Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-01-24
A SICK ELEPHANTS WRATH.
A "Reminiscences of the London
Geological Gardens,
Il. WHITMORE,
Publisher and Proprietor.

Geological Gardens.
One of the performing elephants
in the Great London Circus, known
as Ned, has been. suffering with a
sore throat, which although not SO
bad in his case as in that of a giraffe
or a conger eel, is still sufficiently
annoying to disturb elephantine
equanimity. 1t appears that his
keeper, George Angstingstall, has
been obliged to force his foot down
his throat, and the operation, being
both painful and unpleasant, proved
too much for the great hearts affec-
ton, philosophy or sense of duty.
He therefore twined his trunk
around the OPERATOR and playfully
flung him a distance of about forty
feet. Fortunately this improyised
aerial excursion ended in a canvas
screen, and Mr.. Angstinstall was
more startled than hurt. II he had
met a brick wall IN his flight he
would probably have been killed.
This incident has been made q
text for a discourse upon the ingrat-
itude of elephants, but it is putting
rather high estimate on the intel
ligence of even its most intelligent
brutes to expect them to under
stand that their keepers must some.
times "be cruel only to be kind"
or to ask an elephant not to resent
what must have appeared to him a
most unwarrantable liberty. 1t is,
however, a well-known fact that
these huge creatures preserve very
lively memory Of injuries, and are
wont to repay them with interest
whenever they have an opportunity.
Some years ago there was an ele-
phant of uncommon size and intel
ligence in the London Geological
Gardens, who was the original hero
of an incident which has since been
related in different ways. He was
as well known to the frequenters
of the Gardens as the bear-pit it.
self, and was a great favorite with
children, to whom he behaved with
a gentlenesS that was almost
pathetic. At word from his
keeper he would tenderly wrap
his trunk around the body
of any child bold enough
to make the experiment, and
lift it gently to his own broad back,
aud was evidently delighted at the
trust reposed in him. The nurse
maids and the babies always bought
cakes for this elephant, and some
times gingerbread nuts, of which
he was particularly fond. Among
his regular visitors was young
man, who always gave him a bag Of
these nuts, and the elephant soon
learned to know his benefactor.
One day this young gentleman Of
fered to the elephant bag of nuts
strongly seasoned with Cayenne
pepper, and the big beast unsus-
pectlngly opened his mouth, drop
ped the nuts into it and began to
MUNICH them up. His throat was
of course badly burned, and he
trumpeted aloud in his rage and
pain, Near him stood a bucket,
which he picked up and handed to
his keeper, thereby signifying his
desire for water. He drained pail
ful after pailful while his tormentor
stood near laughing at the success
Of his pitiful trick. The keeper of
the elephant who had been told Of
what had occurred, warned the
Young man to depart, but he re-
fused to 90. Suddenly the elephant,
having slaked his thirst seized the
bucket by its handle and hurled it
with terrific force at the head of the
practical joker, and with SO true ON
aim that the missile missed it's mark
by a few inches only. The pail was
shiyered to atoms against a tree.
Had it struck the man il would
have killed him instantly.
THE same elephant 1--WE tell the
story as told by his keeper) drop
ped an apple, which rolled into the
hdi Joining stable Of o rhinoceros,
BY inserting his trunk between the