The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-25
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Bell Main 5000. Independent 360
STRENGTH OF THE
MURDER0US GORILLA

OF all the existing man apes the gorilla
is beyond question the most formidable.
over five feet six Inches in height, and
bones being known OF one which appar-
entity measured In life no less than SIX
feet two inches 1t is not, we now know
from experience in the gardens and else
where, always when young quite so
utterly untamable a beast and SO
entirely and constantly an enemy OF
man" as Du Chaillu represented; but it
is savage and morose enough,
1t is still uncertain whether In a wild
state except in the Immediate moment
OF attack. II ever actually walks erect
without either resting its knuckles on the
ground or supporting itself by branch
overhead, but that it does beat its fists
upon its breast when enraged (Du Chail-
In says that he heard the noise like a
great bass drum at "A distance of mile)
is established; and when the male gorilla
turns as seemingly It does: TO confront
man rearlessly, when attacked. with It's
huge size. Its great hairy limbs and
hideous head set almost down Into Its
shoulders we can believe that mo des-
cription can exceed the horror or its ap-
pearancc" Add that the gorilla usually
lives in the depth OF forests, where the
Hight is 50 dim that II Is difficult 10 see
any object clearly at a distance OF more
than few yards. and IL is not 10 be Won
dered al that the natives have invested
1T with attributes even moro horrific than
those which IL possesses
Many believe the gorilla TO be human;
others hold that, though Itself beast.
II is often informed with the transmit
era ted spirits OF the human dead, II is
said TO lie in walt crouched on the lower
branches OF trees oNerhanging path,
and when a human being passes TO drop
one OF its long hind limbs and, clutch
ting the victim by the throat so suddenly
and In so terrible grip that hardly
sob Is heard to drag it-man or woman
up TO It's lurking place. 1t is credited
with capturing and stealing women and
carrying them off TO keep them in the
forests and armed with clubs, is said to
attack and beat off elephants. The
pared with other beasts, however Is not
an easy matter to pass upon. In Africa
ii Is noteworthy that the lion and the
gorilla do not occur together and II has
cxterminated the gorilla within its terri
tory and that the gorilla has driven out
the Hon.
In Borneo the most serious neighbors
OF the orang are the python and the croc-
odllc. and the natives say that the ape
ovorcomes them both, the python by
selling and biting It, and the crocodile
by leaping on its back, clutching IL by
the upper jaw, and by sheer main
strength tearing 1t open, The name
meaning roughly wise one the Malays
giving IL alike 10 their chiefs 10 elc-
phantS, and 10 the wild men" Perhaps.
however. no native myth or story
cclipses IN wonder the statement of
Emin Pasha. made seriously, that In the
Mbongwc forest the chimpnuzecs used 10
come TO rob the banana plantations In
troops, bearing torches 10 light them on
the way. Had | not witnessed this eN
traordnary spectacle personally he Is
believed that any of the sImians under
stood the art OF making fire" Tnhapp-
". personally we did not witness IT
London Times.