The Jennings daily record., 1902-05-27
APES AS LABORERS.
PLANTERS OF PERU COULD NOT DO
WITHOUT THEM
Intelligent and Industrious the Animals
Can DO More Work in q Given Time
Than Three Aen-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
tatfon 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 accredit the horse
dog and elephant with possessing more
intellect than all other dumb animals,
but l believe the Peruvian apes sur
pass all brutes. In the huge nut for
ests of my adopted country the apes
are of inestimable 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 ninl-
ble-fn gered apes.
My plantation near the Tcayali rir-
er contains 700 acres. of which an even
hundred is in nut trees. l have forty
apes to do the picking for me. Two ma
tive foremen have charge of the hairy.
Oo0Ieu HUI SdtfleTeTS. l nave nuSS
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 10 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 at 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 l so out with my violin
and play 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. l play tunes of all kinds. |
but never fail to close with something |
lively and spirited. l clap my hands. !
point to the trees and depart on my |
mule. The apes take the hint and the |
empty baskets, seek the unpickeG 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 panta
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
heir friends. Then we lock them up
FOR a day more.
The lesson produces an indelible
impression upon them. Tney learned
ong ago that all animals must be sub
,ervient to man. They evince rage at
he sight of wild monkey. They are
most valuable servants and enable the
planters TO make handsome incomes,
which would be impossible with solely
luman labor"