The Helena independent., 1892-05-24

~ y ~ -
!; ! : !: ! ]: ! ; !
n ~, stand single word
- VA I(JyNN you would watch their
w 32'syyv actions. hoping TO
nv AS6 gain some idea OF
AIyz1lM( thsir meaning in that
NssziA way. Gradually you
M would learn TO asso-
ciate csrtain sound with Z certain act
until finally ron would bs able to undsr-
stand the sound without seeing the act.
II 10 in sach way that tho missionaries
often have to leara to converse with strange
4 and savage tribes.
Is ID In very similar way that have
learned to talk with monkeys, only have
been compelled TO resort TO some very novel
means Of doing my part Of the talking.
which shall describe presently.
1t had been my belief for many years that
animals Of the same kind could talk to each
other. thought if could learn to talk
their way might converse with them and
know just what they meant whom they
made sounds.
Bus found il difficult to initiate some
sounds made by some animals; In fact I
sould not hope to ever learn to after them
sorrsotly.
After observing many kinds Of animals
] found that monkeys had . greater num-
Der and variety Of sounds than any othsr
animal, 10 far AZ could determine, and
rot out ssriously to learn TO make those
sounds a. we'll "a could.
Bue soon found that each kind Of mon
key had : ret Of SQUADS of his own, and
also that very few Of them could be imi-
tated by the human voice. But still
hoped to learn the meanings Of some of
them and see il they we're really speech. l
tried very hard, but could not initiate
them at all we'll. A monkey has such q
SHARP veice that it 10 very difficult TO mako
the same sounds with the human voice.
At last ! fell upon plan by which
could fool them and make Fthem think /
was great big grandfather monkey.
~~ got photograph and some men to help
me, and l took an old lady monkey ont Of
her cage, and left old Mr.. Monkey to kssp
house.
j put old Mrs. Monkey into small oafe
and removed her into another part of the
building whore her mate could not hear
her. Then got her to talk some of her
and / recorded them ON the machine. Then
placed the machine near the cage whore
old Mr.. Monkey was, and repeated the REQ
ord.
He instantly began to hunt for her. He
hunted in the horn and al around IL for
disgust, AZ il hs Thought was playing
joke on him; and then again, when that
horn would squeak and chatter so much
like his mate, he would venture back to it
and try again to find her. He would peep
into the horn and listen. Then he would
reach his arm in No far IA he could. Then
he would feel all around outside the horn.
But he could not find her. He seemed to
entertain q kind of suspicion that I was the
.cAuse Of all his trouble, and hs kept enc
eye on me. and whom would 60 about the
cage he would throw his milk pan at mo,
and then return to the horn to hunt again.
This experiment was made in Washing
ton, and, while it was very unsAtisfactory
in some respects, yet it was the first prac-
tical step ever taken by man to solve that
great problem of speech, which most men
thought had NO solution. Il was the frst
time that any sound of the lower animals
was ever put on record by any means what
ever.
next went to Cincinnati, Chicago and
other cities and made records of mAny
sounds made by monkey in Chicago and |
repeat them by the phonoRraph to a mon
key of the Same kind in Charleston, and |
notice what that monkey would do. Mora |
over, would sit and repeat sounds to my |
self until they were perfectly familiar, and
L
was able to initiate few of the sounds we'll |
enough to make a monkey know what Isaid
10 him.
BY Watching carefully what monkey
would do at certain sounds, of course |
gained An idea as to the meaning of these
sounds.
You must bear in mind that their way OF
talking 10 very different from ours. For
example, il Z monkey il hungry he will use
one certain sound, and he will use that
same sound when he means Ito sat." or
means anything whatever about food. or
like our English word who" Phoneticaliy |
i is very nearly represented by the letters
Now have fine graphophone record Of
the chimpanzses in the geological garden |
at Cincinnati and I can repeat some or the
effort, but have not had an opportunity of
studying them sufficiently to know what
any Of them mean yet, but they are not
difficult to speak.
Last June went to tho Cincinnati zoo to
visit my chimpanzes frlenas. Their names
are Pat Rooney and Mrs. Rooney. Well,
one of the sounds which had learned from |
my phonoRraph cylinder I repeated TO Mr..
and Mrs. Rooney. and found that Mrs.
Rooney would come TO the door Of the cage
and put her face close up to mine and re-
peat tho same sound, but Mr.. Pat did not
seem to bo much interested. When would
quit saying tho sound Mrs. Rooney would
jump mp and down with both feet and re-
peat il very loud; then when would saw
it she would get down and put
her face mp to the door and listen and re-
peat it after me. But have no idea OF the
meaning OF it, only ii would invariably
causs her to come to the door to mo, while
Mr.. Rooney would only come occasionally
and then walk away, apparently not per-
fsctly pleased with my presence. l have
sometimes wondered II ii was not some
term of endearment. II / cam get chin
pAnzee to be with long enough, feel quite +
snre can learn to speak all his sounds.
Last winter spent some time in Charles
ton. 8. O.. and while there I had access to |
three fine pet monkeys, all brown oapuohins,
and l shall call them by name. for conven-
ience, although l do not think that msn-
KEYS have names among themselves.
Jokes 10 large, fine monkey, and he has
been many years confined in cages, and has
never been thoroughly tanned. Poor fell |
low, he has evidently been whipped by
some former owner; you can see siRns Of |
such ill-usaee yet. When l frat went to
see him spokc to him in his own monkey |
tongus. and he seemed to take . fancy to
me. But one day while feeding him MT
tered . shrill piercing sound which l had
learned from another oapuchin monkey,
and which felt pretty sure was Il menace
or alarm. Jokes inRxnntlv nnranp IN n |