The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-10-30
STORY OF THE MONKEY STROLL.
ING THROUGH A CEMETERY.

There is a story in the old Seconc
Reader about a monkey who, on the
authority Of Mr.. Aesop, always burst
into tears when strolling through 9
cemetery. And when, n day, a re-
porter asked him what allied him he
sobbed: II always weep like this wher
l am reminded of my poor dead ances.
tors"
Charlie Smith, superintendent Of
Ringing Brothers menagerie used to
study the Second Reader. Just now
he studies seven ton elephants, NAM
moth hippopotami and about a thous'
and other charges in fur and feath-
ers. But most Of all he studies mon
keys. He never tires of gathering q
crowd around n Of the simian hos
telries in the menagerie tent on cir
Gus day to give an illustrated lecture
on monkology. And he neyar fails to
tell that old yarn from the Second
Reader.
Smith asserts that the monkeys at
tract more attention than any other
species Of animal in all the 108 cages
of the Ringing zoo.
"Of course" he says, 'now we have
added the so-called lion-slayer mon
keys and the several varieties Of black
apes and balloons to our collection we
have a truly remarkable variety Of 81
mians. This in part accounts for the
fact that the majority Of patrons are
partial to the monkey exhibit. But
mere variety seems hardly a sufficient
reason to explain why they r prefer
red to such priceless animals as the gi-
RATES., the two-horned rhinoceros and
other of our menagerie ~habitants, any
one Of which has a greater cash value
than all the monkeys put together. My
solution is that it is because MI. Mon
key is a born actor. He turns every
cage into a theatre and so, in spite Of
his handicap, captures the crowd. 1t
seems as though the rascals feed upon
admiration. There's. old Cap. Congo,
for instance. Since he is thought to-
be the biggest chimpanzee ever taken
captive and SO quite able to do his act
Single as they say in vaudeville, do
you suppose he does? ~.
Not q hit of it. Cap. thinks, he has.
to have a real act with a supporting
cast. So he has made friends with
Tickles; one Of the riding
dogs. And whenever a sufficient
crowd gathers before his glass front
apartment, the venerable Cap. puts
his arms around Tommy as much as,
to say, See the happy family OF
course this makes a hit with the audi
ence and many stay for the second
show. Then the trumpets begin to
fan fare for the rising Of the curtain
on the Cinderella spectacle in the
main tent and everybody starts for
their seats. In the meantime the gi-
family has been playing to emp
ty chairs and Miss Saidee, the giant
black African hippopotamus, has been
lucky If she opened her mouth to half
house. I don't think I am exagger-
ating when 7 say that two-thirds of
The people who visit the Ringing
show miss a great part of the many
things in " menagerie
,ent because they get a high sign from
'ome wise old simian half way down
he avenue Of cages and let him and
his vain comrades keep them until it's
line to go into the big show tent.
Guess Brother Darwin must have been
sbout right and Mr.. Aesop, too. It's
ust a case Of that old Second Reader
,arn being reversed for the monk in
he fable cried while folks who look
It the monkeys mostly laugh"
Monkeys, elephants, pink lemonade,
md all will be here on Wednesday Of
his week.