Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-01
FACTSAST0 MONKEYS
ryEMnELLIsHED simIAN HISTORY
AND ANEcpoTE.
The Rcsensbiances of This Anthro-
mold 90 Man Are Anatomical, Not
Observation-Disclosures In num-
Eaten in south America.
Chicago Daily Tribune)

rIbbon before the Darwnian theory way
conceived. while the word monkey was
derived either from ''manikn' or no
munculus." both of which mean "a funny
little man" Men find pleasure In OBJ
serving pleasure in observing specimens
Of this great family sbecause In them
they see grotesque counterfeits OF them-
selves and because. whether at play
,uarrelling. or IN repose, monkeys are
always funny. OF all things. men IKE
best 10 be amused.
Ire monkey suggests mana dwarieu'
Ieazened. old man, for all monkeys seem
old. even the nursing babes IN theH
mothers arms. Some men are carlca-
tures of their kind. Certain Africans anu
a European type OF man display remark
able facial resemblance to monkeys espe-
elauy 10 the old World macaques' ana
many OF the South American FANNY. -
cbacnna once on exhibition in a chicago
museum had such a humanlke couIte-
nance that he constantly suggested 70
.ssI,ors the face OF some unhandsome
human acquaintance. Many tribes Oh
neonIe in India, equatorial AFRICA poI
neo. and Java believe the chatteilns,
rrinniug animals 10 be real men, WIZ
saye Voluntarily. or through compulslon'
90, themselves apart from their reIdNNeS
who have the power OF speech
Naturalists give the monkey fepuld.
ton n does not deserve by insisting thal
the playfuness and humor OF youth are
Invariably succeeded by Wcloushess IA ~,
son This conclusion has been reached
10 In,
nerate and colder climates consumption
iuicl,ly scizes this child OF tropic birtn'
In prison il is irritable, because II Is
sick and dying. In IFS native nome IL
becomes sedats, serious, and dighineu
Nth advancing years. but affords no more
audience OF uglness Of temper than ooes
the lord Of creation In his native cohdl-
ton. Equally slanderous are the stories
rat have been so freely circulated con
,erning the corrupt morals OF the rnohAey .
NE vices suggested. while they exist nav
ing been taught II by human pIeceI,' .
srd not acquired by its own natural ae-
gravity. 800,
Old Hanno. the Carthagenian. started
cock-and-hul story to the enect That
certain monkeys chased after his free
bootipr followers and pelted them with
sticks ard stones. which Invention mas
come down through the ages, with
r,odidcations 70 suit the credulity OF the
s,,,cee-iye generations. Now, as a fact
r,an alone has recourse 10 other means
Ct Offence and defence than those auoIueu
bv nature. Like most fables which ira
yeIlors in all AGES have had a fondness
for palming off for veracious happenings
there Is a suggestion-of a foundation for
the fiction. Balloons, which usually live
IN hUly countries when frightened
scampcr on uphill at terrific
s9c,d. end in so doing dislodge loose
zones. 81 hich may roll down upon their
rur-ue-s So other monkeys, which are
an arboreal in their habits, viii leap from
branch 10 branch I'm their effort 10 escape
from their arch enemy. man, and IN 80
doing viii cause dead branches 10 iall
upon the heads Of the hunters below
But they do not throw stones or sticks.
Nor do monkeys throw cocoanNts at any
body. They are universally greeC-
sci OF rascals. and uniformly hold fast
10 an nuts and fruits upOn which they
can lay their hands.
THEIR ONLY RESEMBLANCE TO
MANKIND.
Another faTacy concerning the animal
e. that relating 20 its intelligence. How
ever closely il may resemble man ana
tcuicaly 81 is Infinitely removed from
him iu Intellect The dog and the horse
are much highc- in the scale OF know
lcdee. wisdom. and understanding. Natu-
ralisfs as.ribe this fact 10 the long do
r,esticaticn Of the canine and equine, both
NJ which have been mans intimate since
the latter has had place upon earth.
But does this afford explanation? II so,
what OF the COW and the sheep and inc
scat. creatures remarkably low In intelli-
gsnce. that have also been the companions
Of man from time immemorial:
The plain truth about the monkey ~
that II is playful, initiative to some eA-
tent. maybe affectionate-some species are
remarkably so-is intensely selfish, and a
thief from its birth. No man has yet
been able 10 convey 10 a monkey any ap-
nrociable idea OF the ownership Of pro-
pertv. The hest-trained animal affects TO
regard everything in sight as its own. II
II covets the article. This Is usually does
whether the article can be Of any SER
vice 10 II or not.
Monkeys are worshipped in India and
eaten in South America. They are OF all
sizes. from the gorilla, which may be
larger than a man, TO the callthrlx OF
South America, which is no larger than
a souirrel. No Old.World monkey has a
preheusile TAIL and no New World mon
kew has cheek pouches. lot all South
American monkeys have prehensile tails
but all have a tail Of some kind, which Is
altogether wanting in the higher apes,
and nearly 80 IN certain lower species OF
the Old-World group. Some have most
beautiful and varied colorings ana mark
lngs. as the guenons, the callthrlx' anu
the marmosets; others have great boards
o. heavy name. and one species has a
nrodigiously long nose-the proboscis mon
kew. Those that have no cheek pouches
are provided with an extra stomach lot
the storage of food. No monkey ever hau
sufficient intelligence TO build a nest or
shelter for itself Du Chaiuu and some
other travellers 10 the contrary notwith-
standing. -.....,
An the great group, numbering several
hundred varieties. live In trees. with the
exception Of the baboon. All OF them arr
decidedly mischievOus, and TO the Iast
one Is as afraid OF a snake as Digger
indian of a hath. lnnumerable anecdotes
might be told OF the tricks and diRbolism
of these manikins OF the forest.
APES VICES AND VIRTUES.
Baboons affect human vices with man
like suggestiveness. Any one or ms
family viii learn 10 chew tobacco, or eat
IL rather. within a week Of captivity
while many instances are on record WheIe
they became drunk a. lord or = JACK
tar on shore leave. they are SNAPPED IKE
a dog. have canine heads, ana run pre-
cisely like that creature. except that they
seldom bound or Jump. Despite their
fierce appearance, they are amlaule
enough. and only fight in self-defence.
To this class belong the hamadryas' gela-
da. mandrill, etc. and they are probably
the biggest thieves in the world. In their
native country they are the terror OF
fruit growers, whose orchards they ap,
proach by stealth in large. wel-organized
bands and make havoc, Wantonly de-
stroying what they do not eat or carry
away. An old Italian organ-grinder in
New York owned common baDooh,
which he had trained 10 steal its own
provisions. Its favored method was 10
ieign death, In order TO distract the mo-
tice OF vendors OF fruit. and when II had
succeeded covertly approach the stand,
where ~ would seize and quickly oisap-
pear with a cheek-pouch fun OF dates, It's
favored food The amusement i occa-
stoned usually saved 1t from the punish
ment Il deserved. This scamp, however
came TO woful grief at last one day.
when making off on Baxter street with
q loaded pouch Of dates, little terrier
fruit-seller the offender, II turned quickly
about and sprang furiously upon the
man, who, being an Italian. carried a
stiletto. which he buried 10 the hilt IN
the poor brute before its owner could
The monkeys about which Rudyard Kip
ling writes so charmingly, and yet with
such Indifference 10 fact, are the sacred
animals. or the semnopitheci. as the
naturalists persist in calling them. They
are all Asiauc. and. the Hindoos pro-
tecting them, In many sections abound
10 the constant menace OF fields OF rice
end other grain. one OF this genus the
douc, native OF the woods OF Cochin
China. was owned by a gentleman in
New Jersey. who priced II highly be-
cause OF its gentleness as wen as It's
great beauty; II had long, glossy, white
oTange-cOlDred face, aud Joining the blacl