Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-02-11
Ris scELLAM MEoUs.
An Intelligent Elephant.

In July, 1910, the largest elephant ever
seen in Eugland was advertised as lust ar
rived Henry Harris, the manager of Con
vent Garden Theatre, purchased it for the
sum OF nine hundred guiueas. Mrs Henry
Johus"n was to ride it; and Miss Packer. the
Coiumbine, was to play up to it. j.. Young
happened TO ne one morning at the box -office
adjoining the theatre, when his ears were as
sailed by strange and uousual uproar within
the walls. On asking one of the carpenters
the cause OF it, he was told sit was something
going wrong with the elephant, he could not
tell what"
1t had been arranged that Mrs. Horny
johnson, seated ou a howdah on the ele-
plants back. should pass over bridge, in
the centre of numerous group of followers,
and it was thought expedient thst the un>
wieldy monsters tractability should be tested.
On stepping up to the bridge. which was
light and temporary, the sagacious brute drew
back his fore feet aud refused to hudge It
is we'll known, as a fact in natural history,
that the elephant aware of its unusual bulk.
will never trust its weight on any object which
is unequal to its support. The stage mana.
ger. seeing how resolntely the animal resisted
every effort tn compel or induce it to 60 over
the bridge in question. proposed that they
should stay proceedings till next day, when
he might be in better mood 1t was during
the repetition of the experiment that my fa-
ther. having heard the extraordinary sounds.
determined to go upon the st,ge and see if he
could ascertain the cause of them The first
sight that met his eyes kindled his indgna>
tlon. There stood the huge animal, with
downcasf ewes and flaming ears, meckly sub
mitting to blow after blow from q sharp iron
Hi
ly into the feshv mart of his neck. at the root
of the ear. The fl ,or on which he stood WAS
converted into pool of b'ood One of the
proprietors. Impatient at what he regarded ss
senseleSs obstinacy, kept urging the driver to
proceed to still severer extrameties. when
Charles Young: who was a great lover of an
finals, exrostulated with him, went up to the
poor. patient snfferer. and pst'ed and caressnd
him; and when the driver about to WELD
his instrument with even more viqor, he
caught him hy the wrist. as in wise and
STAYED his hand from further violence
While an angry alteration was going on
hetween Young and the mso of onlor, who
WAS the driver. Capt. Hav. Of the :'Ashel,"
who had brought over "Chunv" in hia ship.
and retted him greatly, came in and begged
to know wL"t was the matrer. Before word
of explanation could ba given. the much
wrong.d creature spoke for himself: for as
as he perceived the entrance of his ps,
tron. he vaddled IN TO him, aud with look
Of gentle srre.l caught hold of his hand
with his rrnbnsics. plunged IL into the bleed
ing wound, aud then thrns, it before his ewes
The g"-tnres seemed to saw plainly as If
enforced bn snaech: "See how these cruel
men treat 'Chnny' Can vou annror. of il? 7"
The hearts Of the h,rdes. rreSent.e sensihly
t""ch"'t by "';.. s'.-y s... and among them
that of the .-"-'"'nan who had been go en-
er"..ic j.. proposing it4 hnrsn treot,neDt II
~.- under '"r h"'-"r irru'ss tn, he ran ont
int" -" .r-"'t, rrcha-"j few anrl.. at a
stall, and "s"r-H 'hen tn rim. Chnny .yed
th"m a.k.nc- t"nh them rhrer. ~. m between
his f-e', 49,! chen h- had crushed them to
r"'p. -nn-net 'h",n frnra him Ynnnc, who
had COVE i7'o Co..nt Errden on IN. ssn,e err
rand rs the .-n:ie"ron who h.d rre ceded him
shortly after ,cs,t"rrd AID al-n held out to
him s"ne fruit, when. m rhe a>tonishment of
the hv.tanler., the elephant ate every mOrsal,
and then t''inoH hi. trunk with studied gem
tlene-s around Young's waist, marking hy his
action thn', though he had resented vropg.
he did not forget kindness