The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-10-22

h'PpoPotamus to run around the ring
and Jump through hoops and banners,
alter the manner of trained ponies, the
boss hoping, if successful, to make oil
rival establishments take back seat.
For several days. this training had been
going on whenever the exhibition stop
ped long enough in one place to afford
few leisure hours, but. up to che
occasion referred to, the hippopotamus
had only been allowed to perform in
private, with his limbs pinioned by log
chains, and large force of employees
on hand with red-hot pitch-forks, pick
axes, crow-bars and bricks, to subdue
him and keep him within bounds,
should any symptoms of rebellious
spirit be manifested. Everything was
lovely. however; the Behemoth struck
his gait admirably, and with such seem.
ing good nature, that his owners deter
mined to unshackle him for short time,
and make him jump through paper bal
looms. The assistants stationed them
selves around the ring, mammoth bal.
loon was placed in position, and at the
word "go." the shackles were unloosed,
and sure enough he did go. Allowing
his under lip to drop down like that of a
steam canal dredge when it expectorates
a mouth-ful of mud, the hippopotamus US
gave snort that reverberated through
the tent like thunder, and then plunged
forward through the balloon, wreoking
1t In very handsome manner, but uu-
fortunately killing the two men who held
1t, and upsetting the lions cage, which
contained four lions of unusual fierce
ness. The moment the overturned
lions cage caught the eye of the hippo
potamus, he bounded at it and bit out q
mouth-ful of woodwork and iron bars,
leaving an aperture through which the
lions escaped, and at once began to add
their roars to the tumnlt that raged on
all sides. The big elephant, "Horaoe
Greeley" who bad been quietly looking
on all this time, instead of keeping
check on his trunk, began to waiye it in
the air, and, after a moments trumpet.
ing. broke his fastenings, and, picking
up tue Cardiff giant which lay upon the
ground near by. threw this unfortunate
being clear across the tent, killing an
other man in its passage and knocking
In the end of cage that contained
Wild rhlnoceros, who at once came out,
aud running his horn into the ground,
gave the now affrighted showmon some
specimens OF plowing that were mover
equaled by human or steam power
The four lions now began to lash their
tails in fury, and walk in circles around
the centre pole, up which several of tho
showmen ascendod the moment The hip-
popotamus first beloved. The latter
animal was in the meantime diverting
himself by set to with couple of
grizzly bears that he had liberated.
"Horace Greeley" seemed to grow
more infuriated at this junoture, and
after killing couple of camels, turned
his attention to the other cages. and
with one sweep of his trunk demolished
each, the rhinoceros following behind
and completing the work. Fortunately
the canvas was new and without flaw:
and oil the liberated animals were roam.
ing about the enclosure. Hyenas sneak
ed around under the seats, bears growled
from the upper benches, monkeys
shrieked and chatted from the ropes and
supports, the air was filed with flying
cockatoos. parrots, eagles, owls and
other birds, while ostriches roamed at
will below, and here above all this up.
roar were the pitiful calls from the
seventeen men who clung for dear life to
the centre pole, which was new aud
slippery and difficult to cling to. The
only animal that retained its presence of
mind was Blarneyum's gorilla. His
cage had escaped being upset, and stood
inside, beating his breast and roaring in
that half dog bark and half leonine roar
that Du Challiugdescribes as "curdling
the very hair on your head when heard
in an African forest" By this time,
however. voices were heard on the out
side, the entire neighborhood having
become aroused by the pandemonium,
and the moment the gorilla heard these
voices he changed his tactics and
shrieked: "For the love of the holy st.
Patrick, help me out of this scrape,
and I'll never hire out for a'goriIla again
as long as live." We will leave the
unhappy animal to his fate and return
to the awful scones going on around us,
and among the other wild beasts who
had now made their way to that portion
OF the tent used by the proprietors as
museum. Excited by rage and hunger,
Bengal tiger was the first to attack the
contents of the museum, and lie COM
menced by killing the Temperate Man
and his Family" after which he sprang
on the sleeping Beauty" and began to
devour her. The hyenas, who are not
so particular in regard to their diet,