The Arkansas banner., 1848-05-30
"Seeiag the EIePhanl.n '

The origin cf this common aud expressive phrase is thus described;
 sens years since, st one ef the PhisdeiPha Thes,ress pageant Was ln rchea s,l in which Il was necsssary to have elephant No elephant was to De had. The ''wild boasts were all travel ling, sad the PsoPeriy man, sesee dIrecior and masegsss alm0st had 6is when they thought ef it, Days passed tn the hspeles. task of endsavornx Ia secure ose. bat ct last Yankee IBgesuity triumph cd, as indeed It always does, and an elephant Was daiy made to ssdes sf wood. skIss, paint. sad n sh Thus far the matter all well, bat ss yet they had lound no means To make the said eombi- nation travel. Here again the genias nf manager, stage dtrecsor aad property man ''stuck out" and two of the 'saPes' were duly installed as iegs.- Ned C---, one of the true and genuine ab'ho,s, held the responsible station of isse-iegs, aud for several nights he piaycd thai heavy port to the Ire saiisiac'ion of the manager and the delight of the anaieBc~. The part however. was a very tedi ous one, as the elephant obliged ,o be u c stage for about sn hcur, aud Ned was rather loo fond of ths botle ia re,nsia SO borg without wet ting h.s whistle, ., he t his wis 10 work to find way to carry i've dfop with him. The .yts of inc elephant beiBg made ci two porter boit s, the neck in, Ned ved the biliiaat idea oi fitting them win 'goed siud" This he faliy arried oat and, eaief win success, willingly asds, iosk to play the iore-legs again.
 Night came and the theatre was crowheI with tho ds'rEzens of the Qeaker city; the music played It's sweet strssns. Inc whsle soapsd, the esrtsih rose. aud the play began. Ned and the hind legs marched upon the stage The slephah, wss gre tel with sound spnn round Of srplsase. Tse de- eaxateas, the tfspPtags, ~sre gorgeous, the Pinee seated on his back, the elephant, al were loudly cheered. The play proceeded; tlle elephant march. ed rou1d the stage. The fore-iegs got dry, and withdrew one of the corks. tFestsd hiad-t rs and drAsk the health of the sudienes in . bumper oi gesuos etepbaaf eye whiskey--a bssnd, by the way, iili then unknown On went he play. and on sent Ned drirkiDg- The including march wss 10 he made-the signal was given. and the iofel gs s,sg- sefed towards the fiosl oi the stage. The leot lights obstroeied his way; he raj-eJ b,s feet and siepped-pismR into ths orchestra Down gent he lore legs on the leaders, hdde evss of cosrse turned the siePhAnt. ss5ding the PriRee, clnsei, followed hy hind legs into the middle of the pit - The manager siood horror struck. inc Priaee and hind legs lay eonfouRied the bnxes In eonvuiso.S. the actors choking with lsn ghitr, and poor Ned casting ana lo0k, stsasss bsholag of drunkenness, gFef and laasht-r. si the as, hel hastily oat o the theatre. closely followed by tho le4dos wlta inc .reek ef hs fiddle, peffHaing var oas cut aId '"rUst liJiieis " tss @r. iB,agibe tAo acsne -rs at t for uIe AAne one oi you. fl yea rs,
 Ias r aii, readei, g2ii, y0a b p.tIrv ~ lite cL ria Ii ar0pPe 0d tsee,ae 8efl4&l g slies " No tt''ie fs t49t ho ia0re ie4e-lezi bai eFai lyals 'u'eins tis 1T s4e, ic actor, pit gallery aIst bsAes fa,hea rJN the tse tTe iek isg 5e ,s oeA sSefy tEeatA-- fl4n ,,sU s-aq k4e II. t6.fstttf