The National tribune., 1898-12-08
Fl WONDERFUL SlMIAH.
Naval Officers Yarn About Admiral Schley's
Oran= Ou1ang.
JrdSjfllqt0u SIR


did you ever hear ADMIRAL Schley's end
| less chain story about that orang -outang
he picked up in the East Indies, when he
was the Executive Officer Of the Benecia in
| 1868? asked a naval officer of his party in
the club corner the other night. Because
If you haven't you ought to. The Commo-
dore started to tell me that story one night
about 10 years ago in the smoking com
paTtment of sleeping car going over To-
New York, and he hasn't entirely finished
it yet Every time | meet him, and we
have time for talk over a smoke he
tells me an installment Of that orang
outang yarn. Many times | have asked
him fatty what finally became OF the
oranG -outang, but he curls up when |
ask him that question, and stalls me OFF
by telling me some further instances of
the prowesS and mischievous deviltTy of
the simian.
Anyhow, when Schley was First Lieu
tenant Of the Benecia. and that good old
tub was cruising through the Straits OF
SunGa, 30 years ago, a native bum boat-
man brought the Orang -Outang aboard.
The orang -outang was natura-born
sailor, and he made himself SO at home
with the rigging and running-gea of the
Benecia on his first visit aboard that ne
caught Schley'S eye-and SchieyS eye
when he was 80 years younger wasn't
bit less discerning than it is now. Schley
asked the umboat-man to name his fig
ure for the orang -outang. The bumboat-
man thought doliard be about right.
and when the Benecia picked up her an
Choir to resume her cruise the orang
outang remained on board, and became,
to all intents and purposes, member of
the crew.
"Schley turned the new member of the
ships company over to the old chief
bO'S n $ mate, to whom the brute took an
immediate fancy. Schley says that Pork
chops was more than human The
orang- outang hadn't been aboard the Be
necia two days before his keeper, the
chief hos 'n IS mate, rugged up regular
bluelaciiet's hammock for the thing, and
Porl<chops slept in it. Porkchops learnt
his hammock number, Schley says, with
in a week, and when the call to get ham
mocks out Of the netting went forth in
the evening Porkchops would pick his
own out Of the bunch unerringly every
time, carry it below to the berth-deck,
where he slung and rugged the hammock
to- the correct billet every time without
fail unlashing ii and getting it ready for
occupancy himself. At all hands in the
morning, Schley says, the orang-outang
nd lash up his hammock and have it in
the MEETINGS before the rest of the blue
jackets counting Porkchops as a blue
Jacket would be through rubbing their
eyes.
Then, Schley says, Porkchops got to be
cruising. He mastered the running gear
in no time, and-of course. the Benecia
was one OF the old-tinle wind TANNERS
when there was heavy weather his serv-
ices in going aloft and shortening sail
were says Schiey worth those of any five
men of the ships company.
And then-Schley says-Porkch chops got
to be confirmed tobacco fend. The old
DO 5 IS mate filed pipe One,day, lighted
it for the orang outang, handed it to the
thing quickly, and then galoped for the |
topgallant fo'c'Sle, fearing that when the |
anthropOid took Whit from the pipe and |
found out what he was up against, he'd |
try To tear the ship apart. But, instead OF
that, PorllchopS Just pulled away at the |
pipe-Schley says-ike a royal marine, |
and seemed to get all kinds Of enjoyment |
cut OF the tobacco; and what's more, Pork |
chops when he wanted to expect0rate, |
would use the sptIeits for the purpose. |
After that Porkchopa was pulling away at |
a pipe all the time, and Schiey had to in |
ciu1e in his monthly expense account |
couple OF pounds OF navy plug for the |
ang-outang'S consumption.
"Porltchops got into the office of the Pay
master one afternoon when the ship was |
in port and the Paymaster was ashore, /
and what Porkchops didn't do to the quar-
terry reports and the clean books, and the |
carefully -made accounts, by the lib |
eral use OF ink. isn't worth mentioning, |
says Schley. The Paymaster was mad |
when he got back and the Admiral of the |
feet to which the Benecia was attached |
heard Of the miSchievou5 orang Outang |
and ordered that all of the ships OF the |
feet should be cleared OF animals, which |
made Schey unhappy. Schey lodged |
the issue by declining TO regard POrkchops |
as an animal, and the orang-0utang was |
suffered To continue as a member OF the |
Benecia's crew. Porkehops may be alive |
and smoking a pipe yet, for ali | know TO
the contrary. Schley seems determined |
not TO tell me what became OF him.