The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1872-01-04


at the box Office adjoining tho Covont
Garden Theatre, when his ears were
assailsd by . strange and unusual up.
roar within tho walls.
On asking ono Of tho carpenters the
cause Of it, ho was told there was
sonnet hing wrong with tho elephant,
but could not exactly tell what.
lem not aware what might be tho
u'sgo powaday's; but then, whenever
a new piece had been announced for
presentation on given night, and
there was but scarce time for its pre-
paration, q rehearsal would take place
after tho nights regular performance
was over and tho audience having
been dismissed. Ono such there had
been before my fathers curiosity had
been aroused.
As il had been arranged that Mrs.
Horny johnson, seated in bowdah on
the elephants back, should pass over
q bridge in tho centre Of n numerous
group offollowcrs, it was thought ex.
pedisut that this unwcIldly monsters
tractability should be tcstcd.
On stepping up to the bridge, which
was slight aud temporary, the saga
cious brute throw back his foro fee.
aud refused to stir. 1t is woll known
as . fact in natural history that the
elephant, because of its unusual bulk,
will never trust it's weight upon any
object which is unequal to its support.
Tho stage manager soeiug how ros.
olutely the animal resisted every at
tempt mado to compel or induce it to
60 over the bridge in question, propos.
cd that they should stay proceedings
till next day, when ho might be 10 q
better mood. 1t was during tho repe-
tition of the experiment that father,
hearing the extraordinary sounds, do
tsrmincd to 90 AMI 500 if no could a..
certain the cause oft.
The first sight that mot his cyos
kindled his indigo alton. There stood
the huge animal, with downcast eyes
and tapping ears, meskly submitting
to blow after blow from q sharp iron
goad, which his driver was driving
ferociously into tho aeshy part Of his
mock at tho root Of his ear. Tho floor
on which he stood was covered with q
pool Of blood.
Oue of tho proprietors impatient at
what LIE regarded senseless obstinacy,
kept urging tho driver to still greater
extremities, when Charles Young,
who was a groat lover Of animals, sx-
postulated with him; went up to the
poor patient sufferer, and pattod and
caressed him; and when the driver
was about to weld his instrument
again, with even still moro vigor, he
caught him by tho wrist as in a vice,
and stayed him from further vio-
lonce.'
Whilo an angry alteration was 60
ing on between Young and the man
Of color, who was his driver, Capt.
Hay of,ho Ashel, who had brought
over Chunk in bis ship, and had pettsd
him greatly on the voyage, camo in
and begged to know what waa the
matter.
Before a word Of explanation cauld
DO given, the much-wrouged creature
spoke for himself, for, as soon as no
perceived tho entrance Of bis patron,
he waddlsd up 10 him, aud with q lock
Of gentlc appeal, caught hold Of his
hand With hi, probocis, plunged It in
to his bleeding wound, and then thrust
it before his eyes.
The gesture seemed to say, as plain.
ly q, irit had been enforced by speech
" See how these cruel men troat Chung.
Can you approve Of it 7"
The hearts Of tho hardest present
were ssnsibly touched by what they
saw; aud among them of the gentle
man who had been 30 energetic 10
promoting its harsh treatment. 1t
was under q better impulse that he
ran out into the street, purchased q
few apples at . stall, and offered them
to him. Chunk eyed him sstance,
took them, threw them beneath his
feet, and, when be had crushed them
to pulp, spurned them for him.
Young, who lad gone into the Con-
vent Garden with the samo crowd AZ
tho gentleman who had preceded
him, shortly sftor reentored, and also
l. II o.k a. h;,, ,n,.. f-,;k x~b., 40