The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-20
IN A MONKEY CAGE
BUSHMAN ON EXHIBITION AT
 BRONZ PARK.

BRONZ PARK.
 A Sight That Dispieased Thoughtful PeopIe-Pigmy From Africa Held as Captive But Is Allowed His Freedom at Times and Loves to Wander in the Woods.
 There was an exhibition at the Zoo- logical Park, in the Bronx, yesterday which had for many of the visitors something more than a provocation to laughter. There were laughs enough in 1t, too but there was something about it which made the serious mind ed grave. Even those who laughed the most turned away with an expression on their faces such as one sees after a play with a sad ending or a book in which the hero or heroine is poorly re- warded
 Something about it that don like" was the way one man put it.
 The exhibition was that of human being In a monkey cage. The human being happened to a Bushman, one Of a race that scientists do not rate high III the. human scale, but to the average ron-scientific person in the crowd Of sightseers there was something about the display that was unpleasant,
 The human being caged was the lit tie black man. Ota Benga, whom Professor s. P. Werner, the explorer, recently brought to this country from the iungles of Central Africa. Profess sor Werner lately handed him over to the New York Geological society for care and keeping. When he was per- mitted yesterday to get out of his cage, keeper constantly kept his eyes on him, Benga appears to like his keep CT, too. It is probably a good thing that Benga doesn't think very deeply. If he did it isn't likely that he was very proud of himself when he woke in the morning and found himself under the same roof with the orang- -outangs and monkeys, for that it where he really is. ....
 The news that the pigmy would be on exhibition augmented the Saturday afternoon crowd, at the Geological Park yesterday which becomes somewhat smaller as the summer wanes The roney-or rather, the primate house is in the center of Director Hornday's animal family
 To make the lives of the orang-out- angs more interesting, their antics plainer to the view of the visitors, an iron cage has been built at the south ern end of the primate house. In the ccol days of last week the chimpanzees avoided this open cage. They are very sensitive to cold, and preferred to crawl under the straw in the interior of the monkey house.
 Like his felow-lodgers, the orang- outangs and monkeys, Benga has room inside the building. It opens, like the rest. into the public cage.
 A crowd that fluctuated between 300 and 800 persons watched the little black man amuse himself in his own way yesterday. He doesn't like crowds, es- pecially the children, who tease him. So he wove at the hammock and mats which he knows how to make, jabber- ed at the parrot which came from the jungles with him, and shot at marks in the ample cage with his bow and ar- row. For the latter diversion the Zoo logical park managers had made pro- vision by trying bundles of straw against side of the inclosure, The children got good deal of fun out of arrow-shooting when he missed his mark, which was not often. Then he made faces at them.
 A little after the noon hour Benga was allowed to go into the woods. A Keeper watched him from a distance, It is doubtful if any one has ever seen happier mortal. Grabbing his bow and arrow, he jumped into the thickest of the underbrush and frisked about.
 At liberty Benga seemed to live in Africa again. He peered into every hollow tree and looked at trees and shrubs for birds and squirrels. But the crowd soon found him and he had tc move from spot to spot. Tn the end the keeper had to send him back into the monkey house again.
 put IL was HdFu to keep HllH lueIe Frequently he appeared at the door, and in looks not hard to understand let the keepers know that lie, would rather be among the trees and shrubs Re- leased again. he walked toward the restaurant. The keepers followed. II then appeared that Benga has acquired one civilized habit since he reached here. He loves soda.
 The soda was paid for by Benga with money that he got from the Bronx park photographer for whom he sat for his likeness. There has been no attempt to make Benga look grotesque. He wears white trousers and khaki coat Only his feet are bare.-New York Sunday Times.