Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-04-08

ORISIx. o. "Sg1fNd ran ElEPHAMT."-]
Some years tincs, q one 6fths sPhiladelphia
theatres, . pagsnt was In rshsarsal in which
it was necessary to have a. elephant No
elephant was to be had sThes ssNild 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 trying'to sccure one; but at
last Yankee ingenuity tffumphed, q indeed
it .lsays does, and an elephant was made TO-
order, Of wood, skins, paint and yasnish.--I
Thus far the matter was ell very wall but a.
vet they found no meAas to iaskeI sid combi-
nation travel. Here againsthe genius Of the
manager, the stage director and property man
stuck out, aud two ssbrothsrs'si were duly in
stalled as legs. Ned O. ZONE Of the true
and genuine ''b'hoys,," held the station Of
fore legs and for several nights he played
that heavy part to the entire satisfaction Of
the managers and the delight Of the audience.
The part, however, was . tedious one, as
the elephant MAS obliged 10 be on the stage
about an hour, and Ned wasrather too fond Of
the bottle to remain SO long without sswhet.
ting his whistle, y 80 he set his Wits to work
to find u way to carry wee drop with him.
The eyes Of the elephant being made Of two
porter bottles with the necks in, Ned coticeiv-
Cd the brilliant idea Of filing them with
GOOD stuff. This he fully carried out, and
elated with success, he willingly undertook te
play forelegs again. a
Night came on The theater WAS densely
crowded with the denizens Of the Quaker
City--the music was played in thessweetast
saesins-s-lhe curtain rose, and the paa@ began.
Ned and "hind legs'' marched upon the stage.
| The elephant was greeted with round and
round Of applause. The decorations and the
ltrappings were gorgeous. The elephant shd
the prince seated upon his back were ! ,udiy
cheered. aes&
The play proceeded; the elephant was
marched round and round the stage. The
\ fore legs treated the hind legs, and then
drank the health of the audience in = bumper
Of genuine elephant eye whisky. brand, by
The way, till theueunknown. On went TIC
play, and on went the drinking. The conclu'
| sion march was 10 be nade--the signal was
I given, and the fore legs staggered towards
| dc. front Of the stages. The conductor pulled
the ears of the elephant to the right the
fore legs to the left. The foot lights Oh
structed the way, and he raised his feet and
stepped plump into the orchestra! s ,s.T
Down went the fore legs on to the leader
fiddle !. over, oleourse. turned the elephant
sending the .pt1nce and hind legs into tn
, middle Of the pit. The mansgers stood hor
frof-struck'; the prince and hind Il Is ily. CON
> founded, the boxesin convulsons, the actors
3 choking with laughter, and poor Ned, csstin,
one look. = strange blending Of drunkenness
[grief snd laughter " the scene, fed hastily
out Of the theatre closely followed; BY the Tea
der with the wreck Of his fiddle, performing
various cot and thrust motions in. the air.
= The curtin. dropped on scene behind th
scenes. No lasrep asssnt mo mere lore leg
but everybody held their sides. Music
, actors, pit, boxes and gallery, rushed iron
/ 1.-The theatre, shrieking between every breath
s'Aase yes sesn The ekpAaaf's- iesr's .1os'
nal ~ ~