Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1877 — Monkeys’ Queue-rosity. [ARTICLE]

Monkeys’ Queue-rosity.

Around the monkeys’ cages and the giraffes’ pen in the Aquarium are posted various notices to ladies, warning them hotto~BppYoach me ahimals seize their bonnets; yet the attendants say that it frequently occurs that some lady disregards the notices, and her millinery suffers damages. Yesterday, however, those in the Aquarium were startled by a sudden crash of’broken China from the monkeys’ room, and, hastening thither, were greeted with a remarkable sight. The noise, or so much of it as did not consist of the chattering of the animals, came from the mouth of an almondeyed Oriental gentleman, in a blue blouse and black trousers. He stood with his back to the cage in which the largest monkeys are kept, and, with both his hands to his head, was struggling to tear himself away. He was firmly held, however, by the pigtail, which, firmly attached by Nature to the back of his head at one end, was almost as firmly grasped at the other by as many monkeys as could get hold of it. The one at the tip end nibbled complacently at the neat bow of ribbon that secured the hair, and the others were blaspheming vigorously in their native tongue. Competent authorities declare that it is impossible to swear in the Chinese language. The gentleman who was striving to gain his freedom seemed to realize this. By the expression of his face he appeared to be regretting his lack of early education in foreign languages. He did the best he could, however, with the imperfect language he did know, and the air smelled like the smoke from a pack of fire-crackers. As quickly as they could, from laughter, the attendants opened the cage noor, and, one entering, beat off the monkeys and rescued the gentleman. He shook his fist vindictively at the cage, and hurried away without leaving his card, while the baffled apes made din enough to induce the seals, the hippopotamus and all the birds to join the chorus.— N Y. World.