The free press. (Southern Pines, N.C.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-03
lSIT MAN OR MONKEY.
The Gibbcn IS Like Human Being
in Many of Its Habits.

monkey? Professor Earnest Hack
Of one Of the most eminent of German
scientists, has been in Java, living II
close companionship with this strange
being that may help to give us somt
information about DarWin's missing
link. The Professor has just pub
lished in Germany report on his OBJ
servations.
The gibbon, as Professor Haeckel
Javan friend is called, is to be touno
only in the East Indies and the warm
er parts of southwestern Asia, and al
though considerably smaller than the
orang-outang and baboon, is much
more like a human being than either.
It's head, which is small, is shaped
more like a mans than those OF the
other two animals. and its lace IS
more intelligent. The professor says
that it's expression reminded him
forcibly of that of ne manager OF an
insolvent bank bordering with Wrlnk-
led brow, over the crash. Its waist IS
slender, and when standing its height
is about that Of a siX-year-Old child.
The Gibbon never goes on all tours,
but walks erect like a man, and when
he gets tired throws himself at full
length in the sun. with his head on
one arm, exactly as man or BOY
would do. The professor had gibbon
at his house at Biutenzurg for months
and during that time made a careful
study Of it. He found it made several
different sounds to express its various
feelings, the one most often used
sounding like "Oa Or" for which rea-
con Tie natives Of Java call 1t the
"Or.' When leased it sQuealed
"Huite, huite,' and had even Shirt
ler cry which it gave when frightened.
The noises it made were not much dlf-
ferent in sound, but the creature mod
dated and so altered them in tone.
strength and number of repetitlons
that it was quite evident they made
up for him a complete vocabulary. He
made a lot of gestures as he delivered
his views, and his grimaces and the
funny little movements he made with
lis hands gave pretty good idea OF
how he fsit about things.
Oddly enough, the gibbon is desper-
ptely afraid OF white men, although ne
does not fear the native Malays at all.
They for their part, do not regard him
as mere animal. but think him a
man under some sort of spell-possibly
as punishment for some crlmeS-or
in the course of metamOrphoslS. tie
certainly eats and drinks like person
although fond of milk and cocoa he is
no teetotaler and does not conceal his
fondness for the sweet wine OF the
country. When drinking, he holds the
cup in both hands, and throws his
head back as if he enjoyed it. lie is
fond of oranges and bananas, too, ana
no man could be more deft than he In
peeling the latter, after which lie
bites off mouthfuls and munches them
in the most approved human fashion.
In the East Indies, besides the glib
bon there are orang-outangs, chin
panZees, and gorillas, too, and Ii these
ancestors of ours are not as manllke in
appearance as the gibbon, some OF
their habits are even more human
than his. They will nurse members
of their families when they are SICK,
do their best to comfort them, and la
ment bitterly if they succumb. Some
tribes of monkeys carry of and bury
the bodies of wounded chums; with
others, the correction of the youthful
monkeys is carried on in the good Cd
the maternal age grasping
her young hopeful by the tail as she
punishment Still others,
II attacked will roll powders down on
their pursuers, to say nothing of hurl-
ing at them anything and everything
within reach.