The Sunday Oregonian., August 09, 1908, Magazine Section, Page 6, Image 48

G
BV W. FRANK MCLURE.
SN IDKA for tn
vacation for i
right kind of a
romping, robust.
vivacious h,y a boy with red
blood In his veins. Inaugurated several
years ago in Cleveland, lias now en
larged untli boys from a number of
cities are uniting: in one great biennial
Summer tour. Tbe objective point
having been selected by a committee,
which ! always sent in advance to
"spy out the land." the caravans from
all directions begin the journey.
"Ohio Gypsies" Is now the name of a
(state organization of "gypsy" bands of
boys ronnocted witl the boys' clubs of
the Y. M. c. A.s in Dayton. Akron, To
ledo. D'-iaware. Cleveland and a few
other cities. In Cleveland there are
three auxiliary hatirts. I.ast year was
the first year that tliey all were In
camp together, the organization having
hern pi-rfect'-d tlte previous Fall. The
first tour was a spot in Coshocton
County. This summer they have Just
returned from Catawba Island.
Tiie fd' H ,tf these great marches, it
Is said, wis received at the interna
tional headquarters of tlie y. M. C. A.
In New York its one of I ho most stu
pendous ever com eived by association
work'-rs. Erelonir it is probable that
the plm will h ao'tpted in other states
with all the novelty and interest which
Is sure to .iccomrnny It. As a plan to
enthuse and furnish healthful recrea
tion for liny.-, it is in kct ping with the
recent nt:ibh- Xr w-Vork-to-Ch icago
relay runr.i,i race, which. It will be
recalled, was ai;o conducted under the
auspices ot the Y. M. C. A.
Tranipins It 100 Miles.
Walking is one of the ciiief require
ments of tiie trips of the Ohio Gypsies.
To be sure, they have a wagon along
for each hand, hut ihese are to carry
the pro isi-ins and any who may not
the aole to walk th entire distance.
Every lny is privileged to ride, but is
encouraged to walk. For a while there
were three orders among the caravans.
The buy uiin walked five milis a day
while en route had the "order of the
yellow rag' ennfemd upon him. The
liov who wr.lkd ten became a member
of the "onh-r of the red bandanna" and
wore a handam-a handkerchief. Those
who walked the entire distance were
honored wIMi the badge of the "red
kettle." which they pinned on the bib
of their uniforms. This year the "red
bandanna" nrder has been abandoned,
but there Is great Interest in the other
two. the "red kettle" hlng for those
walking the last r.i) miles. This year
also It has been decided to make the
trips hen-after bh-nnial Instead of an
nual, as originally planned.
Vine hundred and thirty-six boy
went on the trip to Catawba Island
this year. The march to camp com
prised more than lm miles. A number
of the boy walked all the way. A
large per cent ol tnein received the
honors of the "order of the red kettle."
On the way a number of the bands
stopped In towns rn route and gave
g.vpsy entel tainments, to which they
charged a small admission toward de
fraying the expenses of the trip. These
rnif riainmeiits comprised songs, some
sleight-of-hand work, recitations and
the like.
Carry o Impediments.
The uniform of the boys consists of
dark shirt, blue overalls, broad brim
hat and blue handkerchief. Me takes
along an extra pair ol trousers and an
outing shirt ir sweater. Kach boy
Monkeys Solving Their Own Puzzles
New York Times.
THKRE are rare doings these days
in the monkey house at the Bronx
Zoological gaidens. where Melvln
Haggerty. of Harvard, is studying mon
key psychology. Mr. Hagqerty has met
with many difficulties since he began his
experiments a week ago. but ho has
learned a lot of things about monkeys
already and he expects to learn more,
for he Intends spending the Summer in
the monkey house.
As yet he has arrived at no definite
conclusions about monkey psychology.
That will come later, he says, after he
puts the : ringtailed monkeys from
South America through all. his course of
stunts.
"I will say this." said Mr. Haggerty,
"these monkeys are about the most origi
nal lot I have ever come in contact with.
They have ways of their own about
Folvlng the puzzles I have put up to
them. They have broken a lot of my
apparatus already. As yet they have not
senied inclined to follow the lead of my
trained monkeys. But they solve the
puzzles just the same In their own way."
Keepers Keenly Interested.
Every keeper in the park is interested
In tho experiments of Mr. Haggerty. A
room in tiie monkey house has been es
pecially set apart for the use of the Har
vard man end in it his experiments are
being conducted daily.
The ringtailed monkeys have been
chosen by Mr. Haggerty for his experi
ments because they are the weakest phy
sically of all tiie monkeys in the park.
His apparatus would not last a day were
the larger and stronger monkeys to be
turned loose in the experiment room.
When Mr. Haggerty arrived last week
he had with him two trick monkeys
which had been borrowed from Harvard
University. These trick monkeys are also
ringtail." and are very clever. They have
been used for several years by students
at Harvard in the study of psychology.
Xlr. Haggerty and others have trained )
iiiii
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r
must have a bowl, a pie tin, a pint cup,
knife, fork and spoon, lie is debarred
from taking any glass or china ware.
He also takes a roll of blankets with a
strap around them.
Kach band lias its own commissary de
partment, its own cooks and a complete
outfit in the way of kettles. Each
night while en route they select some
suitable point for a on--night camp.
them to perform a number of clever lit
tle tricks, such as opening a combination
lock and springing traps which contain
food. These traps constitute the most
important of Mr. Hagerty's apparatus.
One of the principal pieces of experi
mental apparatus operated by Mr. Hag
gerty Is a little box with a sort of com
bination lock, which opens after the knob
is turned three times. A banana, which
all monkeys like, is exposed, lying on the
floor of the box.
Working a Combination Lock.
One day last week his experiments had
reached the stage where the combination
box was introduced. The 20 ringtails
were placed in a cage on the side of the
experiment room where they could see all
that went on. The two trick monkeys
from Harvard were in another little cage
across the room. When Mr. Haggerty
was all ready for his combination box
experiment and had the box containing a
banana in the middle of the room, he let
one of the trick monkeys out. This mon
key knew all about the combination lock,
for he had operated It many times before
at Harvard and elsewhere. He knew, to,
that inside lay the banana. With one
bound he reached the box.
The box had been put so that the door
faced the ringtailed monkey cage. They
could see everything that was done. The
trick monkey grabbed the knob of the
door and turned It three times to the
right. Open swung the door. There lay
the banana, which 'he grabbed and be
gan to eat. The prisoners in the big
cage became greatly excited at this.
They began to chatter and make wry
faces at the trick monkey.
When the excitement had quieted down
somewhat and the first trick monkey had
eaten his banana, another banana was
put on the floor of the box. so that all
the imprisoned monkeys could see. The
door was closed and the second trick
monkey let out. He. like the first one,
mads a spring for tbe combination box,
and soon bad the door open. Again there
was intense excitement in the big cage
and again the monkeys in the cages all
over the monkey bouse joined in the din.
TnE SUXDAY
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The tents are pitched, the kettles sus
pended from three sticks, a fire built
and soon the meal is being devoured.
After having walked for miles, it is
needless to say that the boys have vo
racious appetites. Plenty of milk is
usually provided. Canned salmon and
bacon are favorite meats. Potaotes
and bread also find a ready market.
Potato roasts in the evening around
the camp fires are also comnisn. The
boys remove their shoes as they ait
After a little while the trick monkeys
were put back in their cages and Bingo,
a likely-looking specimen from the big
cage, was let loose In the experiment
room. He was a little shy of the box
at first. He walked all around It, try
ing to peek through the cracks at the
banana on the floor Inside. Then he
squatted down in front of the door and
began to fumble with the combination
lock. He turned it this way and that,
but did not seem to have caught the
knack at all.
Another monkey was taken from the
big cage, Mr. Henessy was his name.
Henessy made a beellne for the box, el
bowed Bingo to one side and grabbed the
knob with both feet and hands. Then
be began to tug at the knob. For a few
seconds he tugged away, his eyes closed
and apparently straining every muscle.
There was a sharp cracking sound and
the knob came oft In his hands. Back
he fell, turning a somersault. But the
door swung open, and Henessy. spring
ing to his feet, dived head first at the
banana and grabbed it. He lost no time
in eating the fruit, much to the envy
of Bingo and the others.
Tore Down the Pulley.
Another piece of apparatus used by Mr.
Haggerty Is a long rope belt, which oper
ates through a pulley. It is suspended
from the ceiling. The lower end of the
belt Is just above a little hole in a plat
form which rests beneath the apparatus.
It is the duty of one of the trick mon
keys to get beneath this platform and,
running his arm up through the hole, to
pull the belt until a banana tied up near
the pulley comes down near enough to
the hole for him to reach. It took a long
time to teach the trick monkey this stunt,
but he now has it perfectly. The mon
keys in the big cage were at various
times treated to an exhibition of how the
belt could be pulled down until the
banana was in reach.
Sunday morning Mr. Haggerty decided
to see if any of the ringtails had learned
the trick well enough to do it. Several
keepers had gathered In the experiment
mom to ma tba test. JL banana waa Uad ,
OREGOMAX, rORTLAXD,
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around the even.ns tire .;o that their
tired feet may get needed rest for the
next day' tramp.
Before retiring there are the evening:
devotions and in the morning a flag
raising and devotional exercises, so the
religious and patriotic training is in no
way neglected. The aim is that while
they are on their gypsy trip following
the rugged camp life of the Romany
tribes or the aborigines, that they
shall retain civilized practices. They
must keep their hands and faces
washed and their conduct must be
without a blemish. The driver of one
of the Cleveland wagons on his return
from the recent trip to Catawba Island,
stated to the secretary, M. D. Crackel,
to the belt near the top pulley, and a
trick monkey pulled it down. Another
banana was tied in the same place, and
one of the ringtails from the big cage
was turned loose. He got beneath the
platform and grabbed the belt with both
hands. Then he began to pull. But in
order to make the banana come down
only one side of the rope belt must be
pulled at one time. The ringtail appar
ently did not know that, for he pulled
with might and main, both ropes being
clasped in his hands. All of a sudden
the pulley broke and down came the
banana, rope, pulley and all. The monkey
was frightened at first. But he soon re
covered and, grabbing the banana, ran
off to a corner of the room and ate It
greedily, halting now and then to look
up at Mr. Haggerty and chatter, as much
as to say:
"I got It all right, if it wasn't accord
ing to rules."
Sons of the Haberdasher.
London Truth.
No colored stuffs are fit for cuffs.
The Lancet doth assert;
The cuff that's riKht ia Bimple white.
Because It shows the dirt.
With darker wear, the dirt still there
Is hid from vision's ranee;
So people's eyes don't realize
The need for frequent change. f
Now dirt, per se, as you'll agree,
la niurh to be deplored:
But worse we tind mere dirt behind.
For in all dirt lie stored
What science terms baciliic germs
A class of beast that brings
To me and you the mumps, the "flu"
And other horrid tilings.
The Lancet's rletit Let cuffs be whfte;
Yea, white the total shirt;
So we'll descry with half an eye
The faintest speck of dirt.
Who's wiso eschews the links. the blues.
The drabs, the buffs, the grays.
But. ah; a thought with horror fraught.
My startled soul dismays.
If three days' dirt on cuff or shirt
With all these terrors reeks.
How packed with germs, plain sense affirms,
Must be our coats and t reeks!
Though brushed and rubbed, they're never
scrubbed
Oh! what a microbes' hive!
Yet mine, serene. I wear till green.
And sun remain alive:
There Is more heart disease fti New York
City than ever before, and It Is showing
itself among the children to an alarming
extent. The health department reports 12o4
deaths from heart weaknesses amour chil
dren during- their formative EMria4
AUGUST 9, 1903
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GH-D7
who was the promoter of the original
band of Ohio gypsies, that on the en
tire trip he had not heard a boy say a
profane or vulgar word.
The officials of the trip among the
boys are known as "Muck." "Mucky
Murk" and "High Mucky-Muck." The
head of the state organization is known
as "High Muckest Muck." He is B. W.
Godfrey, of Dayton. The secretary and
treasurer of the state organization, F.
R. Brooke, of Toledo, is known as
"Musty Muck." Association secretaries
accompany the boys both on the trips
and in the camp .
When all the wagons have arrived at
the site for the general camp, arrange
ments are made for athletic exercises,
His Definition of a Really
drawled Simpkins, ae he lighted
a cigarette, "Is "
"Any one that you tell yourself," put
In Gus Fernald, tossing aside "The Even
ing Crier."
"Yes, that, of course, goes without say
ing," the other answered, lightly. But
what I was about to say. before you in
terrupted, was that a good story is never
one that is told in the bosom of the
speaker's family."
"By Jove! that's so," Fernald exclaimed
emphaticallj'. "Last Thursday I waa
dining at the Dobson's. en famille, and
we had reached dessert in peace and
amity, when suddenly Elizabeth be
thought her of a funny story which she
desired to tell me.
"She said the story had been told her
bv Ethel Staunton's cousin from New
York."
" 'He wasn't from New York,' Inter
polated Lucy Dobson; 'he came from
Syracuse..
'"Now, that can't be so,' Ted Dobson
put in quickly. 'I know his family as
well as I know my own name; they've
lived In New York for 20 years.'
" 'Well, Ethel's cousin was coming on
to Boston for a Christmas party," Eliza
beth continued, 'and he '
" 'You know it wasn't a Christmas
party,' Lucy corrected; 'It was an Easter
ball. You and l Dotn were asicea, ana
you had tonsillitis. Don't you remember
I lost my best gold bangle that very
week?'
Yes, and I had to pay the boy that
found it J10,' Mr. Dobson commented.
" 'Now, Ethel's cousin had with him
one of those great big English bags, and
when he went aboard the train '
" 'Elizabeth, he didn't take the train;
it was the boat,' Lucy announced. 'Don't
you know all that family detest traveling
by rail?'
" "Yes," declared Mrs. Dobson. 'You see,
their father was killed in that terrible
accident when three carloads of passen
gers were burned up m that tunnel.
When was that, father?'
That must have been early in 1S62,'
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and short tours from day to day in
different directions. Usually there is a
creek nearby that can be used for
swimming and bathing. Last year one
night the whole camp of gypsies
marched into Warsaw. They were met
by a brass band and the boys paraded
through the streets and sang. Every
where they go the people take a great
deal of interest in them. This year
the trip and the time in camp aggre
gated fifteen days. The number of
miles walked by members of the bands
from Cleveland alone, adding up the
mileage of each individual, totaled 5000.
The distance traveled was something
more than 300 miles during the two
weeks.
replied Mr. Dobson, 'for I was down
South with my regiment just at that
time.'
" 'Oh, no, pa,' Ted cried decisively;
'you know you always said you were
out West until the end of 1S62. I guess
you're getting rusty on your dates.'
" 'As I was saying,' Elizabeth went on,
'the young man went aboard the train '
" "The boat,' tho family ejaculated.
" 'He went aboard the boat carrying'
his great big bag, containing, besides
his clothes, two very curious manuscripts,
which his Aunt Susan was sending'
" 'Not his Aunt Susan; it was a friend
of hers, an old school friend,' Lucy ex
claimed. " 'Well, nothing happened until the fol
lowing morning," Elizabeth resumed,
'when the young man ' was hurrying
ashore. It was, oh, very early not more
than half past seven '
" 'Not more than half past seven!' Ted
remarked scornfully. 'It wasn't half
past six. You don't call half past seven
very early, do you?' .
Elizabeth thinks half past nine is very
early," murmured her father. 'She's not
one of the early birds."
" 'Now, father, don't give a false im
pression of Elizabeth,' her mother pro
tested warmly. 'She may require more
sleep than other members of the family,
but I assure you, Mr. Fernald. she hasti t
a lazy bone in her whole body.' "
"She was just saying." I ventured to
suggest, "that the young man with the
big bag had left the boat."
" 'Y'es, she resumed. 'He picked up
his large bag and hurried off to catch the
first electric car '
" 'Now you are spoiling the main point,'
Lucy expostulated. 'He thought he took
his bag, but really '
" 'Stop, Lucy," her sister said reproach
fully: 'you musn't tell that yet. That
takes away the whole surprise. As he
was- hurrying to catch, tne nrsi electric
car '
" 'I wish you wouldn't clip your words,
Elizabeth," her father said reprovingly.
'It Is such a bad habit even worse than
your never pronouncing the letter R."
' 'A car was just coming around the
curve, and as he was about to jump
TT
,"'u' - " "
It would require a volume to tell all
the activities in which theHe boys en
gaged and the Incidents of the two
trips which have been made since they
became a state organization. In some
places they stopped and got permission
from the farmers to milk their cows
Just for the novelty of it, and. not only
had lots -rrf fun. but those who really
could milk naturally proved of some
assistance In the work. Others picked
wild strawberries. Some of the roads
carried them through the oil iields
where they saw the oil industry on an
extensive scale. Hern a chipmunk
would be seen and there some boy
would dispatch a snake. In one in
stance a snake five feet long was In
the path of the Toledo contingent with
which it bad a battle.
In the Winter evenings the gypsy bands
sometimes hold a reunion and talk over
the events of their previous trip. This
Spring the band from the Cleveland West
Side Roys' Club gave a play entitled "The
March of the Gypsies," which set forth
the experiences of boys who march 1"0
miles to camp. All boys who "hiked"
last Summer were declared ineligible to
parts in the drama.
The first gypsy trip, which was made
in 1902 by Cleveland boys only. Is re
memborert by some who participated in
it with interest. As heretofore stated,
this was the Inauguration of the move
winch has since grown to such large pro
portions. Thirty-one Cleveland boys In
"prairie schooners" visited the old vil
lage of Zoar. the Ohio River, the tomb of
President McKlnley,- also calling upon
Mrs. McKlnley at the Canton home. They
were through the potteries at East Liv
erpool, were given streetcar rides front
there Into West Virginia and Pennsyl
vania by the streetcar companies. Also
they were tendered receptions along the
route.
Plans are now on foot for an Indian
encampment for younger boys, to he held
biennially on the off years from those on
which the gypsy trips are made. The
gypsy trips are for boys 14 to 18 years
of age. The Indian camp will be for boys
from 12 to 16 years old. During the
Winter the hoys who are to take part
will make tepees, war clubs and toma
hawks. In fact, the aim will he for them
to make everything they use. A site for
the camp will then be selected. It will
probably bo on Lake Erie or near to
Delaware, O. Fort Ancient, near Day
ton, was considered, but it was thought
to be a little too far south.
In the Summer at these encampments
the boys will live in Indian style, will
read Indian lore and study the stars and
will, of course, have all the religious In
fluences and careful attention that is
given the boys on the gypsy trips. Those
who participate In this encampment will
also come from the boys clubs of the Y.
M. C. A. in.different cities of Ohio.
Cleveland, O., August 1.
Good Story
aboard, off sprang a very pretty girl,
in a great hurry, not even, waiting for
the car to stop. She was facing the
wrong way, as women always do, and so
the motion of the car threw her directly
on her face '
" 'Oh, no, Elizabeth,' her father Inter
rupted, 'if she was facing backward, in
proper feminine fashion, she must have
fallen on her hack, not on her face.'
" 'Father, I beg to disagree with you,"
Ted said, decidedly. 'Elizabeth is right;
the young girl must have fallen on her
face.'
" 'Why, Ted. how can you say so?
Father "is right, I'm sure he Is.' Lucy
declared, while Mrs. Dobson remarked
that she agreed entirely with Ted's idea.
"The family, thus having taken sides,
argued the case with rapidly Increasing
warmth and spirit, appealing anxiously
to me for my just verdict, which I was
wise enough not to pronounce."
"And the good story, how did It end?"
Simpkins inquired.
"I really do not know. I was obliged
to hurry off right after dinner, and when
I left, Ted and his father were bavin?
high words In the dining-room upon I lie
subject of falling off cars. Ted was illus
trating his point by jumping from the
sofa to the polished floors; the rugs wer"
disarranged, and chairs were strewn
about in wild confusion. In the drawing
room the two girls and their mother
were shedding tears upon the subject, and
poor Elizabeth had ouite forgotten that
I had failed to hear the end of her good
story." Caroline Ticknor, in The Century
Magazine.
Lonely Life in Politics.
New York Times.
I saw the doctor yesterday.
"Your trouble, sir," said he,
"Is mental and not physical
You need society;
"Companionship you're lonely;
In politics take part;
The members of your party
Should cheer your lonely heart."
Said I: "I can't And any."
Said doctor: "How Is that?"
I piRhed and turned my face away;
"I am a Democrat."