The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-08-17
'Seeing the Elephant"

| will tell you how the oft-quoted saying |
originated. You will bear in mind that 1t |
is not result Of great surprise and wonder
ment to a man that leads him to say, he has
"seen the elephant" but 1t is when he has
been wofully "taken in and done for"
Thus it was:
Years ago-from 1881 towards the present
Tom Tufts, of Maiden, Mass, owned a
menagerie and circus; and think he was
the first ::showman-at any rate, Of New
England-to present the two sources of
amusement in combination. He had a full
grown elephant, one of the largest and finest
specimens ever brought from its native
haunts, and in those years be sure it was a
curiosity. In travelling through the coun-
try it was Tufts practice to take the huge
beast from town to town under cover Of the
night, and, when possible, to secure quar-
ters in advance in the barn of responsible
farmer. On certain occasion the agent
had secured quarters for the monstrous
quadruped in great open shed, fanking a
barnyard where he saw a bull roaming at
liberty. He had made his arrangements for
quartering and feeding the elephant, after
which he said to the owner of the place that
he had better secure the bull or drive him
away, before the elephants arrival.
"What for? ?" asked the farmer.
"Why," replied the agent, "your bull
might find himself in dangerous company If
he were here when the elephant comes.
Now that bull had been for long time
master of the situation, and his owner did
not think the animal lived that could over
come him in a fair fight.
"Look here, squire" he said, the old
Adamic spirit strong within him, 81 guess
it would be 'your elephant that would find
himself in danger. At any rate, I'll risk my
critter if you'll risk yours"
The Snowman assented.
In due time the elephant arrived, and was
lead to the great open shed, were food and
drink was supplied. The bull was eviden-
tly Surprised but ere long surprise gave
place to rage. He fancied this was some
uncouth monster sent in there on purpose
to humble him-to humble him who hat
never yet been humbled by anything O.
earthly mould. The thing was aggravatng
it was not to he endured.
He faced the colossus, with flaming eyes
ploughing the earth with his horns, ant
sending forth defiant roar and anon h'
prepared for work. He advanced first b.
parallels, as though to attack in front; ther
he made detour, as though for fan
movement. The elephant had stopped eat
9 ing, and was quietly watching the signifi
cant movement Of the native. The two eye
D were very small for so large beast but the
were wondrously bright and quick for al
l that. At length the bull flung his bannere
, tail to the breeze, ami with terrific roa
r plunged forward to the onset.
: The elephant must have been considering
for human face could not have expresse
d more satisfaction than did his express whe
$ he saw the game thus approaching crisi
y He had not been in fear of the threatene
4 antagonist, but had been anxiously wonder
i ing how the fellow would attack. Suspens
4 is painful.
All he saw now. On plunged the swar
Is Drowned taurus, evidently intending to di
Z embowel the mountain of flesh before hin
3 The keen twinkle of the elephants eye wa
y a study his heavy trunk was GRACEFUL
J. curved inward and raised on high, and the
J. at the proper moment, like the snap of
s. rifle that prodigious trunk shot ou
D.: ward and still upward, and then came dow
came down like the ponderous ram of
y thunderbolts had been held in check unit
that moment. and had then burst at the ba
re of that terrible proboscis. The blow f,
III upon the bulls neck and shoulders, al
sent him to earth as though lightning hi
lie struck him. The proboscidian cooked
at head on one side, and considered furth,
y, A few seconds and he then bent his brow al
~ ran his beautifully perfect tusks under 4
III PROSTATE body until they lay between Il
III earth and the bovine mass like pair
- giant arms, and then, with not great efft
ie for such muscular mass as he represent
r. he lifted the body and threw it over his ba
CT to the far part of the yord.
There wasn't much more of it, becar
~ the owner ofthe bull very readily persuad
the Snowman to help him in removing Il
utterly demoralized subject.
y, al On the next day was the show, on whi
occasion the assembled multitude beh,
III many wonderful things, and of them all, I
h' elephant, so prodigious in bulk and so wo
a' derful in other ways, was the central obj
W of interest, so much that the honest coun
"a people took pride in saying: 81 have 5,
e' the elephant"
,at few days thereafter friend of our
II commodating farmer happened along, {
~, saw the once magnificent bull, now liz
ort lame, cowed, and woe-begone, and he Gag
nr ly asked
his What's the matter with your bull ?"
m "O," replied the owner, with dubi
Dix shrug, and an untranslstable expression
re- the face, "hs's seen the elephant"
of
aio 8 e