The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-06-16
ELEPHANTS SND MILK.
Where the First American lIcnaErrie was
OrgunIzed.

Where the First American hICnnEerie was
Organized.
In the town of Somers, not many miles
back in the country from Peekskill, N.
Y, is hotel that has always had local
reputation from its title rs the "Ele-
plant Hotel" Mr.. John Goldman tells
very pleasantly the story Of this hotel,
as he learned it while on horseback
trip through that section, some years
ago. he says:
A lively gallop soon brought me
twelve miles on my WY easterly, over
the hills, to tho little village OF Somers-
town. Like great castle on the Rhine
with its two or three adjacent appurten-
ances, n large brick hotel looms up
among the few small houses in its neigh
borhood. This seemed disproportionate,
but MY curiosity was particularly at-
tracted by M immense statue Of m ele-
phant, nearly Ms largo rs ife-I mean
tho life-size Of n small elephant, of
course. This remarkable resemblance
to tho animal was mounted on high
post before the door OF tho hotel, and
painted over the front Of the building |
read, in enormous letters: Elephant
Hotel" -....
It was timc to. breathe my horse, and
the ride had given me m appetite for
anything I might find within, even il it
should prove to bean elephant steak. The
landlord observed that "the women folks
were not at home, but he guessed he
could find something" He accordingly
placed cold turkey and q bottle OF Lon.
don porter on the table, and thus proved
TINT his guess was very correct. As he
sat down by my side I asked him tho
meaning of all his elephantine display.
"Why," he answered, Hackaliah
Bayley built this house himself /"
"Hackaliah Bayley! Who was he ?"
"Who was Hackaliah Bayley! Don't
you know9 He was tho man who i'm
ported tho first elephant into these
United States-old Bet; Of course you
haveheard OF old Bet?"
"No, haye not.
1What, never heard OF old Bet
Well, sir, you arc pretty well along in
life. Where have you been oil your
days? ?"
itold him I had not spent them all in
Westchester county.
"Itshould rather think not" replied
tic landlord, "or else you'd have heard
,of Hackaliah Bayley and old Bet. Right
here, from this very spot, he started the
first show III the country. Right round
hcle is where they breed and winter wild
animals to this day. Folks round here
have grown rich out Of tho show busi-
ness. There's men in this town that
have beon to Asia and Africa to get ami
mails. HAckaliall imported old Bet, and
that wasn't more than fifty or sixty years
ago. Yes, sir, Haclsaliah began on the
one she-elephant. He aud u boy were
all the company. They travelled nights
aud showed daytimcs. Old Bet she knew
how much every bridge in the country
would hear before she put her foot upon
it. Bimcby they got cage Of monkeys
aud cnrted them along, anu gradually it
got up to bears, lions, tigers, camels,
bon constructors, alligators, Tom Thumb,
lippOpotamuses aud the fat wOman-il
iact, TO where it is now. Yes, sir, P. T.
Barnum got the first ruliments Of his
education from HackaliAh Bayley right
hero in Somerstown. Elephants and
milk have made this town. LII fact, we
all live ou elephants and milk"
Elephants and milk Good gra'
cious |" I exclaimed "what n diet |"
"Sir," retorted the landlord, "lid you
think I meant that We crllmbled ele.
plants into milk and ate en-? No; I
mean to say that tho elephant business
and the milk business arc what have
built up this place. I've told you what
elephants have done for us, and now I'll
tell You what milk has done. There's
farmers round here owning hundred
cows apiece. From tho little depot Of
Purdy's you'll pass n nlile beyond this
we send four thousand gallons OF milk
every day TO New York and it starts
from hero puret let mo tell you, for We
are honest, il We are brought mp in the
show business. Then right in our neigh
borhood are two condensed milk fac
tories, where they use rs much more.
There's eight thousand gallons. Tho
farmers get SIX cents a quart on the spot.
So you sec there is revenue Of twelve
hundred and eighty dollars n day to this
district. Now you've been telling me
about the West, how they raise forty
bushels Of wheat to the Ncre, and NIL
that. Well, what does it amount'to by
tho time you get your returns. paying
MI out in railroad freight? You ride
along this afternoon, and il You come
back This way, tell me II the houses and
fixings )and things, especially the boys,
md moro particularly the gals, look nny
better in them diggings than they do
here. if We do live on elephants and