St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-01-15
RennuS.

A young chimpanzee named Remus,
valued at between two and three thou
sand dollars, has been given to the
Natural History Department in Cen
trail Park, New York, by Rev. Mr..
Smythe, u. S. Minister to Liberia. On
the steamer, when coming to America,
he was cabin passenger, half fare be-
ing paid for him, as if he were a child.
His present mode of life is thus de-
scribed in Harper's Young People.
A special cage was built for him, and
he soon became devoted to his keeper,
Mr.. Cook, who has taught him to sit in
an arm chair at small table, eat his
warm milk with spoon, wipe his
mouth with napkin, and to behave
himself in grave and decOrOus man
ner, which is amusing in the extreme.
He is playful little fellow, and has no
lack of toys. FOI a time a bell was
his especial delight. Dolls, croquet
balls, rattles, hand mirrors, and a
small flag have furnished the little fell
low with amusement for days, and IA
flying trapeze in his apartment is ii
never-failing source of pleasure.
When | visited him he was just
about to have his dinner, and he was
watching with evident interest the
preparation of some rice and milk.
AS the keeper approached the cage
with it, he swung himself across his
table and seated himself gravely in his
chair. The pan being placed before
him, he took the spoon in his right
hand and his napkin in his left, and
after stirring the mixture few times
he proceeded to eat it, wiping his
mouth from time to time with his nap
kin, and pausing to watch the specta-
tors.
Having finished his dinner, which
was eaten with a dignity and grace
which would do credit to a man, he
walked over to his keeper and extend
ed his hands to be wiped. Then he
submitted quietly to the ordeal of hav-
ing his hair and whiskers combed.
Then came the most cOmical part OF
the performance.
Remus has been suffering from a
slight cough, and Mr.. Cook has pre-
pared an onion syrup, which seems to
be breaking it up in manner which is
satisfactory to all except Remus. He
evidently does not like the onion
syrup, and makes unmistakable signs
of disapproval while he watches Mr..
Cook getting it. When it is brought
into his cage, however, he opens his
rather large mouth and takes it quiet
ly enough, though his expression is of
intense disgust, and he eagerly seizes
Il piece of orange to take the taste out
of his mouth.
1t would be impossible to describe
all the funny ways and child like ac-
tions Remus will display in a single
hour. One of his quaintest tricks is
when he goes to bed. He gets his
blanket, and after spreading it out,
carefully rolls himself up in it, and,
laying his head upon his arm goes to
sleep. The attitude and manner are
SO like those of il tired child that it is
hard to realize he is only monkey.
If Remus can he safely carried
through this winter, the greatest dan
ger will be passed. Consumption and
mclanchOlia, which seem to be the two
complaints most fatal to all species of
monkeys in this country, he has so far
escaped. He eats regularly, good,
wholesome food, sleeps well, and so
far seems to be in the best of health
and spirits. With his active brain
constantly occupied by variety of
amusements, and carefully guarded
from cold, there seems to be no reason
why he should not live many years to
delight visitors to the park with his
strangely human appearance and
gravsly affectienate manners.