Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-04-08
THE BABY ELEPHANT.
How the Young Animal Conducts
1tself---The Mothers DemOnNtra.

HOW the Young Animal Conducts
ltself---The Mothers DemOnNtra.
From the Philadelphia Times)
The baby elephant is the talk of the
town. In fact, her ladyshlp is in DANCE,
OF being spoiled ty the attentions that
are being showered upon her from all
quarters, not to speak of her liability to
fall an early victim of too much ginger
bread and peanuts, with which we'll
meaning. but decidedly injudicious visi-
tors would pamper her. Yesterday there
We're not less than three hundred people
at the stables of Cooper & Bailey. at
Iwenty-third street and bridge avenue.
craving admittance. Money was offered
in some instances for the privilege of
getting peep at the little stranger. 1t
is needless to say that advantage was
not taken of the unbounded curiosity of
the parties in question, and they were
allowed to enter and view the latest ad-
dition to the elephant family to their
hearts content.
In the afternoon, about 3 o'clock, the
little elephant disengaged itself from the
oh elephants legs, walked off to the
edge OF the ring which the neither had
made by trampiG9 around so many times
with her feet, and there curling itself
up on little bundle of hay coolly went
to sleep. Visitors who came after this
saw only little black lump of an animal
about the size of Newfoundland dog.
with its form doubled up in the form Of
a semi-circle, SO that the soles of its fore
feet were almost planted against the
soles of its hind feet, and the queer little
trunk and head were snugly reposing
against its breast, for the time being
forgetful of it's troubles. The mother
kept walking around and shifting at it
with her trunk, until finding it fast
asleep, she turned away and began to
nibble at her hay. Meantime, if any
one would pass near the baby she would
turn toward it and throw out her trunk
as sort of guard. The baby slept very
sound for over half an hour, the only
sign of life visible about it being the
rising and falling of its side in its breath
ing. Meantime the stable was full of
visitors, who were anxious to see her
babyship awake. Presently it began to
stir, and then the small head was lifted
up little way and the small mouth
opened to cape. This seemed to please
everybody and there was a general rush
toward the ring. The old elephant APP
peared to think it time for her to inter-
fere now, and coming forward stretched
out her trunk and taking the little one
by the waist lifted it to its feet. AS for
the rest, the young elephant seemed to
understand well enough what to do. 1t
staggered up, shook itself little, gaped
again, then waddled over and got directly
underneath its mothers legs and began
to suckle, curling its trunk up over its
head and using its lips. After a few
moments its hunger was appeased ap-
parently, and it disengaged itself from
the maternal leading strings and started
to approach the keepers, its small black
eyes twinkhng with something of the
playfulness of kitten.
Just as the baby would be about to
stretch out its little trunk to greet its
keeper, the watchful old elephant would
quickly wheel around, and throwing out
her trunk the little one would find itself
drawn in again and put securely between
the old elephants legs. But the baby
would not be satisfied With wonderful
pertinacity for one so young, it would
steal away for a second time and just be
on the point of getting beyond the reach
of It's mother, when the latter's trunk
would again interposo like an iron bar-
rier, and tbs little one would find itself
unceremoniously dragged back again.
Thus it was all the time during the
baby's wakeful hours. When it was not
sucking its life was succession of run
aways and captures. 1t would keep the
old elephant busy al the time. Did the
mother turn her bead for an instant to
get mouthful Of hay, the baby would
waddle out tot the ring only to be brought
back again by the collar. so to speak,
quicker than it went. In these strokes
of maternal policy the old elephant was
always very careful of the little one; her
trunk would glide easily over its back
when it was straying away, and winding
itself around the lower part of its body,
would thus take hold of it. Hebe,
the mother, has the name of
being one of the most gentle
elephants in the collection, and there are
fifteen altogether Her action toward
the little one shows strikingly the strong
affection this species of animal has for
its young eff that baby elephant was
to die" said one of the keepers yester-
day, y 40 believe it would kill the
mother, too. She would pine away and
refuse food until she had literally starved
herself to death. y
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