The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-07-13
MONKEYS.
The Manner in Which These Animals
Are Trained.

"ls the monkey trained by tn
Iuse Of kindness or fearW said th'
reporter.
"Both," was the reply. "If the
monkey is wild and ugly the frs1
thing to be done is to take all the
fright out of it. To attain this re.
suit hunger is the first resource
The better and more humane meth.
cd, however, and the one giving the
best and most permanent results, is
to break the monkeys spirit by
rendering it entirely helpless and
unable to harm or resist. This is
done with the help Of ropes and
gags. In this condition the monkey
| is worried and intimidated until it
arrives at condition bordering on
| frenzy. A state Of weakness and
depression ensues, all resistance
ceases and the animal allows itself
to be handled. AS soon as this
point is reached the severity of the
treatment is lightened, and By de-
grees the animal is fondled and
finally released. In nine cases out
Of ten this treatment is effectual in
making the monkey lose all of its
former ferocity, and becomes as
meek as a peeping chicken"
Does not this treatment weaken
the monkey"
mo. It does not seem to affect
its strength in the least. Besides,
the master is careful not to injure
what is so valuable a piece Of prop
ertv to him. Having broken the
monkeys spirit, it is now the train
er's business to make friends with
Mateo. This he does by giving it
candies and nuts and by caressing
it. Should then he return to in
subordiEation the monkey is quick
ly pulled down to the floor by means
of rope reeved through ring in
the floor and fastened to a collar
around the animals neck. Then a
switch is brought into play until it
is glad to submit.
Having passed through the a b.
c's, the next step is to make the
ring-tail come when called. This
is a very important part of
THE TRAINING,
As it gives the master full control
of the animal. The collar around
the monkeys neck is made to fit
closely, and the edges are unusually
sharp, so that a jerk upon the rope
fastened to the collar causes pain.
The man walks away from the
monkey short distance and calls
it by name, always repeating the
word a number of times and each
call giving the rope a slight jerk.
At each tug the monkey draws
nearer, because the collar hurts it's
neck, until it is close to the trainer,
when it is taken up and fondled. |
This process is repeated for many
days, increasing the power of tugs
on the rope, if necessary, until the
will come after the first
pull. It will quickly learn to iden-
tify the call with the pain atits neck |
and come to its master as soon as
it is called in order to avoid the |
pain it anticipates.
Mateo is now in his alb abs. The
next move is the reverse of the first,
that is, teaching the monkey to
leave the master and go where bid |
den at certain command or in
obedience to a wave of the hand.
This is accomplished in much the
same manner as related above, with
the difference that the string or rope
is reached through a pulley fastened
in the wall. The master places
himself with the monkey at the wall
the pully, having the string
in his hand. He then raises his
hand and, pointing in the direction
of the pulley, gives the rope tug,
which naturally draws the monkey
;oward the pulley. In short time
he monkey learns to run off at the
wave of the hand. Pulleys are then
attached along the different walls
md the rope frequently changed
rom one to the other. This will
It first bewilder the monkey and he
will often run off in the wrong di-
'ection, only to be checked. The
land of the master always being
POINTED IN THE DIRECTION
The animal should go, it soon
earns to watch the hand and fol-
ow the direction indicated. This is
me of the most important phases
# the monkeys education, as it
'nables the master when exhibiting
he monkey in the street to send it
lp to and into windows to collect
,ennies."
"But how is the monkey taught
o fetch small articles?"
"A coin is placed in the monkeys
land. If it drops the coin he is
ebuked and the coin put into its
land until, after repeated trials, the
oln is retained. Each time this is
lone the master repeats a certain
Vord, which is the equivalent of the
rord ''fetch." After the idea of
lolding the coin is firmly fixed in ,
srN !