The free press. (Southern Pines, N.C.) 1898-19??, 1902-12-12
Is IT MAN OR MONKEY.
The Gibbon Is Like Human Reing
in Many of Its Habits.

In MANY OF It's HaDltS.
Is the Java mar-monkey man OF
a monkey? Professor Earnest Hack
eli, one of the most eminent of German
scientists, has been in Java, living in
close companionship with this strange
being that may help to give us some
information about Darwins missing
link. The Professor has just pub
lished in Germany report on his OBJ
servations.
The gibbon, as Professor Haeckel's
Javan friend is called. is to be founo
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 human being than either.
Its head, which is small, is shaped
more like a mans than those of the
other two animals. and its face Is
more intelligent. The professor says
that it's expression reminded him
forcibly of that of me manager of an
insolvent bank bordering with wrink-
led brow, over the crash. Its waist Is
slender, and when standing Its height
Is about that of six-year-old child.
The Gibbon never goes on all tours,
but walks erect like man, and when
he gets tired throws himself at full
length in the sun. with his head ON
one arm, exactly as a man or boy
would do. The professor had a gibbon
at his house at Biutenzurg for months
and during that time made 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 it 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 diff
ferent in sound, but the creature mod
dated and so altered them in tone.
and number of repetitions
that it was quite evident they made
up for him complete vocabulary. He
made 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 felt about things.
Oddly enough, the gibbOn Is desper-
ately afraid OF white men. although ne
loes not fear the native Malays at all.
They for their part. do not regard him
as a mere animal. but think him
nan under some sort of spell-possibly
Is a punishment for some crimes-or
n the course Of metamorphosis. He
ertainly eats and drinks like person
fond of milk and cocoa he Is
10 teelotaler and does not conceal his
ondness for the sweet wine of the
ountry. When drinking, he holds the
up in both hands, and throws his
read back as if he enjoyed it. He is
ond of oranges and bananas, too, ano
10 man could be more dert than he In
feeling the latter, after which ne
ties off mouthfuls and munches them
n the most approved human fashion.
In the East Indies, besides the giD-
on, there are orang-Outangs, chin
anzees. and gorillas, too, and II these
ncestors of ours are not as manlike in
ppearance as the gibbon, some OF
heir habits are even more human
han his. They will nurse members
f their families when they are slck
o their best to comfort them and la
lent bitterly ii they succumb. Some
RIDES OF monkeys carry or and bury
he bodies of wounded chums win
theirs, The correction of the youthful
lonkeys is carried on in the good O d
ashton, the maternal age graspinS
er young hopeful by the tail as she
administers punishment. Still Others.
attacked will roll powders down on
leir pursuers, to say nothing of hurl-
lg at them anything and everything
thin reach.