The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1864-02-18
Origin of Seeing the Elephant.


Some wears since at one of the Philadel-
lphia theaters, a pageant was in rehearsal
in which it was necessary to have an ele7
1phant. No elephant was to be had. The
wild beasts were all travelling, and the pro-
perty man, stage director, and manager, al
most had fits when they thought of it,
Days passed 10 the hopeless task of trying
to secure one; but at last YANKEES ingenuity
triumphed, as indeed railways docs, and an
elephant was made to order, of wood, skins,
paint, and Varnish. Thus far the matter
was all very well; but as yet they found no
mears to make said com bination travel. :.
Here again the genius of the manager, the
stage director, and property man stuck out.
and two 'broths' were duly Installed as legs.
Ned c.. one of the true and genuine
b'hoy, 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 a very tedious
one, as the elephant was obliged to be on
the stage about an hour, and Ned wa rather
too fond OF the bottle to remain so long
without wetting his whistle, SO he set his
wits to work to find a way to carry a wee
drop with him. Tue eyes of the elephant
being made Of two porter bottles, with the
neck In. Ned conceived the brilliant idea
Of filling them with good stuff. This he
fully carried out, and elated with success,
he willingly undertook to play fore-lOgs
again. -.--.. -....... :, ..-...3 b..
Night came on-the theatre was densely
crowded with the denizens of the Quaker
city-the music yves played in the sweetest
strains-the curtain rose and the play be-
gan. Ned and the hind legs marched upon
the stage. The elephant was crested with
round upon round of applause. The deco
rations and the trapPings were gorgeous =
The elephant, aud the prince seated upon
his back were loudly cheered.
The play proceeded; the eleph ant was
marched round aud round upon the stage.
The fore-legs got dry, withdrew one of the
corks and treated the hind legs, and then
drank the health OF the audience in bum
per OF genuine ELEPHANT eye whisky, brand
by the way, till then unknown. On went
the play and on went Ned drinking. The
conclusion march was to be made-the sig
nal was given and the fore-legs staggered
towards the front oft stage, the couduc-
tor pulled the ears OF the elephant to the
rIght-the fore legs staggered to the left
The footlights obrtructed the way, and he
raised his foot and stepped plump into the
orchestral! Down went the fore-legs on to
the leaders fiddle; over of course, turned
tue eIePnahVI seudlnS the prince and hind
legs into the middle of the pit. The man
sgers stood horror struck; the prince and
hind Legs lay COMPOUNDED, the boxes in con
WILSON'S, the actors choking with laughter,
and poor Ned casting one look, a strange
blending of drunkenness, grief and laugh
ter at the scence, fed hastily out of the
wreck of his fiddle, performing various cut
and thrust notions in the air. The curtain
dropped on a scene behind the scenes. No
more pageant-uo more fore legs-but
everybody held their sides. Music, actors,
pit, boxes, and gallery, rushed from the
theatre shrieking between every breath,
" Hove yOu seen the Elephant? Miners
Journal -- - --------