Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-06-15

Elephants are the largest and heaviest
of land animala, but, when tanned, they
also are among the most gentle and af
fectionate. big boys, take notice.
A baby elephant when first born,
stands about three feet high, and he is
not fairly grown up until he is thir
ty years old. At thirty he weighs from
three to five tons. His tusks are from
six to eight feet long, and from sixty to
one hundred pounds i'll weight. If he
meets with no accident, he will live to
be at least one hundred and fifty years
old, and probably two hundred. His
appetite is tremendous.
According to the testimony of
menagerie- keepers, he will eagerly
swallow in single day two hundred
pounds of fresh vegetables, three big
bales of hay, and about seventy-five
gallons of water In his native haunts,
when hiding all day in deep forests from
the hunters, who are pursuing him for
his ivory tusks, he thinks nothing of
going sixteen miles for drink, after
dark. He can tear off forest branches
with his trunk (Which is really an elon-
gated nose), and he can be taught to
pick mp needle with that same trunk,
and as for the crushing feet, they will
pick thoir way as daintily as a ban
tam S if kind master lies upon the
ground and bids the tremendous crea-
ture walk over HIM. SO ytu see, upon
the whole, an elephant is rather fine
fellow.
Many stories that are known to be
quite true prove that he is capable of
gratitude and of genuine sorrow for
wrong doing. He has been known to
die of grief when III a sudden tit of rage
he had killed his guide. A very large
and sagacious elephant was for long
time on exhibition at the Geological
Gardens in Dresden. He had been
trained to make his wants known by
ringing bell. After dinner he would
ring for his attendant, a well-trained
monkey, who would bring him his des-
sert on a tray while he quietly held his
plate until it was filed.
You have probably heard the old
story of the elephant who punished a
teasing tailor by squirting water upon
him The tailor had pricked the
creatures trunk. and as that organ is
remarkably sensitive, strong as 1T Is
the insult was not to be meekly borne.
Another elephant, employed IN carry
ing stores for the English regiment
stationed in India, refused to bear
greater weight than was agreeable to
him, and repeatedly pulled part of the
load off his back. This 50 annoyed
the quartermaster that he threw an
iron tent-pin at the elephants head.
A few bays after, asthe animal was GO
ing from the camp to water at the well,
he overlook the quartermaster, and,
Selling him with his trunk, lifted HIM
INTO large tamarind- tree, leaving him
to cling to the boughs and get down as
well rs he could,
One day an elephant ON exhibition
in London, was being fed with potatoes,
when one fell on the floor, just beyond
his reach. The elephant put out his
trunk, and just touched the potato, but
could not pick it up After several
unsuccessful efforts, he at last bieD the
potato against the opposite wall with
such force as to make it rebound, and
he then secured it without further
trouble. SO you see this biggest of
land animals is not only powerful, pa
tient, grateful, spirited, and affection
ate, but he also Is shrewd and able to
overcome difficulties by the aid of his
wits; however, these qualities in man
or beast are very apt to be found to-