Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-06-26
Prom the n. v. Clipper.
The Old War Elephant "ROmeO.'

HokEFAt0H lhrge elephaht hoheo
5 no more. lie died in the city of ChIca.
% on the morning Of Friday, June 7th,
.S72, at FIVE minutes after ii o'clock.
ieorge Forepaugh, his keeper, observed
he huge form quivering: he rushed to do
What at that time could be done--nothing.
The vast carcass rocked to and fro; the
limbs, colossal in size and herculean
strength, began tc stiffen, and refused to
pear their accustomed burden; the fan
ike ears fell; the wonderful trunk Drop
ped; the eye, which ha witnessed encouu-
ters on Indian soil between Hindoo Prince
and mighty rajah-that had looked on a
hundred sawdust arenas, aud had gazed
with delight on the infinite prairies of the
Western world; that eye, that had taken
in the wonders of hundred years, be.
came glazed and went out in the darkness;
and, what had once been citadel of in-
power, quaked at the approach
of "the pale horseman," and, amid the
fear of beasts and the CONSERVATION of
men, Romeo" the mighty, but mortal,
reeled, and fell to rise no more.
"Romeo" had been aiIing for some
time past in his legs aud few days ago
Profs. Boyd and Withers, ofthe Chicago
Medical College, were called in by Mr..
Forepaugh, and difficult surgical oper.
alton was performed on the animals FORE
legs. Large pieces Of flesh were cut
away, handful after handful ofputrifaction
was brought to the surface, and after cut.
ting and gousing for two hours, both legs
were cauterized with red hot irons, and
during all this time the huge animal dis.
ployed the uoblest qualities of fortitude,
seeming to be convinced that the terrible
operations were to rebound for his own
good.
In 1864 tho menagerie belonging tc
Jeremiah Mable was sold to Messrs Johr
O'Brien and Adam Forepaugh, and whcr
a year or two after, these gentlemen dis
solved partnership Mr. O'Brien took the
smaller elephant, while Mr.. Forepaugf
kept Romeo" and has had him evel
since.
AS he lay dead in the pavilion, in Chi
cago, he was visited by thousands, man,
shedding tears over the old dead hero.
On the morning of June Sth, "Romeo'
was laid in state with all his rich trap
pings upon him, and, as the eminent mel
Of Chicago, and the members of the ban'
gathered about, Prof. Tony Franks ban'
executed Pleyel's LYNN and the Dea,
March from "Saul." The scene was i'm
pressive, and the least affected person il
the assemblage was Adam Forepaugh
though nearly all others stood with tear
in their eyes. That night, at the conclu
sion of the exhibition, the professors ofth
Chicago Medical College, the members e
the press, and a few invited persons gath
cred in the menagerie tent, and ''Romeo
the hero of a century, was dissected an
carried away to be preserved and place
on exhibition, Mr.. Forepaugh having pre-
sented his remains to the city of Chicago
Romeo was fine performing elephau
in fact, one of the best in the country; i
his vicious moments his spleen was e,
pended on his keepers, but he never il
Jured a stranger, and while little chill
could fondle him with impunity, it ws
dangerous for any member Of the comp;
ny to take liberties with him. The none
value Of ''Romeo" was as nothing in con
parlson to his attractiveness as a drawn
card, for almost every person in IL
country knew him, and though the brav
stately old hero, has gone, Mr.. For
paugh will soon have another large ell
phant, which he is already negotiating 70
In this come ,tion, as matter of i
formation and interest, we give the ic
lowing account of the terrible operate
referred to, from the Chicago Times !:
The most colossal surgical operati,
ever performed upon living creatu
was witnessed by select few in this ci
on Tuesday, June A. The elephant, r
meo, of Forepaugh's menagerie and ci
Gus was the subject. Having two wee
to stay in Chicago, Mr.. Forepaugh dete
mined to place Romeo in the hands of
surgeon. With this purpose in view,
called on DIR. IL. W. Boyd, Professor
Surgery and Anatomy in the Chira!
Medical College, who has had some g
) perience in elephantine surgery, havi
dissected two or three of these monsteI
] and who is now engaged in setting up t
great skeleton of the famous Hannibal,
the museum of the college,. The Prof
sor consented, and accompanied by \
I Withers, a veterinary surgeon, made /
appearance at the menagerie.
: Having got Romeo in proper ppsiti'
the surgeons opened their tooI-chest, a
/