The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-13
show Rlephanfs.

show Elephants.
'sThere are about fifty elephants in this
country at the present time," said Prof
George AFstingstall. the keeper and train
er of the ten mountains of flesh which
form one of the attractions of the Cooper
Bailey show. The first elephant ever
brought to the United States was by Hack
Bailey, in 1924 It was called Betsey, and
is known In the profession as Bet$ey the
First 1t was exhibited for four years
through New York State and New En-
land. 1t was great novelty. The owner
travelled with II at night, aud it was al
ways exhibited in building erected over
it. The old-timers tell about the great
excitement it created throughout the
country. The news of it's coming would
go before, and whole villages would turn
out and spend the night along the road
side in the hope Of seeing the creature,
only known to them through pictures and
the works of travellers. What they gen.
orally beheld was great shapeless mars,
covered with tarpaulins, swinging along
through the darkness, carefully guarded
by attendants, who kept the curious
rustics at distance. 1t was not very
big elephant, it came from Upper India
1t was anything but amiabie, and had
habit of tearing out the side of its house
and starting off on "go as you-please'
excursions. This was fatal folly Of
Betsy's. One night Betsy was out near
Albany, New York. She was mad about
something, and venting her rage in the
exasperating shrek peculiar to the
elephant. She got into plucky farmers
yard. He saw the monster. He did not
know what it was. The only thing that he
knew was that he was badly frightened
and that he knew how to use gun. He
fred at the creature, and the leaden
bullet pierced her heart. She sank to
the earth and died, moaning piteously.
Her keeper arrived. She was stuffed, and
believe some museum has her now.
"Where are most of the elephants
from ?"
Call those prior to 1850 were from Up
per India. The bulls were wild, restless,
creatures. Most of those now on exhi-
bition are Ceylonese elephants. They
are much more tractable than their
brethren of the north. There are few
African elephants, but they are not de-
sirable, as they certainly lack amiability.
Prior to 1865 there were few shows that
had more than one elephant. The first
caravan of four was made when Cooper
and Bailey went into the business. One
of these was the world-famed Columbus,
| tivity. It was eleven feet five inches in
height / will tell you something about
| training elephants. Stewart Craven, who
| is now living quietly on his cattle ranch
| in Texas, was the inventor of q new sys-
tenn of handling elephants, and he actu-
ally broke every performing elephant now
before the country, with the exception OF
| the seven now with the Sells Brothers
show, which is over in Illinois. That
batch trained myself. Craver broke
! the celebrated Hannibal and Romeo. In
1870 James Kelly, proprietor of the Lon
| don show, sent Bill Shannon to Ceylon,
and Shannon sent him back ten ele-
| plants. They were brought to Phila-
| delphia in 1871, and broken by Craven.
| five of them were sold, the other hve
came into my charge. They were well
broke when got them, but | trained
them to their wonderful ring perform
ances. An elephant is tretcherous, cum
ming and very intelligent animal He
forms no attachment for his keeper. He
| will, however, become deeply attached
to a dog or other animal. There are
three dogs with my elephants, and Babe,
my best elephant (Chieftain is my larg-
| est), has pet camel called Dick. The
camel will stand by her side for hours in
! contentment, and Babe actually fondles
| him with her trunk. In handling
elephants fear is the only instinct to cul-
| tlvate in them. Kindness, such as you
would extend TO dog, or horse, does
them no good. They are liable at any
time to harm you if they are not kept in
subsection. They must be punished i'm
mediately after the offense, whatever 1t
may be, is committed. Chieftain cut up a
little rough the other day. had him
overthrown and chained, and then l
warmed him with hoop-pole until was
very tired and he was very sore. Their
skin is very tender, and they feel the
punishment. The usual peTsuader is a
short instrument shaped like bill hook.
This punctures the hide, and is very
valuable article to keep on hand when
you are bossing elephants. Teaching an
elephant a trick is exactly like teaching
any other animal. 1t requires only a
mastery of the brute. The first thing to
do is to get into the elephants head what
you want to have done and then to escape
punishment he does It. Put bell in the
grasp of an elephants trunk and teach
him that every time he drops it he will
be prodded, and he will quit dropping it.
Then thereis way to reach an elephant
through his stomach. | worked for
months with the animal that mounts the
highest pedestal in the pyramid. l put
his food up there, and he soon learned to
90 up after it, and then it dawned on his
brain that wanted him to go up there
that if he did go up he escaped punish
ment and now he never thinks of balk-
ing, and hardly eyer needs punish
ment.
The Professor told about how one OF
the elephants picked up a colored boy
who was making NJ her bed in Kansas
City, and tossed him gently into a candy
stall how, when he was trying to give a
sick elephant quinine pill at Gilmore
Garden, in New York, she was angered
at the pain he caused her and threw him
thirty feet against canvas screen, which
fortunately broke the fall; he related the
details of the killing of Keeper Williams,
in Connecticut, by Romeo about three
years ago; told how, when an elephant
kills keeper, it always tramps upon and
mangles the body and the elephants all
being asleep, he concluded to go back to
the hotel and do likewise As he passed
out he said to an attendant, "if the wind
begins to blow hard, come and wake me"
In explanation, he stated to a reporter
that elephants always get very excited
during wind storm.
One more question the reporter asked,
and that was whether it was true that an
elephant will not lie down under roof
The professor said that it was true of bull
| elephants, who would stand on their feet
| all winter, being afraid to lie downs
Louis Globe Democrat. dug. II.
Effect of Diet on Liquor Drinkers.
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