Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-01-29
V A R EFT Y.
/" Seeing the ELEPHANT

The origin Of this now common and ex-
pressiyc phrase is thus described in one OF
our exchanges:-
Some years since, at one of the Philadel-
phia theatres, pageant was in rehearsal IN
which il was necessary 10 have an elephant.
No elephant was to be had. The wild
beasts were all travelling, and the property
man, stage director and manager, almost
had fits when they thought Of it. Days
passed in the hopeless task of endeavoring
to secure one; but, at last, Yankee ingenui-
ty triumphed, as indeed railways does and an
elephant was duly made to order, OF wood,
skins, paint and yarnish. Thus far 1t was
all well, but as yet they had found no means
to make the said combination travel. Here
again the genius of the manager stage d.
rector and property man stuck OUT and
two Of the supes' were duly installed as
legs. Ned C, one of the true and
genuine sb'hoys,' held the responsible sta
ton of fore-iegs, and for several nights ne
played that heavy part to the entire salts
faction Of the manager and the delight of
the audience. The part, however, was a
very tedious one, as the elephant was obli-
ged to be on the stage for about an hour,
and Ned was rather too fond of the bottle
TO remain so long without swcttng his
WHISTLE so he sets his wits 10 work to find
n way TO carry wee drop with him.
The eyes of the elephant being made of
two porter bottles with the necks in Ned
conceived the brilliant idea Of filling them
with good stuff This he fully carried
out, and, elated with his success, willingly
undertook to play the fore-iegs again.
Night came, the theatre was crowded
with the denizens of the Quaker city, the
music played its sweetest strains, the whis-
tie sounded, the curtain rose and the play
began. Ned and the hind legs marched up
on the stage. The elephant was greeted
with round upon round of applause. The
decorations, the trappings were gorgeous
the Prince seated on his back, the elephant,
all were loudly chcered. The play pro-
cecded, the elephant was marched around
the stage. The fore-iegs got dry, and with
drew one Of the corlxs, treated the hind legs, /
bumper of genuine elephant eye whiskey, a
brand by the way, till then unknown. On
went the play, and on went Ned drinking. |
The concluding march was to be made
the signal was given and the fore legs stag
gered towards the front Of the stage. The |
foot lights INSTRUCTED his wayne raised |
his feet and stcpped-plump into the or
chestra! Down went the fore-legs ON the !
leaders fiddle--over Of course turned the !
sending the Prince, closely follow |
ed by the hind legs into the middle of the |
pit. The manager stood horror-struck--- |
the Prince and hind legs lay coniounded-- |
the boxes in commissions, the actors choking
with laughter. And poor Ned casting one
look, strange blending of drunkenness,
GRIEF and laughter at the scene, fled hastily |
out Of the theatre, closely followed by the |
leader, with the wreck of his fiddle, perform
ing various cut and thrust motions in the
air. Imagine the scene, paint II for me
some one if you can.
The result, reader, can you not picture
iii The curtain dropped on n scene be
hind the sccnesr No more pageant--no
more fore legs, but every body holding their
sides, music, actors, pit, gallery aud boxes.
rushed from the theatre, shriekiug between
every breath hare you seen The eiephaniP