Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-06-04
A PET AND A NUISANCE
JocKo IN DlsREPUTE WITH THE
NEW YORK HEALTH BOARD.

Josef Honmann's Eestatic Monkey Makes
aTightrope of Mrs. Kaufman's Clothes
line. Picks Putty Out Of skyIight and
Steals Pennies and SIIIk.
For two years now Jocko has been
having things pretty much his own way
in a back yard in East Fourth street.
But at last he has run up against a snag.
Doubtless if Jocko had been content
with his own back yard and had not
gone about prowlihg for new back yards
to conquer, his name today would not
be on the blotter of the health boards
big book. At the weekly meeting of the
board it will be decided whether he may
keep up his nomadic proclivities un-
molested or whether in the future he is
to be chained to ring in the area steps.
Jocko is the pet monkey of Josef Hof-
mann, who does brisk business in the
basement at 81 East Fourth street. A
sea captain, who had come home from a
voyage to South America for cocoanuts,
brought back Jocko with him, and gave
the animal to Mr.. Hoffman,. If Jocko
had stuck his long, sharp claws into Mr..
Hoffman's heart he couldn't have secured
a deeper hold on that portion of the lat
ter's anatomy than he did on the first
day Of his installment in the basement
in East Fourth street.
Every twenty-four hours which have
passed since then have only soldered
more firmly the ties between the monkey
and his master. So fond, indeed, has
his owner become of the curious little
animal that he has never had the heart
to correct him in any way. The result
was the usual one. Jocko was spoiled.
JocKo AND THE cLoTHEsLNE.
So one day, as Jocko was sitting rumi-
mating in the back yard, with leg
swung about the trellis and his tail
wound around the grape vine, he spied
Mrs. Kaufman, of the third floor, back,
hanging her washing out to dry.
Mrs. Kaufman closed the window,
leaving her linen, which she had got ur
at o'clock to wash, hanging in the sun,
Jocko waited whole minute after he
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like movement, he gained the top of the
high back fence, scampered up the fire
escape of an adjoining building, made g
well calculated leap of three feet and
landed on the nearest point of vantage
of the taut ropes of Mrs. Kaufman'G
clothesline.
Like tightrope walker, Jocko trippe6
along the line. He put up one paw tC
his whisker, just as the real performer
does when he smirks and throws the in
imitable kiss to the audience. Ther
Jocko began his aerial feats in earnest.
When Mrs. Kaufman went to haul il
her lines that evening she stood as one
amazed. Her stockings strewed the
ground below like the fallen leaves ot
Vallambrosa. Her tablecloths and sheets
where they were not torn in places, were
tracked in pattern in which the chic
figure was the imprint of a muddy paw
Some of her linen was actually missing
Mrs. Kaufman had to get up early thu
next morning again, pull out her threat
and needle, and, after mending for al
most an hour, do her whole wash over.
But Jocko never ran anuck anon:
Mrs. Kaufman's wash any more. H
had experienced new sensation, ant
having once satisfied himself with tina
I he began to cast about for fresh field
and pastures new. Of course, if b
wanted to make use of Mrs. Kaufman
or any other PERSONS convenient lines
Jocko never hesitated to use them as
public thoroughfare. But as diversion
clotheslines had lost their seductiv
charms for the monkey.
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