The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-07-13
CH|MPANzEE USES
ONE HUMAN WORD
Professor Garner Teaches 1t the
Word Ecu" Which Is
French for "Fire"
SPENT SEVEN YEARS IN AFRICA
Returns to America with An Animal
from the Depths Of the Forest That
Seemingly Understands Many
Things He Says.

~
A chimpanzee which Is learning to
talk like a human being was a pas
senger in the French steamship La
Touraine, from Havre to New York.
With the chimpanzee came Professor
Richard L. Garner, who, for the last
seven years, has been buried in the
depths of an African forest learning
monkey language.
Gamers chimpanzee is named
Susie. She can speak as yet only
one word, "feu," which in French
means fire" Garner expects to teach
her other human words so that in the
end she may be able to communicate
her thoughts TO the highest order OF
primates on the globe Susie was
source of wonder to her fellow voy-
ayers in La Touraine, principally be-
cause of her apparent ability to un-
derstand some of the things said TO
her.
Also, Susie has been taught to
laugh, an accomplishment which Car
ner says ranks her above all others OF
her species. AS for the chimpanzee
language, Garner says he has twelve
or fourteen of the twenty or more dis
tinct monkey words, and he believes
he has mastered nine Of the sounds
so he knows just what they mean.
When the ship docked and the news
paper men got aboard Professor Gar
ner brought forth the chimpanzee and
said TO her:
"Susie, love your pop"
The chimpanzee put her arms
around the neck of the professor and
kissed him. Then after she had nib
bled an orange he asked her for part
OF 1t and she gave II to him. A pas
senger handed the chimpanzee a stick
of gum and she was about to put 1t
in her mouth when the professor
said:
Don't eat that"
The chimpanzee held the gum out
anu lOOhtu az ~ Nbl htobls'
"Give It to this man." said Garner.
Then Susie turned around and
handed the gum to man pointed out
by the professor. Afterward the pro-
fessor had the chimpanzee act in a
manner that appeared to be that Of
laughing, and when he left her she ap-
peared to cry. Professor Garner re-
marked that Dr. Hornaday Of the
New York Geological Gardens has said
he tried many times to make chin
panzees laugh, and has been unsuc-
cessful Asked whether he has been
able at any time to teach words Of
the human race to his dumb animal
subjects, Professor Garner said:
81 taught one the word 'Feu, the
French word for fire. When / would
light match she would call feu' as
soon as the flame showed, but would
remain silent when burned-out
match was shown. A hot cinder
would bring the word 'feu' and so, too,
would the sight of a campfire"
Professor Garner said he found
chimpanzees affectionate to a high de-
gree. Chimpan2ees are of a forgiving
disposition, and will succeed in poll
tics, when they learn the language, it
Is said.
Professor Garner says when he left
America seven years ago he went to
the French Congo, and from Cape
Lopez he proceeded into the interior
until he reached the waters of Lake
Fernan Vas. where he decided to set
tie himself for lengthy pursuit of his
studies. The place in which he made
his headquarters in these jungles was
called American Point. A special cage
which he had taken for his work went
overheard before he reached the
place, and he decided to confine what
chimpanzees he could get in house
which he constructed at American
Point. The number of chimpan2ees
which he had in the place at various
times in his long stay reached twenty
two and the gorillas reached nine.
"The gorillas proved by no means
so tractable as the chimpan2ees," he
said, "and not nearly so intelligent,
If may use that term. There have
been misconceptions of my teachings
at various times, and lot of this has
been because some of the things
which / have said have been miscon-
strued. ! would be pleased to have
you be very careful in getting down
correctly my beliefs in regard to COM
munication among the animals /
studied"
Professor Garner says chimpanzees
have one certain call when they go
into the bush. Gorlllas, the professor
asserts, fear men probably as much
as men fear them. He said that in
the gorilla group, the old gorilla is
the fighter, and has a way of con-
ducting a family of gorillas to a place
of safety before returning to point
of danger to wage fight against man
or beast. He related one incident in
which he and two native companions
sighted a monster gorilla forty rods
from them. He said the animal gave
the most horrible cry he had ever
heard evidently warning cry and
then retired. One of the natives as.
serted the gorilla would return to
wage fight, and the three men beat
retreat.