The daily gazette., 1877-06-21
Seeing the Elephant.

Twill tell you bow the oft-quoted
saying originated. You will bear in
mind that IL is not a result OF great
surprise and wonderment to man
that leads bin TO say, he has "seen
the elephant" but 1t is when he has
been wofully "taken in aud done for"
Thus it was: ".' a-1gg1e - "h
Years ago-from 1851 towards the
present-Tom Tufts, of Maiden, M ass.
owned menagerie and ctcus, and
think he was the first showmau-at
any rate of New England-to prese Mt
| the two sources of amusep cut in com
bination. He had tull grown ele-
phant one of the largest ard fiues.
specimens ever brought from its ma
tive haunLs and in those yeats be sure
1t was a cu,iosity. In travelling through
the county 1t was Tut's practice TO
take the huge beast from town TO town
under cover of the night, aud, when
possible to secure quarters in advance
IN the barn OF responsible faimer.
On certain occasion the ageot had
secured quarters for tue monstrous
quadruped iu great open shed, fliok
ing barn yard, where he saw bull
roaming at liberty. He bad made his
arrangements for quar- ering and feed
ing the elephant after which he said to
The owner of the place that he better
secu'e the bull or drive him away, be-
fore the elephants arrival.
"What for?" asked the farmer.
"Why," replied the agent, "your
bull might tlnd himself in dangerous
company IL he were here when the
elephant comes.' -,.
Now that bull had been for long
time master OF the situation and his
owuer did not think the animal lived
| that could overcome him in q fair
fight.
"Look here, squire" he said, the
old Adamic spirit strong within him.
II guess it would be your elephant
that would fiud himself in danger. At
any late I'll risk my critter ii you'll
risk yours"
The Snowman assented.
la due time the elephant arrived.
and was led to great open shed, where
food and drink were supplied. The
oull was evidently surprised; but ere
long surprise gave place to rage. He
fancied tbis was some uncouth mou-
| ster scot in there on purpose 10 hum
BILE him-to humble him who had new
er yet been humbled by anything OF
earthly mould. The thing was aggra-
vating; it was Dot TO be endured. He
faced the colossus, with flaming eyes;
plougbing the earth with his horns,
and sending forth defiant roar; and
anon he prepared for work. He ad-
vsnced first by parallels, as though to
Az . ak. in front. thcu he Iuadc n 0Ctour
| as though for flank movement. The
elephant had stopped ea'ing and was
quietly watching the significant move
ments fthe native. The two eyes
we're ve"y small for so largea beast,
| but they were wonderously bright
and quick for all that. AT length the
bull flung his bsnnored tail to the
breeze, and with terrific roar plung-
ed forward to The onset.
The elephant must have been consid-
| ering, for human face could not have
| expressed more satisfaction than did his
express when he saw The game thus ap-
preaching a crisis. He had not been in
fear of the threatened antagonist, but
had been ixously wondering how the
fellow would attack. Suspense is pain
| full.
All! he saw now. On plunged the
swaIt-browed taurus, evidently intend
ing to disembowel the mountain of flesh
before him. The Keen twinkle of the
elephants eye was study; his heavy
trunk Nae gracefully curved inward and
raised on high; and then, at the proper
moment, like the snap of rifie-cock,
| that prod yious trunk shot outward and
still upward. and then came down.
came down like the poDderous ram of a
pile-driver-came down like as though
| forty tnunderbolts had been held in
check until that moment, and had then
burst at the base of that ierribl pro-
boscis. The blow fell upon the bulls
neck and shoulders, land sent him to earth
as though lightning had struck him. The
proboscid!an cooked his head on one
side, and considered further. A few Sc
coDds and he then bent his brow and ran
bis beautifully perfect tusks under the
prostrate body until they lay between
| the earth and the bovine mass like pair
of 6 ,ant arms, aud then, with not great
effort for sdch muscular mass as he re-
presented, he lifted the body and threw
it over his back to the far part of the
yard. 4.
There wasn't much more of it, because
the owner of the bull very readily per-
suaded the Snowman to help him in re.
moving that utterly demoralzed sub
fect.
On the next day was the show, on
Which occasion the assembled multitude
beheld many wonderful things, and of
Ihem al, the elephant, so prodIs ,ous in
bulk, and so wonderful, in other ways,
IVas the central object of interest, so
huch so, that the bonest country people
look pride in saying: 81 have seen the
Elephant"
A few days thereafter friend of our
accommodating farmer happened along,
Ind saw the once magnificent bull, now
imp, lame, cowed, and woe-begone, and
be eagerly asked.
"What's the matter with your bull?"
"O," replied the owner, with dubi-
pus shrug, and an uutrausIatabe express
hon of the face, "hes seen the ELEPHANT"
The Shakers of New Lebanon, N. Y.
came near being burned out OF their
bouses and qsiet bones last week. the
L a a. l., i