The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-02
MONKEYS AS COTTON PICKERS.


| ~ y Ni.-CI ! Il LA I'M ~ n hlS-
sISSlPW COTTON PLANTER.
Two years ago, at the Nlcksburg
fair, IL the fall of 1896, as Prof. S. NJ =.
Tracy and Mr., W. W. Manguul were
watching some trained monkeys per-
form their various tricks, Professor
Tracey said TO Mr. Mangum:
"As sure as YOU are alive, Mangum,
those N, nEeys can be taught 70 pick
cotton better and more cheaply than
our negroes do, and perpetual fame
will be the part Of the man who first
tries the experiment."
AT first Mr.. Mangum was inclined to
laugh at the idea, but the more lie
thought Ovel the matter, and the more
he watched the monkeys at their va
rious tricks, the more he became uon-
WINGED that there was something in it,
and the next day as he left the profes-
sor at the Carroll House, he said:
"Well, professor, have been think
ing over your suggestion Of teaching
monkeys to pick cotton, and I am de-
termincd try the thing and SEQ if it
will work. They have been taught to
do much more difficult things than
that, and am almost sure they can
be taught 10 pick cotton. We cam.
rely on the niggers much longer, and
next fall l am going to buy dozen
monkeys and see what can be done"
The next fall, that is in September
Of 1897, Mr.. Manguln hunted up the
owner and trainer of ten trained
monkeys in New York City, and made
arrangements both to buy the monkeys
and TO get the services of their trainer
who understood the business, and as
surcd Mr.. Mangum that it would De
The simplest thing imaginable to teach
the monkeys 10 pick cotton.
These welc placed upon one OF Mr..
Mangum's Mississippi plantations
about the middle Of September of that
year, and the training began. The
monkeys belonged to the race known
10 scientists as Sphaqtals Vulgaris,
and the males weigh about 10 pounds
and the females about 90 pounds each.
Bags were made for each monkey,
which would hold about twenty-five
pounds Of seed cotton, and bag
placed over tho shoulder of each.
1t is surprising how rapidly the trainer
taught the monkeys to pick the cotton.
Baskets to hold the cotton wero placed
at the end OF the rows, and one man
over and above the trainer, was neces
sary to take the cotton out Of the sacks
and put it in the baskets. The females
proved much better pickers than the
males, for they not only picked cleaner
cotton, but they would also pick MOI
of it IN day. In less than a month
after the monkeys were started at the
work they could pick on an average Of
$50 pounds day. They picked in
weather in which negroes would not
pick, and picked cleaner cotton. The
cost of picking was much less, and ir
every way they mado much better
pickcrs than The average negro.
This first experiment, although on 6
small scale, proved to Mr.. Mangun
that monkeys could be used with grea
success as cotton plckers, 80 In JUNE
OF 1893 he made an order for 30(
monkeys of the samo breed, ON an OK
po'ler OF monkeys from Africa, will
inc understanding that most of then
r were TO be females. About the fret O
september Of this year the new batcl
oi monkeys arrived, and the service
OF the ola trainer were engaged to trail
Q But this vas not such an easy mat
/ Ter as was at. first thought, for ma n
n OF the new monkeys were still wild
0 But the trainer thoroughly understood
his business, having served for O Ion
b time under Barnum as trainer OF mon