The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-18
MONKEYS TALKED BACKWARD.
Humorous Scientists Reversed the
Cylinders on Prof. Garner.
-MashIngton 90


me gentlemen OF science of the Smith
sonian institute appreciate a good Joke
and relish a dr0n situation with as much
guSte as they do all the other good THINGS
enough, they see and make the most OF
the humorous and amusing aspect OF
science and its Weighty problems much
quicker than the lay fraternity. For ex-
ample. Professor Otis T. Mason tells the
following at the expense of Professor
Garner. whose study of the higher apes
and efforts to discover a language or
system OF thought expression in the
SOUNDS uttered BY simians in general,
nave attracted worldwide attention:
9 q .
Professor Garner spent considera bic
time In study here in the Smithsonian"
Sald Dr. Mason, prior to the time he be
came generally known and before he Ierr
on his first expedition to the central Az
rlcan region, there TO observe the habits
OF the larger apes from the interior of n
cage made with special reference to the
OBJECT OF his journey. He was engaged
while here in making a study of the
SOUNDS uttered by a cagefuI Of monkeys
which had been provided and placed at
his disposal in the taXidermist's quarters
IN the small frame building in the rear of
me institution Here Dr. Garner studied
the slmlanS without care or ANNOYANCE
month In and mouth out, using a large
monograph for recording whatever re-
marks his slmian rOOmmates had to Of
fer
In all that he did. Professor Garner
remained quiet and inCOnsDicuOuS. for he
was not then ready TO announce the re-
suits of his investigations. 1t happened
however, that the work of this savant
proved TOO much for the curiosity 0f tho
younger scientists Of this institution. and
when they discovered that he was endeav-
oring 10 shed light on pithecan philOlogv.
there was a general explosion of laughter
an along the line over what was at that
time an unneard-of proposition.
Inc boys. / an inclined TO think rath-
er looked upon Garner as a crank. and it
vas not very long after they found ont
what ne was doing before they were Law
ing plans to work of a practical Joke at
his expense. In this they finally sue
One afternoon the monkeys at Car
ner' : disposal were unusually fOQuaciouS
nlling one Of his cylinders. which before
leaving that evening, he arranged in the
monograph ready for a heightened and
prolonged repetition the next morning
But the doctors plans went awry After
ne left, the boys got into his shop and
reversed the cylinder, so that when Car
ner arrived next morning and set the pho-
HOsrapn IN operation, volume Of sound
poured forth that scared the MONKEYS and
cost the professor several hours Of acute
mental agony and bewilderment before he
finally discovered that the cylinder had
Deen reversed and that the conversation
had been running backward.
Another amusing thing happened after.
Professor Garner became known To The
world, and that was when an enterDrisi1e-
snowman came here, evidently looking for
nm. The Snowman was heard to remark
that II ne could get the doctor to travel
through the country in the midst OF a
cage Of monkeys and talk monkey
talk, he could make more money than
II ne mad Buffalo Bills show"