Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-08-20


q, their intelligence
and all their latent
possibilities. He thinks that man
| himself can learn a great deal by TAX
ing this step, apart from the benefit
| which the dumb pupils might derive.
He suggests that attached to the insti-
tuition there shall be a theater or track
each other and exhibit their accom-
plishments to the public.
The first work in this university.
the inventor urges, should be done
| with monkeys. A troop of intelligent
simians should be secured and enrolled
and then placed in the hands of COM
petent instructors. One of the first
points to be determined is whether the
monkey is smarter than the dog. 1t
Is argued that the dog has acquired
much of his intelligence by living for
generation after generation in The So
ciety of man, and that his intellect is
overestimated. The monkey has not
had this advantage, and. of course, is
handicapped. 1t is very difficult to
keep monkeys in captivity in north
ern climate, and they rarely breed in
cages so that the question of improv-
irg the strain and giving the monkey
fair chance to grow up with the
country is quite complicated.
The scientist puts forth the conten
ton that the monkey is much more
amiable creature than people think
and that 1t is not from malice or a
spirit of mockery that he seems to imi
tate the movements of man, but simply
that being built on the same principle
as man he naturally conducts himself
in similar manner
In training monkeys 1t is important
to select the right sort, there being as
much difference in the mental and
moral makeup of monkeys as there is
between those of the wild man of
Borneo and Chauncey Depew. The
very big monkeys show the most sense
and almost anything can be done with
them in the educational line, but the
trouble is that as soon as they grow
up they become fierce and dangerous,
only the young ones conserving to
work The baboon and the mandril
make promising pupils, however, and
should be accepted in the university.
Theoretically there is no difference
in the training of monkeys and dogs,
but practically there is Il great deal on
account Of the savageness of the for
mer. But the monkey has more
nhn fhn tn ho
gymnastics because he has four hands
and besides has a natural fondness for
calisthenics
Monkeys pretend to be very much
bored when being drilled Their only
idea seems to be to dodge their task.
They know perfectly we'll what you
want them to do. but they sneak out of
it If possible. They never accept with
good grace the role of public enter
tainers. They are very active in put
ting into practice whatever mental i'm
pressions they receive and not salts
fed with merely doing as they were
taught they make new combinations
and experiments Of their own.
1t is just this listless genius which
makes 1t hard to train them. In many
respects the monkey has the artistic,
non-plodding temperament. He is al
ways trying to get away and always
has to be put through his PAGES or he
will avoid the issue. 1t is very diff
cult to make him perform unless you
have string or chain tied to him. In
his love for loafing he excels even the
spring poet.
You can get a monkeys mental
measure much more quickly than that
of a dog. He is natural-born aero
bat when he wants to be- Sometimes
a bride in the way of date or a fig
will make him work. He is much
more susceptible of bribery than a dog.
Some monkeys walk upright without
much persuasion, but others have to
be tapped on the feet before they will
do so. They easily learn to pick
things up or to walk the tight-rope.
When they do gymnastics the instruc-
tor claps his hands when he wishes
them to change positions and they
soon learn his system of signals.