Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-07
ooLp-M.NlNc MONKEYS.


In the diamond mines monkeys are
said to be very valuable aids in hunt
ing the precious stones. Many stories
have been told and written of the use
fulness of these clever. sharp-eyed
little animals. Africa has been for
centuries the stronghold of the mar
velous. and doubtless most of those
who have read anecdotes about
monkeys in the mines have known
what to think of them. But I have a
story about mines and monkeys that
is true. can be verified. and is given
without varnish. We shall not go be-
yOnd our own country.
Some time ago friend told me that
monkeys were employed in the gold
diggings of South Carolina. He wove
for me a very interesting account of
their labors and of their value as la
borers. My thoughts were busy the
while with another animal-the fish.
But since then / have come face to
face with the man who employs them.
and have heard from his own lips the
story OF these strange workers. He is
the proprietor Of a gold mine in the
interior of the Palmetto State, and in
terested with him in digging the gold
bearing quartz are a number of East
ern capitalists, who have them
selves Witnessed the ingenuity of
their monkey workmen.
Captain E. Metz, who was born in
Yankeeland. tells the story of the
queer little animals who work for him
in, ho 10 Sc
Highlander from Vermont, and served
in the Union army during the rebel
lion. and settled in the South after the
war. His mines are situated near
Chesterfield. in South Carolina, about
twenty miles off the railroad. He has
been working them at a profit for a
number of years. and new improved
machinery is constantly making them
more valuable. As saw him he was
on his way to Chicago to purchase
another new mill to increase the ia
cilities for his go.d-digging operations.
Il have twenty-four monkeys" said
he, ''employed about my mines. They
do the work we'll of seven able-bodied
men, and it is no reflection upon the
human laborers to say they do class
of work man can not do as well. In
many instances they lend valuable aid
where a man would be useless. They
gather up the small pieces of quartz
that would be passed unnoticed by the
workingmen, and pile them up in little
heaps that can be easily gathered up
in a shovel and thrown into the mill
They are exceedingly adept at catch
ing little particles. and their sharp
eyes never escape the very things that
the human eye would pass over"
''How did you first come to employ
them?''
when 1 went to digging gold had
two monkeys that were exceedingly
interesting pets. They were constant
ly following me about the mines, and
one day noticed that they were bus
lily engaged in gathering up little bits
of quartz and arranging them in piles.
They seemed to enjoy the labor very
much, and would go to the mines
every morning and work there during
the day. 1t did not take me long to
catch on to their value as laborers. for
at that time our workingmen. which
are mostly colored. were unskilled,
and oftentimes almost useless. My two
pets had not worked very long before 1
decided to procure more. So / imme-
diately imported a number, and now
have two dozen working daily in and
about the mines. It is exceedingly in
teresting to watch my two pet mon
keys teach the new ones how to WORK,
Of To 1r
the new corners take to it.
Strange to say, they control them
selves. They work as they please.
sometimes going down into the mines
when they have cleaned up all the
debris on the outside. They live and
work together without quarreling any
more than men do. They are quite
methodical in their habits and go to
work and quit like true working men.
They need some care, and 1 have a
colored man who superintends them.
He feeds them and looks well after
their comfort They have their meals
regularly and eat much the same
character of food as human beings do.
Corn bread is a great favor1te with
them. They clean up about the mines.
follow the wheelbarrOws and carts
used in mining. and pick up every
thing that falls off along the way. No
one who has not seen them can even
imagine the wonderful intelligence
they display and the neatness and
cleanliness with which they perform
their work. Nothing escapes them.
Every little particle is picked up and
cared for. They go down into the
mines and come out as they please.
They are friendly with the workmen
employed there. but are exceedingly
shy with strangers. They are most
excellent detectives. and no workman
can get on good enough terms with
them to carry away a piece of quartz.
The men frequently attempt it just for
sport. to see the monkeys get after
them and chatter until they put down
whatever they may have in their
hands. 1t is strange to see how they
will discriminate between the tools
used by the workingmen and piece
of quartz. They only keep their eye
on and make a fuss about what they
must recognize as my property. 1
7