Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-11-05
MONKEY GOLD MINERS.
rHe ODD wo ,KMAs EMPLOYED Nv
A SOUTHERN NINE OWNER.

sharp Eysd Qa.drumssi. That wsss Moe
Denly thaa Their Human Associates
Gls.slns On. oasrss Down 10 Fiss
r.int-ks~pias . Isshsss Zoe Thisve>
In the diamond mines monkeys are
said 10 h. very valuable aids In hunting
the precious stones. Many stories have
been told and written OF the usefulness
OF these clever. sharp eyed little animals
Africa has been for centuries the strong
hold Of the marvellous. and doubles
most Of those who have read anecdotes
about monkeys In the mines have known
what 10 think ~ them. hut ] have q
story about mines and monkeys that l.
true, can be verified. and u given with.
cut vArnish. We shall not 40 beyond
our own country.
Some time ago friend told me that
monkeys we're employed In the gold dig
gings ~ South Carolina. lie wovc Tor
the very interesting account ~ their
labors and % their value ~ laborcs Ny
thoughts were busy the while with an
other Animal-the fish. hut since then
I have come face to face with the man
who employs them. and have heard from
his own lips the story 81 these strange
workers lie l. the proprietor % gold
mine In the interior - the Palmetto
state. and interested with him In dig
ging the gold bcaring quartz are mum
bcr 81 eastern capitalists. who have
thcmselvc. witnessed the habits and In
gcnuity u their monkey w0rkmen.
TWO pozES MONKEYS ~ riIE MiNr.
Capt. r. Metz. " ho was born In Yankee
land. tells the story ~ the queer little
animal. who work for him In the mincs
lie 4. typical New Highlander from Yer
mont. and served In the Union army
during the rebellion and settled In the
south after the war Ills mines are situ.
Aied near Chesterfield. IN South Carolina,
about twenty mile. oil the railroad. lie
has bccn working them At profit for
numlsr % years. aud new and improved
machinery l. constantly making them
more valuable. A. saw him he was
on his way "a Chicago % purchAsc an
other new mill a. incr,a-r the facilities
for bis gold digging OPERATIONS
Il havetwsnty.fou monkeys said b.
employed about my mines. They DO
the work ~ seven able bodied men. aud
IL l. no reflection upon the human labor.
er- to say that they do class % work
man cannot do A. well In many In
stances they lend valuable AID where
man would b. useless They gather up
the small piccc- - quartz tina, would 10
pas.ed unnoticc,i hy the workingmsn
and pile them up In little heaps that can
H. easily gathered up Ia a shovel and
thruwn Into the mill They are eKocei.
ingly Alcpi al catching the little particle.
and their sharp eyes never c-caps the
very thing. tina, tho human eye would
pas. over.
"Iiow did you dni cone To employ
thsmY'
whoa went o. digging gold I hal
two monkeys that we're exceedingly In.
ter..ling pets. They we're constantly
following me about tho mines. and Que
day noticed that they werc busily en-.
gag~i In gathering up little hiis ~ quartz
and arranging ihcm In piles. They
,ccmcl g. enjoy the labor very much
AMI would 80 b. the mines every morn.
Ing and vufk thcrr during the day. II
dill not take mc long a. catch on 10 their
value ~ lalof,rs. for at that time our
workingmsn. Who arc mostly oolorcd.
were unskillc1 and oitentimss almost
usslcss. Ny two pets had not worked
very long bcfou decided 90 procure
more. - Immediately imported a
numt-f. and now have two dozcn work.
ing daily In AMI about the minc-. Il IL
exceedingly interesting % watch my two
rct monkeys teach tho new one. how o.
work. and stranger still 10 40 how rad
Us the new corners take a. a.
DolN0 DETECTIVE WORK.
strange % say. they coutFol them.
selves. They wor. a. they pleAss. some-
time. going down into the mine when