Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-02
MISSING LINK TO BE
ON EXHIBITION HERE
Charles |, a Chimpanzee, Feature
of Barnum & Bailey Circus

The greatest bicycle rider and aero
bat in the world Is nothing but CHM
panzee. His name is Charlie the First
and he is easily the star of the 400
artists with the Barnum & Bailey
Greatest Show on Earth. He seems to
have all the divine gifts of man-of
course, excepting the power of speech
Darwin said there was missing link
in the chain that connects man with
the lower animals. The scientists of
today have asked Charlie the First to
move up from the foot of his class and
take the vacancy.
In 1903 a party of scientists found
Charlie the First in the forest that
hugs the equator in Africa. He did
not run from them, as would be sup
posed. Instead he walked confidently
up to one of the party and offered him
an armload of cocoanuts. When the
scientists pushed on the animal fol-
lowed, first running into the thicket
and bringing along with him crude
mattress, woven from barks and moss.
Charlie marched with the party for
days. Seeing the negro servants carry
ing water and fuel at meal times he
helped them.
AS an experiment the scientists
placed the animal in the care of the
skipper of tramp steamer, where he
learned without coaching to wash
dishes and keep the deck clean. On his
return to London, eight months later,
one of the party, a DR.. Buchanan, took
the animal with him and there began
to prepare him for an exhibit The
animal learned rapidly. He learned
more by his desire to initiate than by
being urged to his tasks. The idea of
exhibiting Charlie the First with a
circus did not occur to the doctor until
one day he discovered that the animal
could ride his bicycle. Scientists and
doctors began to come long distances
to see the chimpanzee which had been
described as the missing link. Among
those to take an interest in the Won
derful creature were the king of Eng
land Emperor William and Alfonso of
Spain. There was but one opinion
Charlie the First was the missing por-
tion of the Darwinian chain.
The London agent of the Barnum e.
Bailey cihcus induced DR.. Buchanan to
bring the animal to America, and it
will be seen in Los Angeles on Tues
day and Wednesday, September 20 and
81 as one of the features with the big
show. Everything Charlie the First
does proves him more human than ami
NAL He has chosen the clothing and
the habits of q man. He dimes with
the use of a full table equipment. He
sleeps in a bed and carries watch
In private life he is amiable and ap-
preciative. He plays on the piano,
pitches horseshoes and plays billiards.
His keeper is merely the janitor of
his little house, for Charlie the First
sews on his own buttons and shines
his shoes. AS a performer he eXcels
man. He is an accomplished bareback
rider, a skillful trapeze artist. fin
ished high-wire walker clever Jug
gler a splendid acrobat and "A funny
clown.
On one of the stages he presents a
bicycle act he created himself. Mere
instinct could not evolve such skill.
Anyone who rides 4 bicycle knows it
requires the judgment and reason of
human intelligence to learn. Yet this
creature is a greater rider than any
man ever seen with a circus. Here
are the proofs that Charlie the First
possesses a divinity of mind far in
excess of natures intent