The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-10-08
'FI,e Rattle gor the Elephant.

The Rattle atsr ERe Elephant
| 1t is now four years ago that certain MIR.
Joseph Fletcher, generally known IN Hartford
shire by sporting name OF "Porky Jenkins, !"
kept the Flying Dutchman." public house
| in the pleasant little country town of Piping
| ton cum-Taber, little off the high road, and
about a dozen miles or 50 beyond the sepul-
Ichral town of st. Adams.
+ Perky Jenkins had formerly been the cham
pion of the light weights, and the hero OF
special paragraphs in the sporting papers; but
having got old, puffy and thirsty, and having
sold SO many fights and so many hackers, that
no one at last could be found daring enough
to either front him or back him, he had thrown
UP the sponge, and gracefully retired under
the shade of his own laurels, behind the bar
of private life. Handsome but for broken
nose. brave but for his fat vituous but for a
disposition to low gambling, Perky Jenkins
was respected by his brewer, honored by the
poachers whose game he bought and feared
| by every one but his wife.
The Flying Dutchman was place where
many sorts of beer were drawn, and many
sorts of business transacted lnquests were
held in that little wainscotted parlor and also
public meetings there raffies took place, and
there the ''Sons of Apollo" chanted; there bar
gains were struck, and there foreign wars and
home taxes were discussed, over gin and wa
ter. In fact the Flying Dutchlnan was at
once goose-club music hall, market
room, tavern and betting booth.
On the October night referred to, rattle
was being held-a rattle, | might say unpre-
cedented, whether we take into consideration
the enormous nature of the prize or the ride
ulously low sum each had to risk would
give any one from Shrovetide to Shrovetide,
and he would not guess what it was the small
! tradesmen of Pipington-cum-Iabor were RAT
| fling for that October night IN question. fat
goose and bottle of Old Tom? Not bit OF
it. A mangle and garden roller? No. A
piano and chestnut mare? But, dear, had
forgotten-I let it all out in the title OF my
story Well, 1t was, | own it, of all things
in the world, that ponderous freak of creation,
an Elephant, and going at great sacrifice,
too 1t was being ratified for by forty mem
beers, who had lain down ten shillings each,
and were now throwing dice for the stipend
Gus and rather impractible prize.
The forty members-Buckle, the saddler
Lacey the tailor Druf, the baker; Chicken
body, the green grocer; Stithy, the blacksmith,
Howell. the gardner; with the other thirty
/
wrangling and garrulous excitement, partly
owing to the heat of competition. Chicken
body, the little weak-mnded green-grocer had
actually, in defiance of his acid ''nagging''
wife, bought all three shares of Porky Jenkins,
who had parted with them with feigned re-
lIuctance, and only receiving bonus of one
pound sterling and glass of gin and bitters.
Thirty-nine clay pipes were pointing and nod
| OF wi
never could smoke, and therefore very wisely
acknowledgements Chickenbody, who had
lust thrown dies with Drutf the baker, and
was going to throw again for the conqueror.
If the elephant had been the koh-l-noor, OIL
the goose with the golden eggs, Chickenbody
Icould not have been more excited he forgot
at that moment the high price of potatoes, and
even his wife, whom he had that night left
on the plea of urgent business with a market
gardener at Coddington.
But here l must digress from my main sub
iect, and explain how it was that an elephant
ever found it's way to Pipington- cum-Tabor,
and why it was put up to rattle, when we all
know that people generally, only rattle for
lettle-holders, explosive guns, ricketty dress
ing cases, and other small and useful articles
This is how it was Tho elephant ratified was
no common elephant, but the celebrated per
forming animal once belonging to THE Roy
al Imperial Olympic Capitalization Circus
Company" who had lately been performing
''Bombardment of Samarcand," in which
piece the aforesaid elephant figured as run
iect Sing" the favorite elephant of the Empe-
ror of Tammerlane.
Now, the Royal Imperial Olympic Central
ization Circus Company had wandered through
the home counties with great loss, and haC
finally gone to pieces, and been lefta complete
wreck at Pipington- cumTabor. The compa
ny had before this rolled on from place to place
throwing over goods to the storm, till no more
than the hulk was left for Mr.. Horatio Fit
Jones de Beverly to steer into port. One by
one the tumblers, and riders, and grooms haC
deserted him, till only an elephant, some vans
and few dresses, an Arab ''mahout," or ele
plant driver and Mr. H. F. de Beverly him
r self, were left. The last named gentleman
reveling without money, had rumor said, 81
entangled himself in debt at his quarters a
the Flying Dutchman, as to compel him t
sell his vans, and finally to put up his elephan
for rattle.
There were only three persons in the room
that night who did not appear to share tn
general excitement-these were Porky Jen
! kins, Mr.. H. f. de Beverly, and the real Ara
with the Tipperary countenance. Mr.. D
? Beverly, with the plaid and cloth waistcoat
festooned with gold chain, sat especially still
e in his chair, and preserved an undertaking ex
preston of benevolence.
But while fortune was posing her seal
above the heads of Augustus Chickenbod
and Ezra Druff, the air rang with cries c
Tommy Dodsr" odd man out!' Man !!
l ''Woman!" ''Heads, l win!" Tails, yo
Ioser' Zone to mel" and competing cries
The air seemed full of rafting dice AT last
at the third throw. Chickenbody filings skies
The elephant is his Mr.. De Beverly announ
ces the fact in the voice of old Hamlet's ghost
and Porky Jenkins strikes the table a tremer
dous blow with pewter pint-pot, and cries
Going, going gone
The thirty-nine raffiers crowded rouu
Chickenbody and congratulated him. Nj
De Beverly offered him ten pounds for hi
If prize.
5 Chickenbody, with his hair slightly owe
his forehead-which did not, however, niue
! disturb him-and with his thumbs la Rot
" ert Peel, in the arm holes of his waistcoat, de
p clared they were jolly companions ever.