Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-04-23
Philaielphia's Curiosity.
HOW THE BABY ELEPHANT CONDUCTS ITSELF
THE MOTHER DEMONSTRATIONS.

from the Philadelphia Times
The baby elephant is the talk of the
town In fact hcr ladysiip is i'll danger
of being spoiled ly the attentions that
are being showercd upon her from all
quarters. not to speak of her liability to
fall an early victim To- too much ginger
bread and peanuts, with which well mean-
ing hut injudiciuus visitors would pampcr
her. Yesterday there were not less than
800 people at the stables Of Cooper y
Baily. at Twenty-thirl street and Ridge
avenue, craving admittancc. Money was
offered III some instances for the privilege
of getting n peep at the little stranger
1t is needless to say that advantage was
not taken of the unboundcd curiosity of
the parties i'll question, and they Were
allowed to enter and view the latest re-
corded addition to the elephant family to
their hearts content
In the afternoon. about , o'clock. the
little elephant disengaged itself from the
old elephants legs walked off to the edge
of the ring which the mother has made
by tramping around 81 many times with
her feet, and there curling itself up on n
little bundle of hay coolly went to sleep.
Visitors who came after this saw only
size of Il New foundlanl dog, with its
body doubled up Ill the form of Il semi
circle, SO that the solcs Of its fore feet
were almost planted against the soles of
its hind feet, and the queer little
trunk ard head We're suuSly repcsinS
against the breast, for the time being for
getful of its troubles. The mother kept
walking around and shifting at it with
her trunk, until, finding it fast asleep,
she turned away and began to nibbie ut
her hay Meantime if any one would
pass near the baby she would turn toward
1t and throw ont 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 fall
ing of its side i'll its breathing. Mean
time 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 general rush toward the ring. The I
old elephant appeared to think 1t time for
her to interfere now, and coming forward !
stretched out her trunk and taking the .
little one by the waist lifted ii to its feet /
As for the rest, the Young elephant seem .
ed to understand well enough what to do.
1t staggered up, shook itself little. gap
ell again, then waddled over and got .
directly under its mothers legs and be .
gan to suckle. curling its trunk up over /
its head AID using its lips After few
moments its hunger WAS appcascd, ap- .
parently, and it ,lisengaged itself from .
the maternal leading strings and started .
to approach the keepers its small black .
eyes twinklmg with something of the .
playfulncss of kitten. /
Just as the baby would he about To- .
strcatch ont its little trunk to greet its .
keepers, the watchful old elephant would .
quickly wheel around. and. throwing out /
her trunk, the little one would find itself .
drawn i'll again and put secure between .
the old elephants legs. But the baby |
would not be satisfied With wonderful .
pcrtinacity for one SO Young, 1t would .
steal away Il second time and Just be on
the point of getting beyond the reach OF !
its mother. when the lattcr's trunk would .
again interposc like an iron barrier. and .
the little one would find itself unccremo-
niously dragged back again. Thus it was
all the time during the haby's wakeful .
hours When it WAS not sucking, Its
life was succession of runaways and .
captures 1t would keep the old elephant
busy all the time. Did the mother turn
her head for and instant to get Il mouth
fnl of hay, the baby would waddlr ont of
the ring only to be brought back again
by the collar. so To speak, quicker than 1t
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 ii was
away. and winding itself around
the lower part of its body, would thus
ta!.o hold of it. Hche, IN" mn'her. has
the name of being one of the most gentle
elephants i'll the collection, and there are
fifteen altogether Her actions toward
the little one show strikingly the strong
affection this species of animals has for
its Young. IF that baby elephant was
to die" said one of the keepers Yesterday
Il do believe il would kill the mother,
too She would pine away and refuse
food until she had literally starved her
self T., death