Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-14
MIMI, A MONKEY,
HAS MIND CAPABLE
OF HUMAN THOUGHT
DR.. William H. Furness De-
clares if There Are Such
Things as Souls This Ami
NAL Has One.

Can a monkey have mind capable Of
development to the point of rational
thought7 Can monkey have a soul2
Mimi who until few years ago swung
airily with her forebears In the palms
OF the Congo. but who now leads life
OF retirement and restraint at Walling-
ford. smiled at the questions Mimi can
smile. She can also read, write, farm,
dance and be generally amazing.
DR.. William II. Furness. biologist, eth
nologist, world traveller. author and stu
dent Of the slmiidae, did not smile.
"If there are such things as souls am
convinced Mimi has one" he said. "she
has n code of honor, sense OF justice,
a capacity for affection, fealty, gratitude
and ell those noble attributes OF mind
upon which mans claim to spirituality is
based.
Mimi, repressing a tendency to appear
bored by the turn OF the conversation,
smiled again, requested the loan of an
EVENING LEDGER, which her biographer
carried and applied herself to the illus
trated page.
Some months ago" Doctor Furness re-
sumed, 1T returned from Borneo, where
/ had been studying tribal customs. After
a close acquaintance with the Punans,
the lowest of the Borneo tribes. I re-
turned to Mimi with an enlarged appre-
citation of her intelligence. The Punans
live in packs. as do wolves, find a Wild
tnpioca crop, build dens, stay until the
crop Is exhausted and then move on to
pastures new. They have no urge to
knowledge; they apparently are devoid
.1Na ,NauN NaW, Ia..a 40. VNHR
gress, lacking the smallest speck Of de-
cenoy. Nevertheless, the world endows
them with spiritual possibilities, accords
them divinity, says they have souls,
while Mimi. who eXcels them In many
ways, Is merely 'beastF'
MINIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Mimi is years old and in the dlverg-
snce and number of her achievements
Burpasses the average child Of her age.
She is chimpanzee. She has been In
captivity, or rather, tame, for five years.
She strenuously objects to the term "in
captivity" and protested when the un-
itinitiated chronicler used it. She lives
in a specially constructed two-room,
steam-heated apartment" not a cage,
and has the freedom of Doctor Furnes5
large residence. She accepts and Is ac-
cepted by the best society and she fire.
quently acts as hostess at afternoon tea
and other functions. Her mornings are
devoted to exercise and study. The form
er she takes in the ample grounds about
the Furnlss homo. She weeds the flower
beds. digs, rakes and hoes. At times she
eondescsndB TO romp with RoXie, mere
dog that does not even know the alpha
Bet Mimi knew that when she was 8.
Mimi is a strong advocate of the out
aoor life, and at the proper moment in
timated to Doctor Furness during the In
terview that she would enjoy walk.
"All right, get dressed" he said.
Mimi chartered. the doctor interpreting.
"she says she'll be ready in few
minutes"
Fifteen minutes elapsed. Thus did Mimi
reveal tho inevitable feminine weakness.
Then she appeared. She is an apostle
OF the utilitarian and affects masculinity
IN dress. She wears trousers of the sim
plest design, a sweater, coat, artics and
cap. She scorns cane.
LINGERs OVER GRAVE.
The party started through the grounds
toward the station, Mimi loquacious but
sedate. II came to a little mound, under
which remains all that was mortal of
Borneo, an orang outang OF distinction,
and MINIS friend. He died of pneumonia
several winters ago, Mimi became silent
and fingered. Then she stopped and pick
ed the dead leaves from the grave
"she will plant pansies there in the
spring" Doctor Furness said. yellow
ones, she's fond of yellow, and SO was
Borneo. although he could not distinguish
the shades of color as Mimi can"
Suddenly Mimi stood, listened and chat
tered.
'she says the trains coming" said
Doctor Furness,
We could not hear it, but we took her
word, shook hands and left.