Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-10-19
STORIES OF sABOoNS.
= Pet with some undesirable if'eks' '''
Easily Controlled.

Easily Controleu-
.When on the voyage to my posi- VI
duty in the United States steamer
NIonacacv. said the Colonel, we
called at the Cape of Good hope
made pedestrian trip down the coast >,
covering thirty to forty miles ms
travelling along and making oDserVa-
lions which would in any way ana me
in the study Of natural history came
across a Scotch missionary named
CAPTAIN Miller, who was the only
white man for many miles. his nelgh-
hors being all Hottentots He showed
me about the place, and when he came
to his Garden said that it was uniortu-
nate that all the vegetables ana lfulV
had been carried off by the baooohs'
He made up his mind at one time 10 put
a stop to their depredations' ana 50
he erected u matched hut overlook
mo the garden and placed man IN
it with loaded rifle. The baboohs'
however, were very cute. ihey
would watch until the man went to dtn-
ner. and then they would post seIIi-
nels while others of their number
would seize as many ripe vegetables as
they could carry and make OH Win
them to their mountain retreats. One
dav the balloons, having become care
less by success, were filing their cheek
pouches with pumpkins when the man
crept back to his lodge. and hllng'
wounded one which stood about tour
feet high Captain Miller told me that
the scene which followed the shooting
was so painful to him that he made up
his mind that he would never let an
other one of the animals be killed II
they ate up all his vegetables. lie sad
that the death agonies OF the creature
were exactly like human being lie
looked up pitifully into my face said
Captain Miller. while his cries for help
were so pitiful that felt as il had been
party to the commission of a murder,
A short distance from the house was q
high bluff, and at the request of the
missionary | walked out there to wit
ness what he termed wonderful sight,
which truly it was. At distance
we could see company of baboons at
play. BY looking through our glasses
every movement was distinctly dis
J cernible The little ones were sliding
down chute like those made by pass
ing logs down mountain side. They
would slide down on their posteriOrs,
~ ,1IAp al rAt.nhD IA "
their parents, would stand with big
sticks in their hands, apparently en-
joying the sport hugely. ] saw in
this same country Il monster baboon
belonging to soldier in an English
regiment. He had been taught many
tricks by the soldier, one of which
was to draw the cork from d wine
bottle and drink the contents. They
provided uniform for him. in whicl
he was usually arrayed. He lived toe
high. however, became very mucl
bloated, and died of an affection of thu
liver While | was stationed at Por
Louis, Il French officer gave me a bah
DON, which was considered quite
pet He was silver-gray in color ant
very glossy. | never could ascer
tain the exact species to which
he belonged. and he was Ger
tainly great curiosity. He was quit,
young when captured, but grew to b,
about four feet high and very stout
As he became older he became a dan
gerous follow to have round; for in
stance, he would 90 up into the brea,
trees aud pelt people whom he dfdn'
know with the bread fruit He woul,
also take up large stones and hur
them with great force and accuracy
! could always control him by merel
shaking my finger at him and callin
his name, which was Jean Louis. bu
for safety's sake placed an iron ban
around his waist and tied him up whc
! WAS not on hand to watch him. Ii
would feel in my pockets for fruit whe
| came home, aud when he found an
The least bit bruised or dirty he woul
reject it. He was a great initiate,
Sitting by my side while writing, h
{ would take up the pen when | ha
r gone, dip it in the ink. and scratc
the paper, making u sorry mess
, whatever came in his way. II,
, too, would draw a cork and drin
, the contents of the bottle, be it win
: or brandy, but he was esp,
| cially fond of the latter. He saw m
t bore hole with a gimlet and imm,
t dlately initiated me, and the same wit
/ driving nail. | had a suit of clothf
| made for him, intending to bring hin
/ to America with me had not a sad fat
) overtaken him. One day he took
stone and hammered the links of hi
4 chain until they were broken. II
a then wandered forth on a maraudin
. tou. Coming to the cathedral, whir
was a frame building, he loosoned tb
clapboafds and commenced to ri
teem on one by one. Getting into III
= building, he went into the chancel an
n proceeded to tear up the Bible. Tn
5 sexton came in. intending if possib
n To save the property from destruction
e out the baboon picked up hymn-bool
d and pelted him with such force that /
Q was glad to retreat. Finally NJ
e baooon got upon the roof and beoan
$ tear oil the shingles. The police
n this juncture ieveled their revolvers
It him and poor Jean Louis fell to Il
S earth dead balloon. Brook,
~ Eagle