The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-06-23
rHE pREHEnsILE ORGANS



NAL 1nfeIlIrencc.
The possession Of an effective prehen-
siie organ--a hand or it, equivalent
seems to be the first great requisite for
the evolution Of high order OF intel
lect Man and the monkeys, for exam
pie, have pair OF hands; and in their
case one can see at a glance how de-
pendent is their intelligence upon these
grasping organs. All human arts base
themselves ultimately upon the hui
man hand; and even the apes APP
proach nearest to humanity in VIZ
tue Of their ever-activc and busy
little fingers. The elephant again,
has his flexible trunk, which, as we
have all heard over and over again, Is
equally well adapted to pick up a pin or
TO break the great boughs OF tropical
forest trees THAT pin, in particular,
is now well-worn classic). The SPUR
rel, once more, celebrated for his unus-
ual intelligence when judged by a
rodent standard, uses his pretty little
paws as veritable hands b. which he
can grasp nut or fruit all around, and
80 gain in his small mind clear con-
ception of its true shape and properties
Throughout the animal kingdom gem
orally, indeed, this correspondence, or
rather this chain Of causation, makes
itself everywhere felt; no high inteili-
gence without highly developed pre-
hensile and grasping organ
Perhaps the opossum is the very best
and most crucial instance that could
possibly be adduced of the intimate con-
nection which exists between touch and
intellect. For the opossum is a marsu-
pial; it belongs to the same group Of
fow1y- organized, antiquated, and pouch
bearing animals as the kangaroo, the
wombat, and the other belated Aus
tralian mammals. Now everybody
knows the marsupials as class are
nothing short of preternaturally
stupid They are just about the
very dullest and silliest of
all existing quadrupeds. And this
is reasonable enough, when one comes
to think of it, for. they represent very
antique and early type, the first rough
sketch of the mammalian idea, If may
so describe them, with wits unsharp-
ened as yet by contact with the world
in the fierce competition of the strug-
gle for life as it displays itself on the
crowded stage of the great continents.
They stand, in short to the lions and
tigers, the elephants and horses, the
monkeys and squirrels of Europe and
America, as the Australian black fellow
stands to the Englishman and Yankee.
Cornhill Magazine.
Theory and Practicable was read
ing aloud in the family circle, and laid
down his paper to emphasize what he
had Just read II believe with the
writer Of that sentiment, that singing
should be taught to child as soon as it
can speak-Good heavensl What is
that awful noise in the next room.'
'.That is the baby singing" said his
wife, and he went to the club to finish
the article he was reading. -Detroit
Free Press.
The new butler-Av We place, sor,
I'll have me~ months wages accordin'
till the agrayment. The employer
What's that? You haven't been with
me for thirty days. Butler -Oi came on
the twintieth of lasht month. Employ
er-I know you did, but Butler-An'
isn't this sthe #tinth av Eebroory? An
don't twinty and tin make thirty
Pittsburgh Bulletin.
The electric cars have already lent
the impertinent small boy new figure
of speech Out on Jamaica pond the
other night tall man, who was skating
along in one straight, continuous, even
line, suddenly struck something and
came down with a bump. AHA, mis-
ter" said a small boy who was playing
hockey near by, Eyer trolley's off,
Boston Transcript.
Brief colloquy in Texas between a
tourist and native: "My friend, why
is it that everybody in this country
thinks it necessary sto carry one or two
revolvers?" We'll, stranger" said the
Texan, "you mought travel around here
for good long time and not want a
weapon, but when you do want a pistol
in this country you want it bad"
-"What have they wound up on that
cartq" asked the old lady who was Wis
iting the fire-engine house. "Firemen's
hose" was the answer. go away
she rejoined indignantly. you can't
make me think that any FIREMAN or any
body else ever had legs TO at those.
Washington Star.
Hard Lines. ~ Policeman. IN You
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