Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-09-17
A Talk With an Elephant Trainer.
A Detroit paper has the following :

n hCtiolt poi lho tuC IoilOnlHp.
Baby Annie" exhibited on Friday and
Saturday in this city, is as popular and
as well known as majority Of human
actors, who tread the boards instead of the
sawdust ring. Like them she endeayors
to please, and in her way feels chagrin as
deeply when she fails to receive the ap-
probation believed to be merited. She is
now five years DID, and, though far from
her "teens,' is nevertheless a pretty good
lump of a body, weighing eighteen hun
dred pounds. Her history has been care.
fally kept, and Mclaughlin, Ter trainer,
can tell you everything about her.
At the time Of her capture, she was only
two years old :; but Smith, the captor. as
sisted by a party of Africans and dogs.
found her as hard to control in her inlancv,
as most women are at mature age. After
q few weeks training she was started for
the coast, eight hundred miles away, and
Kenyon has yet in his cages two large hy-
enas that rode in baskets slung over Miss
Annie's back. Her cost in New York was
eight thousand dollars, and at the time Of
her purchase she was the smallest elephant
in this country, and is still the only genu-
inc African elephant. Though sbe has
never been hard pushed to test her endu-
rance on the road, she once took stretch
Of forty-two miles over the rocky roads of
Pennsylvania in eleven hours, and showed
not the least signs Of exhaustion.
Miss Annie is q model female--one of
old school, and would as soon twist her
head off as TO harm a human being who
treated her courieously. Last winter, in
her quarters at Philapelphia, she exhibited
love and hate in very singular manner
Mclaughlin had imbibed rather freely. and
returning 10 the barn, got into a difficulty
with policeman, who was bent on arrest.
ing him. The cop. had been around the
barn good deal, and was somewhat ac-
quanted with the elephant. The trainer
fled % the barn. and getting behind "Bahy,"
refused to s..bmit to arrest. Mr.. ?. II.
boldly advanced to bring him out, when
the elephant thrust him aside with her
trunk
THIS was repeated several times, tie
trainer encouraging her, when the police
man gave her an angry blow with his
baton. and sought to push by Blowing
her shrill trumpet, "Baby" caught hin
round the waist. and giving him a strong
whirl, deposited the frightened blue-coal in
barrel Of oats fifteen feet away. As he
had rot instrl c;ions to arrest The elephant,
and could not arrest the man without
her, concluded not to press matters fur
ther.
At another time last summer, during a
hot night, Mclaughlin lay down beside
Baby" on a bale OF hay, and soon fell
asleep. Near him WAS the cage Of the
Bengal tiger, II fierce and ungoverna BE
animal, and treacherous to the last degree.
By lying down the beast could get his
paws at full length under the bars, and on
the morning OF that dsy he had given his
unsuspecting keeper stroke with his
claws that tore open the mans cheek in
horrible manner. Restless, Mclaughlin
rolled about, and eyes OF the ROYAL gls-
tened ns he saw the body coming nearer to
his cru,l claws. At length. Just as one
of the keepers entered the door, the trainer
rolled down 80 near that the tiger reached
ont and caught his clothes. With savage
snarl be was Strengthening back for pull,
to get the flesh under his nails, when the
elephant, which had been sleeping. rose
up at the growl, and seeing the situation
at glance, rushed forward, before tie
man at the door had scarcely advanced
step, and with blow Of her trunk made
the tiger let 80 his hold and scream with
pain and fury.
Since her capture she has increased
seven hundred pounds in weight, and six
inches in height. 1.,ree years ago she had
not the sign of a irsk, now she has worries
six inches long, and rowing finely. In
W. H., Jr,- ~.
a bath at every creek, and her trainer gives
her dozen Iails Of waro~ ever her back,
# standing alone in II itrt. About twice
a year she gets SIX g..il5as oe linseed oil
rubbed over her skin; withoat it the hide
would get so dry as to feel anG ernnd ike
board Her usual feed per day Is bushel
of oats and one hundred and fifty pounds Of
hav, and she drinks if moderately thirsty,
twenty pals Of water nj time. As stated.
size is very doci'e, mnding readily if she
understands what is wantr'
Doing wrong through ignorance. lei her
trainer "bless her eyes little, and
Baby shows as much sorrow ne q repent,
AMI infant. AS this is her 'h,ri SESSION, The
person must be sharp M.3 n impose on
her worthless gift About four weeks
afH a man gave ner Slick OF cahav "h'cn
had been soaked for some time in tobacco
ii-, s a.inr rot to mind the Joke,
Baby waited !. ii;, ana when the joker
had almost forgotten the incident, she took
up huge piece Of liver lying near he
cage Of lions, and sent the mass full against
the fellows breast. knocking him down,
and altogether spoiling the 30 ntn of his
white shirt, and his IDEAS of superior smart
ness.