Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-06-20


A. Important, But Usexpecsed Event
insers r.l.... f ssas,.S
1t seems not unlikely that the world may be-
come interested in another Germantown baby
Poor Charlie Ross set the world agOg, and his
fate stirred the profoundest depths Of love In the
hearts Of parents everywhere, and he has no doubt
proven an elephant on the hands Of his abductors
| Germantown Is again the scene ola remarkable
event. the like of which has never before occurred
in this country, and this time, too, II lisa "baby
Wne nsn q e as nn
Circus. near Germantown, female elephant
This, we believe, is the first event ofthc kind that
baby weighed about one hundred pounds, and
during the
FIRST WEEK OF HKR CAREER
she has gained about thirty pounds. She is three
perfect elephant "Minerva, - the mother, is one
Of the largest elephants in the country she weighs
over 7, 200 pounds, and is over 90 years old, she
has been owned by Mr.. Forepaugh about five
years.
THE ELErLANT's TIE DRuM
Much has been told about the wonderful sagacity
and knowledge Of the elephant but of this and
their musical qualities and tastes the keeper of
Forepangh's relates q singular fact The arrival
Of Baby, was wholly unexpected, and no per-
important event until 1t had TRANSFERRED. The
watchman on his rounds ut ~ clock on the night
Se the
unusual was observable. and he went on through
all the departments. About two o'clock there
They ali seemed to , be induiging in one grand
bawl. TWAS such chorus as would have thrown
quarter of million Whitneys and Karls into the
light. The keeper rushed to the building expect
ing to find the elephants all loose, but found them
fast and In the best OF humor, and after quiet was
morning as he entered the room he discovered
Baby who seemed somewhat surprised but
showed signs Of delight and disposition to play.
very playful and tractable as q kitten. She sucks
the mother, eats bread and milk and potato parings
hay. She manages her trunk with more ingenuity
and with confidence worthy of busted boarder.
CONTROVERSY SETTLED.
Although so much has been published about the
character, habits and peculiarities of elephants,
there is much controversy upon some points, and
nection with their young, that have been ignored.
The period of CESSATION, the affection Of mother
young, have ali been deliberately discussed and
widely disagreed about. Ofthe first, We believe
that 1t is being generally admitted that the state.
charge of the elephants of the East India Company
are correct. He says the period is twenty months
and eighteen days. Al birth the elephant is about
about eleven inches, and from the second to the
seventh year the growth runs from eight inches to
tWO- and-a-half lnches per year, growing less as
grows older; and at about twenty-five years old
they cease to grow.
II seems singular that the mode of sucking the
young should have been so long in dispute. Many
able writers on natural history, among them,
Houel, Per1anlt and Button, who have especially
written Of the elephant, claim that the young ele
plant sucks the mother with the trunk. This is Q
mistake, but so peculiar the habits of the ele-
plant that the question could not easily be settled
The truth Is, however, the baby takes the nipple
in the side of the mouth pressing the breast with
the trunk. which, by natural instinct it seems to
nipple projects horizontally from the breasts,
which are located almost between the fore legs.
The baby stands either in front of the mother or to
one side. the mother looping one leg out of the
way; frequently the mother Is so large-as in this
ease-it is necessary for the baby" to stand on
higher ground
The affection of the mother can be doubted only
by those who know nothing of the facts. The
mother pays but little attention to this baby
but will not permit it out of her sight. When
she is taken into the ring for practice, "Baby''
must go, and when any person approaches the
care, although she pays less attention to person
than when any animal comes near. There can be
no doubt but that the affection between them is
very great. as is claimed by Captain Knox, who
spent lifetime in captivity at Ceylon. He says
'of all irrational creatures the elephant bears
greatest love for its young
We have said that the '.baby' at Forepaugh's
was the only event of the kind ever known in the
country, and we might add that only two such
events have ever been known. For years it was
and the young have only been procured by captur
ing wild elephants with calf. In every way this
baby is great wonder and curiosity, the
like OF which Is very rarely seen. There seems to
be every indication that she will be raised, ana
every care is being taken to accomplish the desir-