Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1875-07-10


Every ore remembers Brooks, who set
type in the REcoRD office about a year
ago. The following relates his first in
terview with the elephant:
Brooks, V. W. (which the same stand
for Virgil Washington), was recently EN-.
ployed on the Enterprise. Now Brooks
(like the majority of printers now-a-days)
has travelled great deal, and seen lots
of things. He ''fit" throughout the war
and saw the Mammoth cave; he marched
TO the sea with Sherman, and saw a
copy OF the famed sea-serpent; he
went to Arizona and helped to uneartb q
mammoth; near Texas, Arizona, he found
an elephants tusk one hundred feet in
length by ten in diameter. He witnessed
very many other strange sights, but he
had never seen a real, live elephant. His
conception of the leviathan of our day,
It's size and weight, was anything but
correct, and his anxiety TO see one was
very great. So. when Montgomery
| Queens posters announced the early ar
rival in Virginia of two or three speci-
mems of the genus elephant. Brooks de-
light knew no bounds. and he looked
anxiously to the day when the circus was
to arrive. AT length the day preceding
that on which the circus was to exhibit
dawned upon Virginia. Begging off,
from work Brooks proceeded to American
Flat and stationed himself on the Virginia
and Gold Hill Water Company's hume.
All day did Brooks sit in the broillng
sun, and no elephant did he see. The
sun went down behind the Sierras, and
still Brooks was at his post. Night
came, ye gentle Washoe zephyr made its
presence felt, but Brooks remained on
the hume. Saturday night passed and
the sun made its appearance In the east,
terminating all Nature, bringing new
life to the lonely watcher on the hume
and ushering in the Sabbath day,
but it brought no elephant. As
the show was announced to open on that
day, Brooks arrived at the conclusion
that it must have passed him while
asleep for his flesh had weakened" dur
ing the Silly hours of the night). and he
returned to town. Sure enough, the cir
Gus tents we're up in the open space
near the Ophir works, and the entire
show-menagerie and all-had arrived.
Here Brooks tried every way in his
power TO get sight at the monster, and
did not hesitate to bride the keeper. But
this incorruptible individual accepted the
proffered double-eagle, and refused the
longed-for sight. There being nothing else
to do but wait for the show, Brooks
took his place in the line opposite the
ticket office, and awaited his turn. 1t
came. Brooks purchased his pasteboard
and went in. Soon the elephant put in
an appearance, and the most disguised
man in the vast assemblage was Brooks.
He had based all his ideas of "ele-
phantine" size upon the tusk he had
found near Prescott, and the elephant
he had before him was not much larger
than comel. yet it had been announced
on the bills as the largest in America. if
not in the world! He refused to believe
his eyes. He must be mistaken. Leav-
ing his seat he gradually approached the
| ring, cycling the monster intently as he
approached. When he got to the ropes
he stumbled into the ring, and the ele-
plant. who had not had very full
breakfast that morning, picked him up
with his trunk and was about sending
him to kingdom come. when the keeper
interfered and released him. In the con-
fusion which ensred Brooks disappeared
from the scene. and has not been seen
since.- Sutro Independent.
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