The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-30

nho South African colonists nave got
~ their lions and elephants, but they
~, .oro not vet been able to get the better OF
haboons A haboon, although somo-
w ~ like dog, has all the mischieVous-
W. VIZ Of man. He is the ugliest animal IN
Su creation The Beers caii MN Auonis
sd never designate him under the Official
name that has been given 10 MN ny SCI
ence. ..o a. tho cnrse NJ Cane
~" He commits depredations for the
.oiy the thing. Any imrNudent tom
oto 10. 10 ventures too far away from home
cav 49,, to be captured and strangled for
A. hv baboon. Nearly all the Angoras,
~ choicest and most costly animals Inn
'ne nv the colonists, have been de-
pared nv these huge monkeys. Even
,or,s share the same fate. The bravest
'n na most pugnacious of the English ca
IT, hreeds are unable to cope with adver-
n nan,os armed with just as powerful jaws,
ga With the immense advantage OF hav-
anu fonr hands instead of four paws.
msth a dexterity that conspicuously ex-
,,n,ts his surgical aptitudes, the baboon
,noads his enemy In the throat, and In
80 than n minute the duel ends In the
death of the dog.
when the shepherd Is away and the dog
hos been disposed of, the flock Is left with
nu4 defense. Although the baboon gener-
souv feeds upon lizards and beetles, he does
800 despise a few mouthfuls OF mutton,
which he deVours seated on the back OF
his living victim. Unfoi tunate are the
coats and sheep that are attacked by these
eynocephali When Adonis finds his appe-
t;te fully satisfied he enjoys at little
astance tho contortions of his victim. He
he m IT.
! temnts TO get into close quarters with
mil The ostrich, thanks to its extraor-
binary speed can easily get away from the
hahoon. but it is very much afraid of him
and Immediately runs off on hearing his
harry 1t Is noteworthy that nature has
Given to the baboon not only the head of
q dog but also the voice of n dog. All
birds that are not remarkable for their in
tellicence have an insurmountable dread
of the cynocephaus.
One of the principal amusements Of
these big monkeys is to gambol around
the wire fences that protect the tame os-
triches Just to terrify them. The panic
among them is so great that they often
break their legs in their wild rushes This
Is pastime which the monkeys seem to
enjoy hugely 1t Is known that broken
neg for an ostrich means death sentence
A baboon runs away from man, but
he has no fear of woman. After all
there is no good ground for the mortal
terror which Adonis inspires among some
of the negro women of South Africa. AS
n matter of fact the fear of the cynoceph-
ali is often merely pretext among the
Young Zulu and Basuto bellies to get the
: escorts of their choice to accompany them
TO the wells The baboon is a very bad
fo1I nd int
should not re slandered.
The Adonises travel in packs of about
80 or 60. They always keep out of gun
shot range and watch for chance tn do
mischief in the absence of shepherds or
guards. TO get rid OF the ugly maraudcrs
the colonists some time ago established
poisoning clubs, which were subsidized by
the British authorities. All the old poi
sons and the new discoveries of chemistry
were tried, but they proved worthless. A
hungry panther or jaokal might easily
enough swallow few grains of arsenic or
a strychnine pill placed in piece of raw
meat, but a baboon Is never deceived by
: 30 simple q method. He is delicate and
refined fellow, accustomed generally to
live upon eggs. fruits, lizards and differ
ent kinds of insects. He becomes carniv-
orous at rare intervals only, and appar'
emily, in some degree at lenst, for the
pleasure of torturing the unfortunate do
mestic animals that may fall into his
clutches His infallible instinct teaches
him to distrust men, even when they are
y. offering presents. With marvellous scent
that might we'll do honor to professional
expert he detects the presence of mineral
or vegetable poison in the quarter of NUT
ton that no finds 10y chance as ho travels
NDrpnNpr no ig fhOrnnUhlV
Pf the fact that wise apes in permanent
contact with barbarians from Europe
hould never swallow pills.
These animals are possessed of almost
human intelligence. 1t Is impossible e
yet near them in the daytime, and at night
turing their hours of repose they are al
Ways surrounded 10y Gordon of sentineis
whose vigilance is absolute. Al the slight
Pst indication OF the approach Of an enemy
ne Of the sentincls yells out "Yah hou'
ali hou!' And in an instant the whole
Troop disappears. 1t is unfortunate that
n his dictionary of tho language of mon
Keys, Mr.. Garner does not give us the OK
pct derivation of "Yah hour
1t Is also noteworthy that the baboon;
pever attempt to fly II the man who comes
trouble their repose is not armed with q
un Although they exhibit extraordinary
over Of measuring by instinct the aver
ge range Of rifle and cautiously keel
ut of the way, they exhibit no fear what
YER of cold steel. II they find themselves
onfronted by "a settler with no means Of
efense except hunters knife, they send
shower Of stones at him, and the lord Of
reation is obliged to retreat before bat
plion of cynocepbali that hurl projectie'
him while keeping at distance, DO
ause man, even when be is beaten, new
entirely loses his prestige among the
aboons. Paris Figaro.