The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-03-04
MONKEYS IN GANGS.
IN BENGAL THEY ARE AN UN-
MITIGATED NUISANCE.
Lather and Then Shave, Them-After
This Amusing Operation the Big
Gotha's Wives Cut Him Dead and the
Pack Is Broken Up.

Monkeys are an unmitigated nui-
sance, especially in the country have
often come across in the jungles adj
joining the villages of northern Ben
gal whole troops of them, whose de-
predations in the fields and orchards
were the despair of the unfortunate
villagers, says the Strand Magazine.
These troops always consist of one
huge male and about 100 females. The
fact is, when little monkey is born
in the pack it is suffered to live if a
female but instantly killed by the
father If it happens to be a male. The
mother, however, sometimes manages
to hide the little one until he is able
to get about and then sends him away
before the big male catches sight of
him. In this way it often happens that
Individual males are to be found living
by themselves in single blessedness.
Now, getting tired of solitude after a
time, and perhaps believing in union
as a source of strength, these bachelors
often join together and form pack OF
their own-as sort of club. j.. - 4 :
Then the fun begins. They want
wives-very naturally. But how are
they to get them? All the female mon.
keys of the country belong to the
harem of some big brute or other.
Clearly, the only solution Is to attack
such a harem, kill the gotha {the afore-
said big brute) and then divide the
spoils. So an ultimatum Is sent and
rejected. War is declared. The bat
tie is fierce one, and often lasts sew,
eral days. The party attacked always
tries to retreat, and often traverses sew:
eral jungles, fields and even villages.
But the pursuit is hot and vigorous,
and at last stand has to be made
sometimes in a village green or even
an orchard of some country mansion.
In the actual fight the females general
ly remain faithful to their lord and,
amaster and help him fercely against
his numerous assailants. But the re-
suit is foregone conclusion, and the
several widows, after a very short pc
riod of mourning usually manifested
ny d SuUW Ol SOASO1C0
by the victorious males. ~ ~ ~. j.
Now, these battles cause sad havoc to
the fields and orchards of the country
and often prove positive danger to
the people; for, though monkeys sell
dom attack men, woe to the luckless
one who ventures to come near them
in their deadly struggle. Moreover,
when pressed by hunger these packs
are not to be trifled with. You may
not mind even the damage done to
your orchard by hundreds of monkeys
gobbling up everything they can lay
their hands on; but it is quite diff
ferent matter when you have to shut
your doors and windows and stay in
for days at a time because of the army
outside
Consequently the object of the ma
tives is to break up these packs by
capturing their leaders. Killing is
against the dictates of conscience, but
capture is not, especially as the monkey
is liberated in a short time, as will ap-
pear presently. So when pack is
about the natives employ the follow
ing method: Close to an orchard a
bit of level space is selected and hole
dug in it about two feet deep and six
inches Or eight inches in diameter. A
moose is made at one end of a long,
stout cord and placed over the mouth
of the hole. The cord is then passed
through a pulley OF ring attached to a
o3nSo IN tho nd
end held some distance away by con-
cealed person: The moose and about
ten feet or fifteen feet of the cord are
covered over with sand Then a nice
tempting banana is PLACED in the hole
and number of rotten ones-covered,
however, with fresh skins-are strewn
all over the ground near the hole.
When the pack comes the females
are too shy to venture out into the open
space near the house. But the big
gotha is brave fellow He sees the
bananas on the ground, leaps down.
takes up one-throws it away in dis
gust. Then another-with the same
result. Suddenly he notices the nice,
tempting one in the hole and plunges
his arm in-immediately the cord is
pulled, the moose fastened on the arm
close to the shoulder and the monkey
dragged willynilly to the tree where
the pulley or ring, is attached. Then
the hiding shikari comes forth. and.
circling round and round the tree with
the cord held tight in his hand, binds
the unfortunate monkey safe and fast
all but the head. The pulley or ring
is introduced not merely to bind the
monkey to the tree, but also because it
would be highly dangerous to drag
the infuriated brute right up to a per
son. s. ss-s.s
The monkey, however, Is not killed.
Instead, they lather his head and face
no special care being taken in select
ing the finest soap or the purest water
The operation is an interesting one ana
a source Of great Amusement the
Dystanders. The monkey, however,
Hodges his head about, only to get