Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-06-17
Dricsbach, the Beast-Tnmer,

his Beasts, now exhibiting in New York city
81 have spent an afternoon, since wrote to
you, in the animal kingdom of Herr Dries
bach. -Four elephants together were rather an
uncommon sight, to say nothing of the melo-
drama performed by the lion tanner. There
was another accidental feature Of interest, too
the presence ofone or two hundred deaf and
dumb, whose gestures and looks ofastonishment
quite divided my curiosity with the show.
Spite of the repulsivencss of the thought, II
was impossible not to rehcc, how much of the
difference between us and some of the brute
animals lies merely in the gift Of speech, and
how nearly some human being, by loosing this
gift, would be brought TO their level 7 was
struck with the prcdominating animdi.look in
the faces ofthe boys of the school, though there
were some of the female children with coun-
tcnanccs of a very delicate and intellectual
cast
81 was an hour TOO early for the perform
ance,' and climbed into the big saddle won by
SIAM and made leisurely study of the four
elephants and their keepers and vsiters.
had not noticed before that the eyes OF these
huge animals were so small Those ofI1anni-
bal the nearest elephant To me, resemblcG the
eyes Of Sir Walter Scott, and | thought, too,
that the forehead was not unlike Sir Walters
And, as if this was not resemblance enough,
there was copiuus issue from pump between
his forehead and his ear! (What might we not
expect if elephants had eat paper and drunk
ink y The resemblance ceased with the legs,
it is but respectful for Sir Walter to say for
Hannibal is dandy, and wears the fashionable
gaiter trousers, with diffetence-the gaiter
fitted neatly to every toe. The warlike name
of this elephant should be given TO Siam, for
the latter is the great warrior Of the party, and
in fight of six hours with Napoleon some
three months since, broke off both his tusks.
He looks like most determined bruser
'Virginius' (hc Snowman told me) killed his
keeper, and made his escape into the marshes
of Carolina not long ago, and, after an absence
of six weeks, was subdued and brought back by
former keeper, of whose discipline he had q
terrified recollection. There are certainly
different degrees of amiability in their counte-
nances | looked in vain for some of tho wrn-
kles of age in the one they said was much the
oldest unlike MS, their skins grow smoother
with time-the cnviable rascals noticed,
by the way, that thoush the proboscis OF each
| of the others was as smooth as dressed leather,
that of Siam resembling, in texture, scrub
bing brush, or the third day of stiff beard.
Why he should travel with hair trunk and
| the others not, could not get out of the show
man. The expense oftrainng and importing
these animals is enormous, and they are consi.
dered worth great deal of money. The -four
tegcther consume about two hundred weight
of hay and six bushels of oats pr diem For
tunately they do their own land transportation
and carry their own trunks.
AT four o'clock Siam knelt down, and fnul
or five men lifted his omnibus OF a saddle upor
his back. The band then struck up march
and he made the circuit of the immense tent
but the effect of an elephant in motion with on
ly his legs and trunk visible (his body quite co
vcred with the trappings) was sngularly droll
1t looked like an avenue taking walk prece
ded by huge catterpiller. could not resis
laughing heartily. Afler one round Siam stop
pea and knelt again. tc receive passengers
The wooden steps were laid against his eye
brow, and thence the children stepped TO the toI
of his head, tho here and there a scrambe
shortened the step by putting his foot into tn,
ear Of the patient animal. The saddle was a
last loaded with twelve girls, and with thi
'feerful responsibility on his back the elephan
rose and made his rounds, kneelng and renew
ing his load of 'innocen ce' at every circuit.
"The iontamer presently appeared and as
tonished the crowd rather more than the ele
phant. A prologue was pronounced, settln!
forth that a slave was to be delivered up To th,
wild.bc0sts, &c. A green cloth was spread be
fore the cage in the open tent, cperilous work.
thought, among such tender meat as two hun
drcd children,) and out sprung sudlenly a ful
grown tiger, who seized the gentleman in flesh
colored tights by the throat. A struggle ensu
es, in which they roll over and over on tn
) ground, and finally, the victim gets the uPPe
hand and 6rags out his devourer by the naPe G
his neck. l was inclined to think once or twic
, that the tiger was dong more than was Sc
! down for him in the play, but as the Newfound
D land dog of the establishment looked on yer
0 quietly, I reserved my criticism.
"The Herr next appeared in the long Gag
! with all his animals-lions, tigers, leoPard