Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-04-30
PhiIadeIphia's Curiosity.


! hpN Ahb hAhi hi4EiiAANl hONbNbio iAhih
THE MOTHERS DEMONSTRATIONS.
tFrom the Philadelphia rmes.l
The baby elephant is the talk of the town.
In fact her ladyship is in danger of being
spoiled by the attentions that are being show
/ cred upon her from all quarters, not to speak
Of her liability to fall an early victim to too
much gingerbread and peanuts, with which
well meaning but injudicious visitors would
pamper her. Yesterday there were not less
than 800 people at the stables of Cooper &
Bailey, at Twenty street and Ridge
avenue, craving admittance. Money was Of
fered 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 recorded addition to the ele-
phant family to their hearts content.
In the afternoon about o'clock, the little
elephant dsengaged itself from the old ele-
plants legs, walked of to the edge of the
ring which the mother has made by tramp
ing around so many times with her feet and
there curling itself up on a little bundle of
hay coOlly went to sleep. Visitors who came
after this saw only a little black lump of an
animal about the size Of Newfoundland dog,
with its body doubled up in the form Of a
semi-circe, 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 snugy reposing against the breast, for
the time being forgetfu 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 nibble at her
hay Meantime if any one would pass near
the baby she would turn toward it and throw
out her trunk as a sort of guard. The baby
slept very sound Cor over half an hour, the
only sign of life visible about it being the ris-
ing and falling of its side in its breathing
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 a 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 ap-
peared to think it time for her to interfere
now, and coming forward stretched out her
trunk aid 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 n
little, gapcd again, then wadded over and
got directly under its mothers legs and be-
gan to suckle curling its trunk up over its
head and using its lips. After a few moments
its hunger was appeased, apparently, and it
disengagcd itself from the maternal leading
strings and started to approach the keepers,
its small black eyes twinkling with something
Of the playfulness of kitten
just rs the baby would be about to stretch
out its little trunk to greet its keepers, the
watchful old elephant would quickly wheel
around, and, throwing out her trunk, the lit
tie one would find itself drawn in again and
put secure between the old elephants legs.
But the baby would not be satisfied With
wonderful pertinacity for one so young, it
would steal away a second time and Just be
ON the point Of getting beyond the reach of
its mother, when the latters trunk would
again interIose like an iron barrier, and the
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 a succession
Of runaways and captures. 1t would keep the
old elephant busy all the time. Did the
mother turn her head for an instant to get
mouthful Of hay, the baby would waddle out
of 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 strayng away, and winding
itself around the lower part of its body, would
thus take hold of it. Hebe, the mother, has
the pame of being one of the most gentle
elephants in the collection, and there are fif-
teen altogether. Her actions toward the little
ons show strikingly the strong affection this
species of animals has for its young. If
that baby was to die, " said one of the keep
ers yesterday, Il do believe it would kill the
mother, too. She would pine away and re-
fuse food until she had literally starved her
self to death"