles, spears, or bullets as
long as they can,f and when badly
wounded move away. leisurely into the
thickest foliage they can reach, and ex-
pire without cry.-London Telegraph.
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