The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-30
MR.. CROWLEY AT HOME.

AO hbPPOhOa w hhOW AAAs OOhh4A1f,
the superin tendent of the Central Park
menagerie, and short note to that gen.
tleman brought permission, by return
mail, to visit the old arsenal building, in
which the chimpanzees have their winter
quarters, and to "bring the children"
The next day was Saturday, and the at
ternoon found jolly crowd Of us ascend
ing the winding stairway which leads to
Mr.. Crowley's reception room.
We were met at the door by Mr.. Jacob
Cook, the keeper, who has been the tutor
under whom his charge has developed
from wild African savage into compsr-
atively well-behsved American citizen
We were cautioned by him to "give the
cage los of room," as Mr.. Crowley is a
tremendous reacher, and no respecter of
persone.
Mr. Crowley is heavy built, short
necbed low-browed monkey, with long
arms, short legs and beautiful coat of
glossy brown hair covering his body, but
not his face, which is as pink and soft as
that of baby.
Remembering the main question to be
settled by our visit, one of the boys ask ed
Mr.. Cook if he ever saw Mr.. Crowley so
pleased that he actually laughed.
Just wait moment" said Mr.. Cook,
and, going to little closet, he brought
out an ordinary brass dinner bell of the
old handle variety. Passing it in through
the bars Of the cage, it was seized by the
occupant, and, for the next five minutes,
if ever boy played "steam- cars" Mr..
Crowley did. He held the handle of the
bell in his mouth, and galloped around
the circumference of the cage on all
fours, at the same time giving the bell a
regular "ding ding ding" occasionally
stopping at a way station, otherwise one
of the corners, and finally bringing up
with bound in front of his audience.
Removing the bell from his mouth, he
looked up, ssit to say, Haven't shown
Off" and broad ripping grin over
spread his face, accompanied by a
chuckle, which was Immediately contag-
ious.
"There,' said MIR. Cook, "do you think
Mr.. Crowley can laugh?" We not only
thought he could, but knew he could; and
with curiosity thoroughly excited, little
Ben called out: snow make him CRY, Mr.
Cookr'
How do you suppose he did it? Why,
by simply handing Mr.. Crowley the bell
In position which placed the tongue,
instead of the handle, in his mouth, and
when, on starting off again, on his mimic
railroading, he found that no sound came
from his toy, he retired to the little bed
stead in the corner, got behind the head
board and wept tears so bitter that it was
a positive relief when Mr.. Cook brought
out bis trapezs and adjusted it for the
afternoon exercise.
Mr.. Crowley quickly smiled again, and
springing lightly on the bar, went through
performance which was simply wonder
ful i'll its exhibition of strength and agil-
ity. He turned, twisted and racked him
self INTO hundred different positions,
swung by his toes, tied himself into in
tri, ats knots, and wound up by coming
down on the hard floor on his head, with
a crash which would have killed a stroDg
man, but which only made Mr.. Crowley
grin with delight. just at the close of
this lofty tumbling act, Uncle Bert, who
had been getting nearer and nearer the
cage, in spite of Mr.. Cooks warning,
pressed close up to the bars and began to
applaud by elappng his hands.
Whether Mr.. Crowley misun derstood
the significance of the action, or whether
he wanted to show that there were lot of
other tricks that he could do successfully,
will never be known, but, before MIR.
Cook could stop him, or Uncle Bert could
get out of the way, large handful of
damp sawdust came whizzing out from
between the bare, and, in trice, poor
Uncle Bert looked as il he had been
ba sted for the oven.
The sawdust struck him fairly in the
face; and as we were brushing him off ,
he muttered, "Ive found out that a
monkey can laugh, but under some cir
cumstances I'm sure that I can'tP' And
wbel, the next instant, a tin pan was
hurried out at him, and missing his head
very narrowly hattened itself on the wall
of the room, Uncle Bert said something
about going down to see the pretty
Ruinea-pigs in the mensgerie below. Mr.
Cook soon quieted his charge, and after
asking Uncle to stand as far back in the
room as he could, so as not to excite the
Indignant animal any more, he brought
out little wooden table and chair, and
carefully opening the door of the cage he
slipped in quickly and closed it with a
bang. al have to keep one eye on Grow
ley" he said, las week or two ago went
in to give him his dinner, and while had
my back turned, he hit me over the head
with stray broom, with force enough to
break the stick and make me sorry 1 had
ever cultivated a monkey. He is getting
to be quite big boy now, and begins to
realize his strength"