The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-24
ARiSTOCRATIC APES.

In the light and comfortable new pal
ace for the anthropoid apes at the Zoo"
the inmates live a life of luxury and
leisured ease such has never fallen to
the lot of apes since the days when
uanno, the Carthag gilman, first encoun-
tered the gorillas.
The greater number of the inmates are
blameless chimpanzees. who live there
the ideal OF contemplative life. sur
rounded by those external goods with
out which, as Aristotle remarks. ii is
very difficult TO maintain the highest
standard of intellectual calm. These
chimpanzees are not in the least low
cred in character by living like gentle
men, with a man TO wait on them, spac-
ious apartments, furniture designed on
the most careful lines to secure simian
case and other examples of the minor
arts including parquet floor. which.
in the words of en aethetic advertise
ment of the past "conduce TO the leading
of dignifed and happy life" They
are neither unduly elated nor self-indul-
gent. On the contrary. they exhibit a
dignfied and mild appreciation of the
situation. and endeavor to show the Lon
don crowd which gazes on them the real
value of leisure. and what the natural
life in the golden age was before hurry
was invented. and when no natural catas-
trophe OF any kind had interrupted their
felicity. The same philosophic appre-
cha ton is shown by the two quite young
chimpanzees as by the grown-up ape OF
the same race next TO them. Observing
their deliberate movements. their grave
nh Of 10
is impossible also not to form theory
as TO their immense moral and physical
superiority. looking only to the ends of
life. over man Charles Lamb has d.
vided mankind into the superior class
which borrows. and the inferior class
which lends. In every part OF the phys
iuue Of these grave and equable apes one
detects something Of their serni-moral su-
periorI.y over man. They are framed
not to make but TO take; not TO toll.
but To receive. Their organs for walking
and or working have become absolutely
atrophied: but in place of legs 20 carry
burdens and fingers to dig or toll or 10
oil motors with they have no less than
four pairs OF hands. all meant for re-
ceiving not for contriving. Their arms
and legs are elongsted-partly. may be.
to al them in their journeys across the
forest top. but mainly employed IN their
leisure life To widen the range at which
tneir hands may take the offerings q
their inferior. man. IL is quite obvious
that this was intended BY nature. They
need no teaching. They accept the sit
uation From the demeanor OF the
younger apes Il is clear that they were
born n the purple. They I'll the DO
sition at once and without Instruction
Its grandeur causes them no more mis-
giving tnan the luxury Of palace
would the youthful sons Of sultan one
OF the tokens that good fortune Is de-
served is when the posse<sor knows how
to use il They seldom sit down indeed.
nature has evidently not intended that
they should Il = at best but half ard
Ia. reDost. They lie o. their backs
on rugs when they wish 20 move they
de spise walking: they push themselves
gently along on their sides hy the aid u
their knuckIes and elbows; and when
bright tin Of milk oT OF fruit
ts reSpect.ufiy st beside thsir couch
;hey stretch out q leg. not 81 arr, and
with the haad al the s1d q il gently
d-aw IL near them Too irdolent % raise
their heads II sre what tne contents
arr they laziiy shake the pan backwards
AID forwards till the mix spills over :ha
srss Then. IL their casual glance sgs~
cesrs that II is good. they reach oat an
arm, 70 save the leg further trouble and
bring X slowly 20 their Hps---Lo1doa