The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-31
DELICATE And NERVOUS.
Why the Monkey is So Seldom in
Public Performances.
IT is SUBJECT TO CONSUMPTION
And Dies Without warnlnG-Dangers
ofApe Trapping In tho African For
ests-John Robinson's Inconsiderate
Monkeys - Some Peculiar Facts
About Our Little "Couslns


perhaps you have noticed" said
Superintendent Stephan OF the Zoo to
q lumes.Star man, that with all the
trained and educated animals exhibited
at the circus and museums there is sei-
dom performing monkey. Yet the
monkey learns tricks readily and is al,
most human sometimes in its actions"
The reporter had noticed it, and the
fact established the superintendent
proceeded with the explanation.
"There is a single reason for it" he
continued, land that is tho extreme
delicacy of the monkeys organization,
A monkey in exercising will get over
heated, and put into its cage will seek
cool corner. 1t catches cold which
develops into consumption and inst as
likely as not the animal is dead in
day. Still they often linger for a year.
Often monkey will cough like a tlu.
man, and again / have had them die
suddenly without exhibiting any sign
OF disease, but upon disseCting them
have found their lungs entirely gone,
The monkey does not get on well in
our climate unless he is kept in q warm
enclosure.
"The average circus will start out in
the spring with hundred monkeys
and will be doing remarkably we'll il it
comes back at the end OF the season
with twenty. The average life OF one
OF the beasts in captivity is two years,
though we have several here fifteen
years old. Even our hardy old beasts
however would not last long in a circus
cage. The great trouble with the mon
key is that he is curious to see every
thing, and the moment his cage is
opened in the menagerie he is at the
front clinging to the bars reaching out
for peanuts and candy. There is usually
q crowd about him and that warns him
up. When the ring performances be.
gin there is rush from the menagerie,
leaving it bare and full OF drRughts. AS
aresult he catches cold.
81 suppose there are about 800 mon
keys in the United States, all told, and
as half OF them die every year it makes
the monkey trade somewhat lively.
There are three big dealers in Europe
who supply most OF the wild animals
for the civilized world. Hagenbach, OF
Hamburg, has trappers all over Asia
and Africa. He supplies US. Then
there is Cross, Of Liverpool. and Jam.
rock, of London. The monkeys are
captured in bamboo cage traps. Food
is placed inside and they go in for it.
Then many are captured while young
by shooting the mothers. At the least
alarm the mother takes refuge in flight,
springing wildly from tree to tree, pay
ing no attention to the young. which
cling around her waist for dear life. 1t
is very easy to shoot the mother with
out injuring the young Again, steel
traps are set, having the jaws wrapped
with cloth so as not TO injure the legs
al the captives. There is no danger in
the business so long as the monkeys do
not get cornered and scream. When
they do that the whole tribe comes to
their rescue, attacking the hunters and
biting furiously.
"The smaller ones are easily beaten
of, but with the apes these encounters
are dangerous. Take those chimpan-
ices that roam the wildsof Africa. They
are as big as man and far more pow
erful. When hunter encounters one
OF them he must do one or two things
Immediately. He must scare the beast
by some wild motion or he must kill
him instantly. They arc easily scared,
but wound one, and his cries attract
herds Of companions that will set upon
the hunter and tear him 10 pieces.
They don't mind being shot at, SO II q
hunter cannot kill all in sight or disa-
BILE them he is dead man. There are
numerous cases on record where hunt
ers have been literally chewed into lit
tie bits by the beasts. / would rather
meet lion any time than wounded
ape.
"Cost? Oh, We can get the ordinary
monkeys at from Sl2 TO Sl5 each by the
dozen. Twenty-Five dollars will buy
good monkey anywhere, though fine
specimens run up to $50 or $l0O Apes
are another class. Our big mandril is
valued at 81 900, while the Rooneys are
worth $1,000, being the only pair in
America.
when 1t comes to training them, the
Rhesus, from India, ia found to be the
most intelligent, though it grows fero-
cious as it gets old and is dangerous
pet. The ring-tail, such as organ
grinders carry about, learns almost as
readily as the Rhesus and Is perfectly
gentle. The chimpanzee, which ia an
ape, Ia capable Of the highest education
as you see proved in the case OF Mr.. and
Mrs. Rooney. The only reason we can
keep the Rooneys in such excellent
health is that they arc enclosed in a
cage within q glass case which is itself
within another case Thus we keep an
even temperature with no draughts.
Get monkey taught q trick once and
he will remember it for months. But
their weak lungs render them unfit for
trick purposes.
II remember once the Robinsons
trained valuable monkey 10 do lot
OF tricks. He was worked with the
whole winter and was circus all by
himself. But what did that monkey
dot He let them flood tho country
with his picture, ill the papers with
stories oil his wonderful performance,
yes, and oven waited till the tents we're
pitched for the first performance OF the
season and theu he lay down and died.
That is what any monkey Is liable to do
and that Is why you seldom sec them
perform, About the only thing circus
men ever do with monkeys Is to make
them ride dogs aud II you look sharp
You will notice that in ali such cases
they arc made OF cloth"
.--------So-.---
Beware of OlntmGnts for CRthrrh That
Contain Mercury,
~ mercury will surely destroy the
sense Of smell and completely dorange