The record-union., 1894-03-26
THE MONKEY MAN.
Professor Garner Returns From
His Trip to Africa.
CLAIMS THAT HIS JOURNEY WAS
AN ABSOLUTE SUCCESS
Freezing Weather in Missouri and
Michigan, Causing Great Conster-
nation Among Fruit and Vegetable
Growers-A Cold Snap also Prevail
ing in Illinois, Iowa, Texas and
Minnesota.
Special to the REcoRp-Ux1ox.

l.. Garner, whose efforts to learn the
language he avows belongs to the gorilla
and chimpanZee, and which has earned
for him the pseudonym of the Monkey
Man, returned from his Investigations
in Africa on the Etruria to-day. The
Professor said tonight that his journey
had been an absolute success.
81 left here" said he, sin July, 1892.
After considerable difficulty in securing
funds and making preparations for the
journey, [ got away from Liverpool in
the following December. I went through
the lake regions enough to get informa-
ton about the animals, inhabitants and
condition of the country for my purpose.
After this journey I returned to Lake
Foranvez, through which l had already
passed. There L found suitable place to
erect my cage. / located one mile from
the lake in dense jungle, for the gorilla
will not live in an open country. 1t was
on the south side of the lake, about two
degrees south of the equator. I do not
know the longitude, but it was about one
days journey to the seacoast in direct
line. had been advised by the natives
that it was the best situation in South
western Africa to find gorillas. In this
locality many had been captured by
white hunters.
Il slung my cage, with the assistance of
three natives. The cage consisted of a
network of steel rods tive-sixteenths of
an inch thick. [ brought it with me in
eight sections, each six feet six inches
long. These sections weighed forty-tive
pounds in all. | anchored it with three
heavy chains passed over the roof. As a
precaution network Of steel wire was
thrown around the rods as guard. The
roof was made of bamboo, and l had with
me canvas tarpaulin in case of rain. My
effects consisted of household utensils,
two revolvers, one magazine rifle, one
airgun and hollow arrows filled with
prussic acid, which | discharged with
blow-guns. The best safeguard I had
was device of my own invention. 1t
was bag like large canteen, filled with
concentrated ammonia, to which was at
tached hose thirty inches long with a
nozzle through which | could force the
ammonia which would suffocate gorilla
ten feet away.
1.-The cage stood on a foundation three
or four feet from the ground. / had no
phonograph, as the one ordered from
Edison on May g. 1893, never reached me-
| had the invoice, and was very much
disappointed at not receiving it, as it
would have aided me very materially in
my experiments. Unfortunately, my
Photographic apparatus failed to work
also.
81 went into the cage alone on April
%. 1898, and remained in it until August
9th, but of course [ came out for short in
tervals. For my young chimpanzee,
Moses, which | had with me, | built hut
outside of the cage. We dined together,
and on these occasions Moses was not
confined, but went in and out at will. On
some occasions ne behaved very badly,
for the etiquette of the race is not always
perfect | think | can safely say more
than any other man living. My position
was such that gorillas would come very
close, and [ could sit calmly and study
every detail OF movement and expression.
| never had occasion to use my gun but
once. Then | cooked it and aimed at
gorilla to rescue my pet dog, but before
tired the gorilla became frightened and
ran away. L have seen only two or three
gorillas while outside of the cage.
"Many things which have heard be-
fore and since my researches, in maga-
zines and natural history about the gorilla,
are fiction. / have learned not more than
six or eight words of the chimpanzee
language. These [ cannot give you, for
they are not amenable to any known
etymology or othography;; | cannot pro-
nounce them. Ii | could | would will
ingly give them to you. think there are
about forty or fifty words or utterances
in their language. The gorilla certainly
has marital relations, but no ceremony.
l learned from their lives that they are
polygamous, however. [ am satisfied
they keep the same mate as a wife for
many years. l have seen groups of three
or four in which are always one male
only. 1t is very clear to me that they
have patriarchal form of government.
Il was assured by a man whom believe
to be truthful tnat he had seen gorilla
sitting on the ground eating plantains.
They were brought by other male gorillas
to his supposed majesty after being gath
cred by females. The only thing which
inclines me to doubt the story is the fact
that the gorilla rarely eats the plantain
ITSELF but lives on the leaves of the plan
tain tree, which he tears to pieces. The
gorillas are at full maturity when they
reach the age of or 10 years. They do
not build houses, and are not carniverous,
but omniverous. Their vocal organs are
almost exactly like those of men. They
are not nearly so vicious as described.
When they would approac hmy cage they
would take one peep and turn away
wholly unconcerned. The natives told
me if l blackened my face they might
attack me. | had nine attacks of fever.
The natives, like myself. are firmly con-
vinced the gorilla and chimpanzee tribes
have language.
81 brought back to London with me two
chimpanzees. They died soon after their
debut into civilization. I preserved their
skins and skulls. l also brought the
vocal organs of four chimpanzees and
three gorillas and the brain of one gorilla
The brain of the chimpanzee which died
in London was sent to Oxford at the re-
quest OF the university, where it will be
examined and an official report rendered
on tie subject.