Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1902-05-14
APES AS LABoRERs.
PLANTERS OF PERU GOULD NOT DO
WITHOUT THEM.
Intelligent and Industrious the Animals
Can DO More Work In Given Time
Than IN ee Men-MethOds of Discip-
line Employed.

Perhaps the most interesting crea-
lures in Peru are the apes" said
Dwight Darlington to a Denver Post
reporter in the office of Philip Hitch
cock of the Wabash railway yesterday.
Mr.. Darlington has an extensive plan
t-tion in eastern Peru. He is travelling
for pleasure across the continent.
For centuries past these remark
able animals have been performing
work which is usually supposed to re-
quire human intelligence" continued
he. "Naturalists accredt the horse,
dog and elephant with possessing more
intellect than all other dumb animals,
but | believe the Peruvian apes sur
pass all brutes. In the huge nut for
ests Of my adopted country the apes
are of inestimablc value. With amaz-
ing CELEBRITY they pick the rich nuts
from the dark trees saving much time
and expense. Men cannot do the work
in thrice the time required by the MIN
ble-fingered apes.
My plantation near the Ucayali riv-
er contains 700 acres, of which an even
hundred is in nut trees. | have forty
apes to do the picking for me. Two ma
tive foremen have charge of the hairy,
bodied nut gatherers. / have a huge
comfortable cage for the apes, large
enough to accommodate 100 of them.
Into this they march every night.
Each morning early, when the paro-
quets and scarlet finches begin to
scream the foremen open the doors of
the cage and out troop the apes, chat
tering merrily.
They are permitted to eat and
drink for ten minutes and then led off
to the grove selected for the day. Four
apes are sent up each tree and every
Quartette has a big basket al the bot
tom.
While the foremen sing and play
upon their mouth organs, strolling
from tree to tree, and noting progress,
the apes pluck the nuts with great
rapidity. After several hours the don
key wagons appear with more baskets
and remove those already loaded with
nuts to the big bins in the storehouse.
There is then brief cessation of
work
Sometimes I go out with my violin
and play a bit. Our apes are excep-
tionally fond of music, as suppose
all apes are. On my approach they
chatter eagerly and group themselves
around me. play tunes of all kinds,
but never fail to close with something
lively and spirited, / clap my hands
point to the trees and depart on my
mule. The apes take the hint and the
empty baskets seek the unpicked trees
and begin picking with renewed vigor
I'VE always treat them kindly. Pun
ishment for mischievous conduct is
severe, but rarely necessary. Some
times the wild apes attack the planta-
ton in bands and do much harm. The
dogs give warning day or night and
we shoot the intruders mercilessly.
After they have been repulsed and
some killed we take our apes to the
spot in solemn procession. We show
them the dead and bloody bodies of
their friends. Then we lock them up
for day more.
1.-THE lesson produces an indelible
impression upon them. They learned
long ago that all animals must be sub
servient to man. They evince rage at
the sight of wild monkey, They are
most valuable servants and enable the
planters to make handsome incomes,
which would be impossible with solely
human labor"