Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-08-26
An Unfortunate Elephant.

death, always took good care to pay the
printer.
An Unfortunate Elephant.
The monster Elephant, "Empress," that
travels with French's Oriental Circus,
seems to encounter constant trouble.
Near Mortified she broke through a
bridge and was lame for several days.
The Montreal Star says:
when she was brought to tho Long
Bridge over the Richeleu river at ST
Johns. she evidently retained vivid re-
collection of this mishap, and neither
coaxing, threats, persuasion, nor force
could induce her to bulge an inch on the
perilous structure. Nor does 1t appear
that her apprehensions were unfounded-
for the proprietors of the bridge notified
the menagerie managers that they were
dubious of the capacity of the bridge
to bear the weight of the elephant,
and that if they crossed her they
must do it at their own risk. The
morning was rather chilly, and az they
did not wish to risk her health by swim
ming, they concluded to make the ven
ture. The band chariot and an enor
nous den of performing lions We're start
ed on ahead of her, IN order to give her
confidence, and when she saw that they
went safely over, she was induced To fol-
low, which she did very slowly, testing
every plank and timber with her feet and
trunk as she progressed. Whenever she
discovered any of the timbers to be de-
.ective, she would cross over the division
to the opposite roadway, and would SO
progress until she came to another doubtful
place. when she would cross back again.
She worked along in this way until she had
come more than half way over, when She
became suspicious that neither road was
safe, and started rapidly back, driving
back the long den of cages that were fol-
lowing and clearing the bridge for space
of ten or more rods At this juncture
flock of sheep came running past her, and
she vented her spleen by picking them
up one by one with her trunk and throw
ing them into the river, until she had dis
posed of seven in this way. She WAS
finally induced to 20 on, and after having
been more than two hours in crossing, ar
rived safely over. The scene was wit
messed by over two thousand people, and
the utmost excitement prevailed
BEECHER-FABLEs. = Miss Cathnrinc
Beecher issues Il vigorous protest against
several stories circulating to the discredit
of her gifted family one that her father
preached sermon to single hearer, who
Afterwards became a distinguished mission
airy This fable used to provoke the old
Doctor beyond measure. Another, that
he obtained his second wife by sudden
prayer Immediately after popping the
question Another, the latest of all, that
one of her brothers charge al a sons or
dnation was, that he should never forget
he was the grandson of his grandfather,
the son of his. father and the nephew of
his uncle very foolish speech, but never
made except in imagination. Fourth,
that II. W. L. preached one hot afternoon
from profanc q EJACULATION which he heard
in the porch Fifth, that Mrs. Stowe
failed in Florida, that she changed her
opinion Of negro character, and moreover
was bad housekeepcr All of which
have been circulated throughout the couu-
try in utter contradiction of facts.
Some Of these SANDERS are the penalty
which eccentric genius has to pay in
country which respects no domestic pri-
vacy they prove for the thousandth time,
like the fable of Longfellow's one armed
daughter, how people love to gossip about
personal peculiarities: when higher
education shall supplant the present shams
this mean habit will be forgotten. Would
it not be we'll in this growing community
that good public library should be sus-
tanned To carry on the education which
graded schools can only Begin Can men
Of means do better thing than make the
petty collection of respectable old books
at the High School large enough to attract
young readeIsr For the year past not
book has been added OF many gifted
names in recent literature not "a trace can
be found there. And yet, u high school
can only carry earnest minds far enough
for ward to feel Il want which here there
is absolutely nothing to supply The
money carried away by one circus might
lay the foundation for a very respectable
and thoroughly useful collection Of books