The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-01-14
THE APES MUTINIED.
ON A VOYAGE FROM AFRICA THEN
CAPTURED THE SHIP.

Any-A Useful bunch Of Bananas.
IL have had some strange crews in
my experience. " said old Captain Ben
son. but the funniest kind of . ships
company that ever sailed with was
one Of big African apes, and it happen
ed in this way:
1T was during that period Of the
lifetime Of the great Snowman p. T.
Barnum, when he had his museum on
lower Broadway in New York city,
that my vessel was chartered by him to
go out to Africa and TO bring back a
cargo of wild animals that his agents
in that country had collected. We had
three big and two baby elephants in the
hold, also a rhinoceros and o giraffe,
while in wooden houses on deck we car
ried several zebras, q number Of ante.
lope and deer. also ten huge apes as
large AS men and looking in the face
exactly like the cartoons of the Elmer
aid Isle natives found in the humorous
papers. The apes were very intelligent
and were capable Of being taught many
amusing tricks.
ION our voyage home l had occasion
q number Of times to advise the officers
and men against teasing these creatures,
telling them that they we're known to
possess q good memory and were re-
vengeful and would surely make it a
point to get even with their tormentors
at the first opportunity, but a. the
heavy wooden bars divided them from
the hairy faces that cowled at their
funmaking they felt safe enough to
give no heed to my warnings. The
mates and sailors took good care, how
ever, to pass at u safe distance from the
cage in going about their work, for Oh
two or three occasions the alert oocu-
pants had been known TO suddenly
thrust forth a long muscular arm and
grip the unwary seaman i'll such a saw
age way as to elicit a howl of pain on
Jacks part. ! could go among them
without the slightest fear and several
times entered their cage for the purpose
Of caring for a sickly little baby ape
that had been born just after leaving
Africa. and for which the ocean voyage
subsequently proved too heroic, as il
died before we reached New York.
"One morning the crew were all
aloft IN the yards furling sail. for il
was blowing strong and the ship had
been Obliged to reduce her spread OF
canvas. had taken the wheel. and the
two mates were going from mast tc
mast helping the work along by haul
ing upon the gear as it was required,
The apes had been fed q short time be-
fore, and it must have been that I had
carelessly fastened the bar that secured
the cage door, for while l was looking
aloft i heard IA startled yell from my
two officers, and the next moment they
were climbing up the rigging like mon.
keys themselves, while the crowd Of
apes came leaping aft in pursuit Of
them.
Then the funniest scene that / evel
witnessed was presented. Six of tn,
apes took stations at the foot of thu
shrouds, SO that each mast was guarded
on both sides, and the other four mount
ed the shrouds with all the agility o.
sailors and sought to reach the men
The apes followed the men as they
mounted higher and higher to escape
then, when the latter could climb NJ
farther. they would grasp q stay tina
led to some place of temporary safety
and slide down it, sometimes goin(
from n spar to another in this way
For nearly an hour this impromptu ex
hibition continued, and during all thil
time the sentries on deck hoped abou'
in excitement, uttezing cultural yelps
which / have no do1bt were cries of Ell
enlargement and advice to their friend
aloft.
AT last the big monkeys gave up th,
chase and came down ON deck. wher,
they JOINED the others, and all sat OIL
their launches, gazing up at the crew
occasionally showing their rows u
wicked looking teeth, as much as Il
say: All right, my fine fellows. You
stay where you are il you know what
good for your health.
II had been thinking out q plan {,
recover possession of my ship, and now
put il in execution. Apes are very font
of bananas, and in my room l had
fine bunch that had been green wher
placed on board, but which had ripenet
perfectly since that time. 1t gave m,
something of q heart spasm to part with
them, but I considered that il tn,
scheme worked the sacrifice would mo-
be . great one. Sol lashed the wheel Il
keep the ship steady, then brought til,
fruit from below, carried it forward IL
full view Of the apes and placed it with
in their cage, standing beside the dool
and carelessly eating a banana that
had broken from the bunch.
The apes crowded inside and fell Il
work on those bananas AZ though il wa
an eating match, with = prize for tn,
one that consumed the greatest number
In a given time. l slammed the door Il
and fastened it upon my mutineers, ant
you may be assured that for the re
mainder Of that voyage the security Of
that gate was carefully looked after" -
Harper's Round Table.
\ Rsaeetloa.
THE deaf and dumb wonder il aw
fully i'll hammered today twittered tn