The sun., 1909-06-21
CONSUL VERY HUMANISH
REGISTERS AT THE ASTOR IN
A FINE SIMIAN HAND. (

A FINE SINIAN HAND. (
Smokes Cigarettes, Puts On His Own
SHOES and stockinsy. Has Educated
Table Manners and Earns s2.SOo
Every Week-But Hankers for Trees.
The first passenger by the New North
German Lloyd steamship George Wash
ington TO greet the ship news reporters
as they came alongside the towering
liner yesterday was perched on the gun
wale OF one Of the big liieboats amidshlps
on the port side. He wore North German
Lloyd sailor suit and Galway sluggers.
He waved his cap at the revenue cutter
and smiled with liberality that shamed
the hawseholes. -
The anthropoid expert on the cutter,
who has studied under Garner scratched
himself on his right lower ribs and emitted
the simian equivalent Of Welcome to
our cityl' Then the expert explained to
his shipmates in Manhattanese that the
californian on the gunwale was Consul,
the wonder Of nthropologists, who can
do pretty much everything except talk
the languages Of civilization.
Alongside Of Consul. who like other
celebrated folk OF history has no front
name was william Morris. the vaudeville
manager, who declared later to Eddie
Pidgeon that Consul had recognized the
ship news n1en :n.nitively and had not
been prompted to whirl his cap by the
French gentleman whom Consul escorted
across the ocean and who assists Consul
in his public appearances. The French
gentleman, who will oollsct 81. 800 week
from Mr.. Morris Cdr. Pidgeon: Gentle
mon, these are American dollars. not
francs!') for Consul. who has no idea OF
the value Of money and cannot be en-
trusted with it. .
The ship news men found that the whole
ships company had gone daft over the
remarkable simian. He was booked as
a cabin passenger with the French gentle
man and he had q seat at side table.
eating with oiroumspection that showed
he had training II not ancestry. He used
his fork in the proper place and never
was guilty Of sword swallowing. After
a while some OF the other passengers came
to look upon him as model Of How to
Behave at Table and studied the Partisan
style in which he despatched his table
dhote. After the meal he invariably
Lit a cigarette preferred by the
French gentleman and pulled in so blase
a manner that the ordinary iookeron
might be excused from thinking that
smoking nonchalantly was an immemorial
jungle habit.
Consul is a product Of, the jungle. hail
ing originally from South Africa. He
was captured when he was mere kid Of
two years and has been five years in cap
tivity. He Is tho oldest chimpanzee--
and the most human and intelligent,
that has ever lived out OF cage. He still
has longings for the primitive ana mat uus Is
he was on the open deck of the liner. IL
was suspected that his arboreal instincts
might get the better OF him IL he had the
freedom Of the ship and that he might
try to climb to the main, mizzen or jigger
truck and drop into the brine. lnasmuch
as his life Is insured for Slo0. 600 in Lloyd's
the French gentleman who is beneficiary
would be somewhat protected. but the
French gentleman looks upon Consul
much as father might on a little boy
and he would rather keep Consul at s., 500
a week than lose him for Sl00, 900.
II was suspected that Consul might get
seasick on his first transatlantic trip. but
the big liner was ae steady as church
difference between living, at hotel In
London and aboard the George Wash
ington.i He was the playmate OF the
children all tho way across and the marvel
of the grown passengers. Up on the
promenade deck he rode bicycle un..
assisted by the French gentleman around i
on roller skates that made the little folks
who watched him envy the acrobatic
falls that did not make him move an eye
lid and turned sornorsaults that no human
being could hope to initiate.
The customs men were bit puzzled
as to the status Of Consul. who was on
the ships manifest as cabin passenger.
occupying berth. He has three trunks,
one containing several dress suits in
which he expects to meet the higher
grade primates, who also wear on special
occasions spiketails and looks of wisdom
that distinguish some anthropologists.
He will also appear in evening dress
(Mr. Pidgeon: "Kemember gentlemen; ha
his accomplishments on the American
roof garden. beginning on July ?. The
trunks were finally credited to the &C.
count of the French gentleman, whose
declaration was accepted in behalf OF
Consul.
Consul left the ship followed by the
cheers Of his fellow passengers and was
escorted to an automobile between Mr.
Pidgeon and Mr.. Morris and brought 20
this city, putting up at the Hotel Astor
after writing on the register what the
French gentleman says is Consul's sigma
ture and flne sample of Chimpanzeea
caligraphy. The hotel clerk said he would
take the French gentlemans word for It.
Some Of the stunts Consul does besides
taking his pen in hand TO write few lines
are locking and unlocking a small pad
lock, threading a needle, picking his
teeth and spitting over his shoulder and
putting on his stockings and shoes. He
hands because he is dressed daily just
like little boy and is not permitted TO
drift into the boy habit Of going bare
footed.