The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-03
MONKEYS AS SERVANTS.


I asked Mr.. Garner If he ever had con-
sidered the possibility of the monkey S
being made useful to man.
Yes he said, land once made 81 list
of the things he might do. The great diff
ficulty Of making him of any real use is
his Observation-Disclosures dislike of re
straipt. He can't be trained to do any
thing without watching. He is more In
teligent than other animals, and it is no
tick at all to make him understand what
you want him to do, and he'll do It just
as long as he supposes it is in the way
of play, but the moment he understands
it's a duty he wants to drop it. You will
notice in any performance by trained
monkeys that there always are several
men standing around the stage. Every
one of them has a whip, and the monkeys
knit W 1t, or they couldn't be kept in their
places through the act.
I'm some of the native villages in At
rlca they have apes to do certain work,
but It is the same story with these re-
member a chimpanzee that used to fetch
water and frewood. He did 1t we'll
enough, but some one had to so with him
every time. If he went alone to the
spring he'd bring back only, say. an
eighth of bucket of water and if they
se1t him for wood he'd come back with
few little twigs about as thick as a pen
Gil. When the children went with him,
however, and 'bossed him, he was all
right.
II suppose the monkey might be made
a steady worker. in time. but one mon
keys Is life wo o,,d be long enough to DO
through generation after generation of
monkeys, just as it has been through
generations Of horses. and would require
an immense amount OF patience and far
sightedness.
''But if such an experiment were tried
earnestly don't see any reason why it
should not be successful. You always
ward an end. and one better adapted to
the object you have in view. Both the
monkeys diet and habits might be modi-
fled in time. The monkey, too. thrives
outside his native country. A few were
colonized in Mauritius, which formerly
possessed no monkeys at ALL and there
are thousands there now-the island being
from two to three thousand miles away
from where the monkeys came from.
II can conceive of the use OF monkeys
as domestic servants. though I would
question the utility OF. trying to employ
eral times that they might be most use
full as fruit-p ickers. In fruit growing
countries it is sometimes extremely diff
flcult to get men for this purpose.''
TWO OF CARRIERS PETS
Mr.. Garner has two Of the monkeys of
whom he has made the closest study at
the London Zoo" now. and he and the
writer paid visit to them a few days
ago at which time the accompanying
two monkeys is Tom. He is a white nosed
chap, hailing from the west coast OF
Africa. thanks to capture by. a native.
The blacks make a. regular business OF
rob a nest, sometimes they catch the
young monkeys nursing and take them
after shooting the:: mother. They will
Of rum or a string of beads An allow
ance of tobacco that would beawortl
| hardly a cent in America will buy young
| monkey or two or three parrots in the
friend. c. F.. Bernard, have Identified
nine words Of Toms language. They y. e e
warning. pain and other emotions com
mon to both monkey and human nature
and one or two of them Mr.. Garner
| purred to Tom when he came up to his
/ cage.
There was no doubt about Toms be
| ing glad to see his. American friend. HI
seemed a bit puzzled. however. and made
a determined clutch at the silk hat which
the hat said Mr.. Garner. you see. he:
to aseinT me IL y 5Tnge dnd an
beamed with relief, Then the monke,
stood up inside his cage and pointed on
on his body the places where ne wo n
operation threw his head back with
i look of perfect bliss on his face tina
would have made an owl grin. Then III
told his human friend that. he was hun
i cry, and proved 1T by disposing of thu
/ Slice Of apple that the American CAV,
/ him prior to having his picture staken.,,i
the om Other . pietnre doesn't seem to hav
any name. He Is q Capuchin monkev.sno
much bigger than a kitten; ard r., comes
i not from Africa. but from Brazil 9th
Z M the Il 90 loot q