The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-01-10
Trick Elephants.
Hoe They are Trained.

The London Spectator gives The .
following account OF the process Of .
training African elephants in Alex.
andra Park, near London
"fbs 'juniorost' elephant is select
cd to have his lesson iirst, and comes I
slingiug down to tue ring in his |
heavy trot the occasion is quite n
private Que. but there's Nubian |
looking on, who has learned the !
English method of appltniing, anl f.
he softly claps his black palms to.
gelher M the pupil cutangles himself
in his rope to begin with, nni feels
up Mr.. Felix's sleeve for cousoldti)n
in the shape OF carrots. He does
not get them at this stage OF the
proceedings. bu; no knows they are
coming. and it is very fanny - Oh.
serve him. in the midst of hi- lesson,
twitcbing hia trunk in sOmo new
direction. which 1t suddenly occurs
10 him to explore, and then ho re-
su'nes his studies as il lie had no.
had momentary distraction
lie Weighs seven hundredweight
atpresent, and if he can only be kept
from injurious fool aul iu3Immt.
tory Diseases will grow to ten feet
high, it is expected. and Furnish II
remarkable rrfu,a,ion OF the gouoral
notion that African elephants can
hot bc highly trained. They are
not. indeed, eqral tD tho Indian ole
plants in intelligence one has only
to look at their brain box to see
that but tho four ll,tle elephants,
all newly como iuto Mr. Felix
hands. are making rapii progress
nndey the aystem of kindness, pa
tiencs, prRisc, reward AMI no kuoci
ing abou. Come, my baby
That's fine bog : 'Ah, brave,
brave You mo beauty ! Fine
boy beautiful boy ! Suah are To,
phrases, perpctuaIiy repeated, wlAcI
encourage the b,g little scholar rs
he climb, on Il wooden pedestal, lifts
one clumsy leg after another, ai-
monishcd by gentle tap Of his
teachers stick --neyer use - hart
or frightcn him or turns his iu.u-
bering body in the ya,se wnIca,
when he il perfect in tho accom
plishincnt. will be hailed with poca
liar delight 10y the pohIc.
Tho ya!so Is perform incn wdiel
tho little elephants learn very re,,ii-
ly lhcy are ut ii.st held b. oue
huge, tapping ear, and tnrnc | by
the teacher, whose steps they follow
--t.e movement comes cIsny t.
them after two or three lessons.
they need Only 10 have tLo stcA
he'll on the SIDE from which they
are 10 turn II few more, UIi tIe
wave OF the teachers hand IA e
required direction Is enough. Three
of Mr. Folks pupils are aS vet uJt
sufficiently advanced to appca. Ia
puoiic; IL was most Iuteres.IS =
REQ how they took in tho Iiei OF
what WAS required of them, aud t.
hear him praise thcm when thcy
succeeded IN doing what he InjlrIt.
cd. lie never lets them be ured
and observes them So closely tuat
when the clever little black elephant
was coming on finely in the art oi
rolling n barrel with his fore feet
it was delightful to see h.s sUtls!sc
ton when he dlsceincd what he va, t.
do, and that his bind feet were T. pt
kept clear Of the barrei--Mr. FrDN
stopped the lesson at ouco Oh seeing
him begin 20 tremlle
Good marks in the circus school
translate themselves into Jumps OF
sugar and chunks Of carrots, and bad
ones into deIisive cbservaii ns
about the sclircspect which the Idle
pupil onght to feel, but doeslt
One of Mr.. Felix's pupils is still, very
timid. lie was scared and i'll dar
Ing tho voyage 10 this uncongruili
ime, aud at first he would not let
any one approach him bat be is t.
p omislng youugstor now, and lond,
hs bark ike neck TO a fricndly
scratch with mncA niItbiity. Ca
none of theso animals is t. ba soau a
s,ar ora prod, tho mo knocking
about system is TO be traced in their
bodies and in their manners, and
they look for their rewards-ad
dressed to their stomachs-with
cheerful confdeuco One Of them.
the nervous Que, hal an axiIus Gul
pnz2lcd look during portion Of
his lesson bnt reiterated nssur-
nnces Of his bravery, his beauty,
aud his babyhood, induced him to
'perk up as tho nurses say, won