Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-06-18
EXIT ROMEO.
Deasn OF The Great Elephant at Forepsughi
Sircus-Ihe Remains ON Exhibition AZ
Chi cago-Aecount Of his Life and
Services.

yesterday forenoon, June I'D Ro-
meo died.
Romeo was the greatest elephant
OF Adam Forepaugh's circus, a crea>
ture OF vast bulk, of many years dura-
tion, OF great Dotoriety, and as well
known in America as the living
wh,te-hatted elephant which the
Democrats and Liberal Republicans
have now got on their hands. Ro-
meo lay down at a quarter past nine
o'clock in the morning, and he
breathed his last sigh in about two
hours. The event was not unexpeet-
ed. lie had ailing in the extremi-
ties for some time past, and he had
been losing flesh at the rate of about
hundred pounds a day for a week.
Such disastrous process of reduce
ton could not long continue without
bringing about lis natural result; and
SO, after submitting to q surgical OPP
Grafton by DIR. Boyd, who has made
a special duty of elephantine anato-
my, the great Romeo shuffled off his
mortal coil, trunk and all, and left it
lying in the sawdust for exhibition.
The least astonishing part of this
performance was, that the biggest
elephant in the United States should
have come to Chicago to die. 1t is
pretty we'll understood by this time,
that every thing startling, everything
of notoriety, must either start from
Chicago, or come to Chicago for its
final contamination. The Cardiff
giant was born in Chicago. The
great elephant Romeo died in Chica-
60. The great fire of the century
occurred in Chicago. Somehow ev-
erything remarkable happens at the
favored spot. Romeo suffered much
and Travelled far to accomplish it,and
he succeeded. lie died of lock Jaw.
The operation performed upon his
feet may have FASTENED, but it GER,
tainly did not cause bis death, and of
this fact the owner is pretty we'll
satisfied. The truth is, Romeo's days
were numbered, and nothing could
have saved him. perhaps, but q more
prompt attention to those distress
ing feet of his, which had been
brought into their diseased conGi-
ton by his own uncomfortable tenn
per.
Such an interesting subject as this,
which has been before the world in
various public capacities for nearly
century, cannot be allowed TO pass
away without fitting obituary, and
the life and experiences of the de-
ceased would certainly furnish mat.
ter enough for bulky one. His age
was estimated at between eighty and
one hundred years, and he has trav
eled over almost every portion of
this continent. When one considers
that his weight was five tons and 1873
pounds, it is no wonder that he should
at least expire of sore feet. He has
been known everywh here for twenty
years as the great war elephant,
title which he earned by numerous
conflicts with his keepers, in which
he always succeeded in getting the
best of them.
Mr. Forepaugh purchased him in
1864 from Mabie, then exhibiting in
Delavan, Wisconsin, for $42 500
The latter had him from a native Of
Calcutta, in which city Romeo was
employed as a common workman in
a brick-ya ard. He was self-made
elephant, and came to this country
without dollar in his pocket. At
the time of his death he was worth
$40, 600 The deceased may be re-
garded, by those who adopt the OAR
wiDian theory, as kind of missing
link between real estate and animal
life. He partook of both natures in
an eminent degree. As real estate
he was exceedingly valuable, and as
an animal he was exceedingly cross.
He never manifested any i'll temper,
however, except to his keepers, whom
be seems to have regarded as his
sworn enemies. He has made way
with FIVE of these unfortunate men,
and that is his war record. His
method of killing was generally to
strike the man down with his trunk
and then place his foot quietly on his
breast. The keeper never knew what
was the matter with him till it was
all over.
But Romeo was not only distin-
guished as man slaughterer He
played prominent part in some cit
les as a rioter, and on the occasion
as burglar. In 1865 he broke out
in Philadelphia, and raised such
commotion in the Quaker City that
the Mayor bad to issue orders to have
him shot He had been amusing
himself by tossing street car, tear
ing up lamp posts, and breaking in
to houses where children were play
ing on the door-steps. The shoot
ing did not harm him much, nor
change his..temperament. He shook
buckshot from him as the lion shakes
the dew drops from his name, and
"went" for new keeper. One thing
was always said in his favor. He
was fond of little children, and he
manifested great courtesy to stran-
gers. 1t appears that be was SUBJ
ject to periodical fits of insanity, and
it was during these "spells" that the
violent attacks were generally made
upon bis keepers. There are many
living here to-day who will remem-
Der the time, in 1863. when Romeo
broke out of his confinement in Chi
cago, and broke into a jewellery store
near the old Matterson House
That was day of terror to many of
the children who probably went yes
terday to take look at the remains.
On another occasion in 1869, be hap
pened to be passing place in Indi-
ana where party Of men were sit
ting engaged in game of euchre.
Romeo was opposed to gambling and
he very unceremoniously put stop
to the game by overturniDg the ia
bic and scattering the cards in the
air. At Columbia, in 1866. be wan
I Ia IL