Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-01
.TE[LSO OF HIS WORK
0NDARK CONTINENT
DR.. R. L. Gamers Effort to Es-
tabIish Language of Apes
and Monkeys.
GIVES HIS EXPERIENCE
while LIVING IN A CAGE:

WHILE LIVING IN A CAGE
Addresses Biological Society, Illus
trating With Lantern Slides.
Discussion of Moles.
DIR. Richard Lynch Garner, who has
achieved international distinction for
his researches in Central Africa in in
vesttgatfons Of the possibility of speech
among apes and monkeys. delivered an
address last night before the Biological
Society Of Washington, at the Cosmos
Club. in which he outlined some of the
results of his twenty-five years of work
on the Dark Continent"
The meeting of the Biological Society
was the -52sth regular gathering Of the
organization, and as a preliminary to
DR.. Gamers address Hartley H. T.
Jackson. Washington biologist, de-
scribed some pellage variations in
American moles. DR.. Paul Bartsch,
president of the society, introduced the
of the organization, following the de-
livery of Mr.. Jackson's paper, took oc-
casion to point out that notwithstand-
ing the millions of moles in America
no market has been established here
for their skins, although their fur is
highly priced for women's coats and
trimming.
DR.. Gamers Address.
DR.. Garner told first of his early
work in connection with his researches
as to the possibility of speech among
apes and monkeys, and with frankness
declared that when he first suggested
that possibility he was characterized
as "a fool" Laughingly he said that
when he was asked If he really be-
lieved that apes and monkeys can
talk he felt obliged to define speech,
which he did in the following words:
amy oral sound voluntarily made by
any animal with the preconceived pur-
pose of conveying an idea to another.
That is all human animals do with
speech, and If the sounds made py
apes and monkeys do that. would like
to ask If that is not speech"
DR.. Garner pointed out the oimcui.ies
he encountered in his researches among
animals in captivity. His first expert
ments, he said, were with two monkeys
borrowed from the washington zoo
twenty-five years ago. when that lnstl-
tuition. just being established ny pr
Baker, was contained in lumber
house beside the Smithsonian 1nstitu-
ton, and included, in. addition to the
two monkeys, IAN owl, a bear and an
eagle with some of its feathers gone"
Visits Home of Gorilla.
Later" Dr. Garner said, Il posted
myself on the anthropoid ape, and
went where Paul du Chaillu sixty years
ago found the gorilla, to the Kongo
Franchise, at the capital Of which,
L'Iberville, 1 established headquarters.
Still later 1 established myself in a
cage, in the heart of Africa, because,
as 1 have often confessed, l am the
only survivor Of the civil war. prob
ably, who was afraid to take thesrisk
of living alone among the animals OF
the jungle without such protection
This cage consisted of twenty four
panels of inch-and-a-half mesh, num-
Der nine wire, and it was secure from
leopards, gorillas and all other ami
mas except elephants.
There I was closer to nature, and
stayed closer, I believe, than any man
has ever been before. I remained in
that cage in the heart of the jungle
L l
with ample food for nine months, and
could have remained that long had I
desired.
During my stay in the cage I saw
twenty-seven goriias, one of which was
or while within eleven feet Of me-a
big female, with " ung one hanging on
her back. 1 suspected she was widow,
and If the gorilla standard of beauty Is
the same as mine. imagine she still is
la widow, if she remains alive. She
~1.fr
Here 1 taught my historic companion
in the cage, Moses. little chimpanzee.
to speak. She was the first anthropoid
ape that ever spoke the "a s~ase of
man. and eventually acquired the
French dipthong 'eu.'
Puts Temptation in Their Way.
,, planted "a garden of sugar cane, pine
apples, papaws and other sweet things.
that the apes and monkeys might come
| there to steal them, and SO give me the
opportunity to observe them. 1t has
often been questioned whether CHM
panzees will eat flesh, and ! may say
here that they stole my chickens, but !
| never actually saw them eat flesh, be-
cause l never succeeded in getting near
enough to one that chased after the
animal had stolen chicken"
\
seven years. He contradicted the state
ment he said has been made by a biolo-
gist whom he mentioned that the drought
drives the gorillas down into the low
lands Of the Chrystal mountains. DIR.
Garner was known among the natives
y the white father" and said he had
, been formally and legally made king OF
two African tribes.
| II believe" he said, that I am the
first real king that has ever addressed
the Biological Society of Washington
| He described the remarkably heavy
bush" or jungle of Central Africa, and
! said 1t was not surprising that Buff
| falo" Jones had not succeeded in las
soing gorillas in it. The gorillas, he
said, wander through the mangrove
| swamps, and there catch, he supposes
crabs and other shellfish, for" he de-
clared, 1.-The gorilla is like the Ameri-
can business mamie never goes any
where unless he has business where
he Is going.
In 1911" DR.. Garner continued. 1.-The
New York Geological Garden. through
DIR. Hornaday. asked me if 1 thought it
country, and l said yes. am Nero .
to bring one for him. Up to that time
sixty-two gorillas had been consigned
to the ports of the United States, and
but one was said to have reached this
country alive. one alleged to have been
brought into the United States by Ed
wards Brothers, showmen, but although
| they advertised it. it was announced
that it had died before it could be ex-
| hibited.
so. in 1911. brought the first gorilla