New-York tribune. [volume], September 19, 1920, Page 6, Image 70

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Freak Animals at the Zoo
Latest Arrivals at the Big Institution at Bronx Park {
Include Specimens Never Before Shown in the
United States?An Ape That Looks Like
a Spider
- <
By Tom Steep
RARE animals with strange
habits have just arrived at
the Bronx zoo from the re?
mote corners of Asia and
Africa. They range from the hoolack
gibbons, or tailless manlike apes,
from the jungles of India, to the
beautifully colored onager, or wild
ass, from the highland plateau of
?Beluchistan, and from queer little
frogs that spend their whole lives
under water to the six-foot monitors,
the biggest lizards known, that fight
savagely with powerful tail, claws
and teeth.
As the most important of the sev?
eral thousand specimens recently
gathered in from the wild animal
markets of the world and brought
to the zoo by Lee S. Crandall, of
Director William T. Hornaday's
staff, are shown in America for the
first time, they may be considered
pioneers in the animal industry
opened up since the war and the
blazers of new paths from hitherto
unexplored tropical Jungles to New
York's animal playground. It is the
intention of the zoo authorities to
keep the paths pretty well beaten,
thus maintaining the zoo's reputa?
tion of being the most populous in?
stitution of its kind in the world.
The Queer Hoolacks
Of the newcomers Mr. Crandall
thinks the hoolack gibbons are
unique. They are the first pair
ever to touch foot on American
to'l. Spidery in appearance, because
of their ehaggy coat of black hair,
and powerful in build, they are
the lowest In the order of the man?
like opes, being preceded by the
gorilla, tho chimpanzee and the
orang-outang, but in spite of this
M~
1 'T'HIS hoolack gibbon, now
j ?* on view at the zoo, is the
first to be shown in America
!_,_
fact they have two characteristics
which enhance their human resem?
blances. They have no tails and
they make a sound which suggests
two syllables from a Hindu lan?
guage. Observe Mr. and Mrs.
Hoolack in their new cage and you
will presently see them engage in
what appears to be a monkey con?
versation. Mr. Hoolack will turn to
his spouse and say "Hoo-ah!" Upon
which Mrs. Hoolack, after blinking
her eyes understanding^, will re?
tort, "Hoo-ah!"
Hoolack Gossip
Endless repetitions of these ejac
i ulations constitute the whole convcr
J sation. It might seem to the observer
to threaten to become in time a
rather monotonous colloquy, but who
knowB whether these creatures, by
some subtle variations in inflections,
do not contrive to communicate their
sentiments? Who knows but that Mr.
and Mrs. Hoolack, having reduced
their whole vocabulary to a couple
of sounds, are not making critical
comments, as they behold the sight?
seers outside their cage, on the cum?
brous speech of humans?
However this may be, Mr. Cran
dall believes the "hoo-ah" common
to this tribe of gibbon is certainly a
means of communication and per?
haps in the forest jungles it is a
warning sigmal. The hoolack is an
arboreal ape, black all over except
for white hairs around his eyes, and
lives in the topmost branches of
trees. When he has reason to be?
lieve that danger is lurking near he
sets jp his cry and soon from tree
top to treetop it is telegraphed in
1ALAMANDERS are na- ,
Uves of America but can
be had only in Europe
I this monkey fashion until the whole
forest rings with a chorus of "hoo
ahs."
But at the Bronx zoo Mr. and Mrs.
i Hoolack may keep up their "hoo
ahing" forever and still listen in
vain for an answering call, for they
are the only specimens of their kind
I on this sido of. tho world.
The Patient Onager
When Shakespeaie, or whoever it
was, referred to patience on a monu?
ment, he might well have had in
mind the onager, or wild ass, which
I is distinguished from all other wild
i asses brought to America because of
j its beautiful color. Its coat is of
I a pale buckskin buff. Its big eyes
! have a faraway dreamy look, no
I doubt resulting from its long con
I templation of tho wide plateaus
? where it was born, reared and finally
? captured.
But its most admirable trait is its
patience. It was caught in Belu
chistan and sold into slavery in the
wild animal market at Singapore.
Nobody know*3 what discomforts it
endured on that journey. But it is
known that on its trip to New York
it spent seven Weeks in a crate and
never kicked. Taken off the ship
and liberated on the pleasant
meadow assigned to it at the Zoo
OME secret joke appears
to keep the Panda cat
bear always smiling
it merely yawned, stretched its legs
and began to nibble the grass with
as much unconcern as if it merely
had stepped over from Asia. Al?
though she is alone, so far as
any other member? of her species
aro concerned, the onager has the
company at the zoo of a kiang, a
male wildcat of Western Tibet.
There they stand gazing over a
fence at each other, two silent,
patient enigmas of the animal king?
dom; one a rich brown, from the
forbidden land of Tibet, the other
as delicate in color as a lady's
fawn glove, from the mysterious
plains of Beluchistan. Their kind
have figured in literature, for Bal?
zac in his grotesque Wild Ass's
Skin has woven a iale of magic,
while Stevenson in one of his whim?
sical skits in Travels With a Don?
key expatiates on the numberless
thwacks a donkey receives during
his lifetime while carrying the bur?
dens of his master, only to have his
hide stretched over a drum after
his death to be cheerily drubbed by
some conscienceless ass of a drum?
mer boy.
The Humorous Panda
It has been observed that animals
often suggest human types without
i themselves having any features sug
gestive of humans. It is within the
remembrance of one boy at least
that a certain rooster looked not un?
like his uncle and that a certain
prim cat which was forever primp?
ing herself bore a striking resem?
blance to a Puritanical aunt. Such
human-suggesting animals are to be
found at the zoo. One of them is
the panda, or cat-bear, which Mr.
Crandall brought from London. It
is like an overgrown raccoon and is
of a mahogany color with black, yel?
low and white markings. Its lame?
ness and gotd humor invite atten?
tion, but the most notable thing about
it is its bright, intelligent face, which
somehow seems to indicate that it
has an extraordinary sense of hu?
mor. It may be that Mr. Panda is
convinced that life even in a cage is
a joke, or perhaps he has some in?
telligence not imparted to humans
concerning the hereafter and is pos?
sessed with pleasurable anticipations
of the laughter that will ensue when
the joke is revealed in the next
world. Like all creatures that are
ever genial, Mr. Panda has made
many friends. When the London zoo
officials were induced to part with
; him, Mr. Crandall says, the attend?
ants actually shed tears.
Of all fighting reptiles the monitor
is undoubtedly the most vicious. His
teeth, tail and claws form a kind of
triple alliance for defensive and of
? fensive purposes. Mr. Crandall
I brought two specimens, each six ft
I long. They are tne biggest of fc
! lizard tribe and derive their tas?
? from the supposition that they ^
; supposed to give warning of the??.
j proach of crocodiles, with whoothe?
are not on friendly terms. A n?o?
, tor's claws resemble the claws ob?
; .sees on monsters done in bronze K;
teeth are as formidable and or* nta
of his tail, properly landed, is sa?
, cient to knock out any ordinary a*.
I tagonist.
The monitors are among fift?
' reptiles brought in the collectif
The others include English vipers
and a dozen axoloths, or salinac.
ders, which, curiously enough, ?.
indigenous to North America botan
now obtainable only in Europe. Tb?
business of capturing salamanders
on this continent ha.- been allowed
to lag, but the huronean leaders
have quantities of the specimens.
Curiou? Frogs
But the most curious of all ere?.
ing or hopping things are ths ?ipa
tic frogs, twenty of which are 'an
added to the zoo. They comefrom'
Africa. Their favorite sport of n
maining under water is consiatentij
carried out throughout their estira
lifetime, for they seldom venture oa
dryland. One must find them at the
bottom of some limpid pool to see
them hopping and frisking in leap
. frog fashion, their stomachs puff?
out and their clawed toes eagerij
grasping a subaqueous meal.
The zoo now possesses state
three thousand specimens of birds,
which is the largest ar.d most raluabl?
of any collection in the world. 0!
these 400 are newcomers, including
a bird of paradise, two white-back
vultures from India and two Pon
dicherry vultures.
The war was a boon to many )m
gle beasta. The nations were too
busily engaged in fighting to invade
the wild animal haunts. The mon?
keys, the elephants and the tigen
ojjoyed a respite from the bang o?
rifles and the snap of traps. But
once again the junde rangers who
make a living out of the enslave?
ment of beasts born free are taking
up the old trails. Man again pro?
claims his presence in savage na?
ture's domain, and the markets ai
Singapore, Bombay, Mombasa ar.d
Pretoria are being filled with uni
fied dumb creatures that are so? c
begin long journeys to edify and
amuse children and grownup? is
overcrowded cities.
f~?F all the belligerent erea
*"' tures at the zoo the mon?
itor is the fightingest
HTHE wild ass is the most patient anirnal
in the zoo
The History of the American Negro as Expressed by His Music
By Cleveland G. Allen
THE story of negro music is
one full of challenge and is
woven around adventure,
daring, courage, faith, pa?
tience, hope, sorrow and optimism.
It represents the expressed hope of
a people who faced desperate odds,
who braved the hardships of slavery,
and who, at a period of their own
life when all was dark and dreary,
relied upon their own songs to work
out their destiny and carved their
way to the promised land.
When the negro came to this
country on a little Dutch vessel, in
1019, landing at Jamestown, Va., in
a strange country, the only weapon
that he brought with him was his
songs, and with these songa he faced
the long stretch of slavery, cover?
ing a period of 250 years, with a
courage unequaled in the story of
races. With his songs he mad?
known his sorrow, his hopes, his
aspiration, his patience, and sang ol
the freedom to como.? He came to a
country to find his way amon|
strange people and strange customs
but he knew by his eongs he couk
express his character and soul am
that it would not be long befon
the world would see this soul an<
accord to him a place among th
races of men.
To Save Tliis Music
VL the negro did not have th<
gift of song he would have lost hi:
place in the struggle, he would hav?
become extinct and ceased to be ol
sociological value. In my lecture:
on the story of this music I try tc
emphasize this music as best repre?
senting the major note in tho negro'?
life, and how upon it he must relj
for further development in the
economic, moral and spiritual realm,
I feel that upon the young genera?
tion of negroes depends the responsi?
bility of saving this music an? em?
phasizing the fact that it is a price?
less heritage that ought to be treas
?md. It wu this fact that tod mt> to
make deep research with reference to
the study of negro music, so as to
properly interpret it, in order that
the proper gauge of the negro's
hope may be seen.
Professor John Wesley Work, a
negro educator and musician, for
many years a member of the faculty
of Fisk University, in his book on
The Folksongs of the Afro-Amer?
ican or The American Negro, telia
of his many years of research
throughout the South, studying the
songs of the negro. He tells how
they are collected, how in the camp
meetings they arouse the expressed
religious fervor, and how the atti?
tude toward this music has changed
within the last twenty years.
Noted negro muscians like Harry
T. Burleigh, who for many years has
been soloist of St. George's Protes?
tant Episcopal Church; Nathaniel
Dett, Carl Diton, J. Rosamond John?
son, Mrs. Harriett Gibbs Marshall,
! the first colored woman to graduate
? from Oberlin Conservatory of
i Music; Clarence Cameron White,
| and the late Coleridge Taylor, all
recognize its value, and each of
| them has brought to it valuable con
I tributions.
Their Sociological Value
Another thing that has done much
to save negro music, as offered in
j these songs, has been the attitude
toward them of the negro leaders.
j These leaders have been quick to
I recognize the value of these songs
i and have kept before the younger
generation of negroes their sacred
duty in helping to save them. Dr.
W. E. B. Dubois, one of the foremost
of the negro thinkers, in his book on
The Souls of Black Folk, devoted a
chapter to "Songs of Our Fathers,"
in which he speaks of the sociological
value of this music. Dr. Robert R.
Moton, the principal of Tuskegee
Institute, while he was at Hampton
Institute, Urged the importance of
a knowledge of these plantation
songs as a necessary part of the edu?
cation of the students. Dr. Moton,
in an article contributed some time
ago to The Southern Workman, tells
of the impression that was made
I upon him when he first heard these
' songs and how it was at Hampton
that he grew to admire their
: strength and beauty.
| Will Marion Cooke, another negro
musician, refers to Hampton as a
good center for the development of
; this music. The late Booker T.
Washington, while at Tuskegee,
drilled into the students the respect
they should have for their music.
, Negro music expresses itself in
' negro folksongs, and negro folk?
songs are called such because they
are peculiar to negro folks. If the
numerous songs that were sung by'
the negro during slavery had been
built up from songs of other peo
: pies, they would not have been negro
'. folksongs. That is the reason why
; "Old Black Joe," "My Old Kentucky
i Home" and "Suwanee River" are not
negro folksong?, because they were
written by a white man, Stephen C.
I Foster, although built around a
negro theme.
This point is one that should be
borne in mind, because it is the eom
] mon impression that the songs of
i Foster are negro music. There are
j many notable characteristics of these
j songs; among some of them ire
? their direct reference to the Script?
ure and to their wonderful strength
of reserve and resignation.
Why They Knew the Bible
Concerning the first, one would
stop to think why is it that a people
I during slavery, who could not read,
! had such a remarkable and accurate
knowledge of the Bible. The reason
I for thi? was that the Bible was the
! only book that was read to the
i slaves, and while this was being
done a remarkable knowledge of the
book was acquired, upon which was
based most of the melodies of thu
negro. This fact is strongly recog
wzed in such songs as "I Want to
Be Ready to Walk in Jerusalem Just
Like John," "Go Down, Moses,"
j "Roll, Jordan, Roll" and "My Lord
- Delivered Daniel."
Concerning their strength of re?
serve and resignation, out of the 500
or more of these songs that have
been collected not one of them shows
' resentment or breathes revenge. \
This is particularly characteristic of
the negro race. Speaking of this
trait of negro music, Professor Work
says:
"Another characteristic of tho
negro song is, as has been stated be?
fore, that it has no expression for
bitterness, hatred or revenge. If
these 6ongs taught no other truth
save that, they would be invaluable.
That a race which had suffered and
toiled as tho negro has could posi?
tively love is strong evidence that it
possesses a clear comprehension of
the great in life and that it must
have had experience in the funda?
mentals of Christianity. One shriek
of hate would jar all of the hymns
of heaven."
l?est Show Negro Character
Tho character, therefore, of the
negro is best expressed in music.
But it is in the music as expressed
in the negro folksongs that this
character is best shown. Although
these songs were sung for many gen?
erations on tho plantation through?
out the South, their charm, beauty
and strength of character were not
recognized until 1871, when Fisk
University at Nashville, Tenn., one
of tho first institutions for the
higher education of the negro, sent
out a consecrated group of young
colored men and women properly to
introduce these songs and leave it to
the world to place its proper value
upon them. It was an epochmaking
tour, that of these Fisk Smgers, be?
cause they were going on a tour
the outcome of which they did not
know. It was the first time that
trained singers were going out to
introduce to the public the music of
their race, and they were willing to
let the American public be the
judge.
So on October C, 1871, under the
direction of Professor George White,
the Fisk Singers began their tour,
Their first stop was ta Oberlin, Ohio,
where the Councils of Congrega?
tional Churches were in session
The leaders of the church were there
from every section of the country
and if the singers could get an op?
portunity their fame would be car
ried over the country. On the day,
that the singers arrived, states Pro- j
fessor Work, everything had gone i
wrong at the convention.
Objection to Their Singing
Permission was asked for the
singers to sing, but the request, was
waved aside, but while the conven?
tion was debating the fact as to
whether or not they should be heard
they had stolen around to the gal?
lery without any one seeing them.
All of a sudden there floated over
that large convention hall the soft
strains of "Steal Away to Jesus,"
A hush fell over the audience as the
strains of that song floated over the
hall.
There were pathos, harmony, sym?
pathy in the song, because these
were trained singers, and they made
that vast audience, some of which
represented New England culture,
actually see the slaves stealing away
to Jesus. The singers stopped, the
convention cried for more, and from
that moment to the present time no
one has doubted the place that these
songs have in American life. Pro?
fessor George White, a Northern
white man who liad gone down to
teach in the South, and himself a
musician, had faith in this music,
and when he saw this music receiv?
ing such a reception at its initial
bow his faith redoubled.
Invitee! to 4Vew York
Fortunately for the Fisk Singers
Henry Ward Beecher, the not?e:
preacher, then pastor in Brooklyn
was visiting that convention, anc
after he had heard the jubilee sing
ers he arose in the midst of the con
vention and invited them to come t<
his church in Brooklyn. The singer:
started for the North with fear am
trembling, because on whatever th>
New York critics said would depen?
the future of the songs. But th
singers came, and came with faitl
in their music. Their coming hat
been widely heralded and a capacit
audience greeted their first appear
anee in this section.
Professor Whito wanted to knoi
what the New York newspapers ha
to aay about the singe? the nea
day, and when he looked for the ,
comment, instead of ridicule there |
was praiscr heralding the singers as j
a splendidly trained group of sing- j
ers, who were bringing to America
its own original music. They were
praised for their fine interpretation,
their technique und for their deport?
ment as well. The colored singers
had won, and the success of their
tour was assured.
After touring throughout America
the Fisk Singers traveled through?
out England and Europe, touching
the heart of peasant and nobility
with these American melodies. They
sang before the King and Queen
and brought to them in this music
the story of the struggles of the
American negro. While the singers
were in England Dwight Moody was
holding religious services in London,
and he frequently used them to aid
him in his services.
Queen Victoria Wept
Professor Work vividly describes
the tour of the singers in these
words:
"From 1871 to 1878 that company
enjoyed one continuous ovation. New
England crowded her largest build?
ing and paid liberally to hear them
sing. Mr. White began to send back
to Professor Spence hundreds of
dollars to add to that one lonely
dollar, to keep from huving an
empty treasury."
Professor Work tells how Queen
Victoria wept before the songs ot
this band of singers from the South
and the reception they received fron
?ord Shaftesbury and other eminent
men and women of England. Thej
traveled with equal puccess in Ger
many and France. For eight years
these singers toured the world
touching the hearts and conscience:
of people as they never were touch?e
before, until, when they returned t<
Fisk University, they laid at th
doore of their alma mater $150,000
which went toward the erection o
Jubilee Hall, a building that stand:
on the campus of that ^university
dedicated to negro music.
Jubilee Hall stands on the plac
where once at slave pen stood? en
? has inspired generations of students
who have passed through that insti
tution. That a company of singers I
could raise such an amount of money
augurs for the beauty and charm as
well as the value of the music. The
tour of the original singers was fol?
lowed by other groups of young men
and women, and even to-day the
Fisk Singers still travel the country,
singing the songs of the American
negro.
Fisk University Lean's
Fisk University standsas the fore?
most exponent of this music and
was the first to introduce it to
America. Other institutions like
Hampton, Tuskegee, Atlanta Uni?
versity, Calhoun Institute and
others throughout the South arc
teaching the students the beauty and
value of the music. Hampton Insti?
tute stands next to Fisk University
in its preservation. Professor Work
gives as the reason for this that the
State of Virginia is rich in folklore
appreciation and that the colored
people of the state take particular
pride in saving this music. The
Hampton Singers have done much to
carry the power of this music to the
world. Dr. Robert R. Moton, the
principal of Tuskegee Institute, who
for twenty-five years was the com?
mandant at Hampton Institute, did
much to get before the students of
that institute the correct attitude
toward these songs. Even in the
public schools of the South the pupils
are taught to love these songs. This
change as it affects the public
schools has come about within the
past decade ; it was not so when I
was attending the public schools in
South Carolina. The whole attitude
toward this music has changed, and
the country no longer looks upon it
as something to be despised, but, on
the other hand, as something to be
revered.
Tributes From White Critics
Prominent white musicians have
joined in paying tribute to negro
music, as expressed in these melodies,
and some idea of how they are re?
garded may be seen from the recep?
tion they get from an American
audience when they are offered bj
white musicians. Mme. Schuman?1
He.ilk always includes in her reper?
toire several of the colored folk?
songs, which receive the same recep?
tion as the other numbers on the
program. The annual recital of
Kitty Cheatham, in which the entire
program is made up of negro music,
is looked forward to with delight by J
music lovers of this city. Walt?: ,
Damroseh, one of the foremost
authorities on music in Am?rica, in
an article contributed to The South?
ern Workman, says the following of
negro music: "But if proof positiv?
of a soul of the negro people should
be demanded it can be given, for they
have brought over from Africa and
developed in this country, even and?
the unfavorable conditions of slav?
ery, a music so wonderful,'so beauti?
ful, and yet so strange, that,like ths
gypsy music of Hungary, it is "j
once the admiration and despair ft?
educated musicians of our race.'
Mr. Krehbiel's Tribute
Henry E. Krehbiel, of The New
York Tribune, has given the result!J
of his study of the suBject in a re?
markable book on The Folksongs? |
the American Negro. It is an im?
partial tribute to the music of t"e
negro and .-hows the fairness of the
American people in allowing to *ne
negro a just contribution to Ame"
ican art. Wherever this music '?>
heard, one should think of the dupl
in the negro's life when he -e
upon these ro? ??- '" ir comfort and
strength, ami how they were th?
only vehicles upon which he coo?
rely to carry his message to a he* |
tile world.
It is encouraging to see the atti?
tude that is beihg taken toward th?
music, and I believe that through
these songs many of the prob.e ?
could be adjusted. The music ??
bound to become more the concerr
of the public, as the community?01*
and the attempt to introduce r??s*
to every community is beiw
stressed.
Perhaps the best testimony to thtf
music is that after 300 years w
still lives, gaining more in f*r0'*?]?
earning the commendation ?*,
classes and univer?allyaeeto?i,i*
the origina! American surf* * g*