The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-11
An EIephant as q Deck Hand.

The Thomas Sherlock and Golden
Crown arrived at the wharf yesterday
morning, having on board Uncle John
Robinson's circus, which shipped ut
New Orleans. Among the circus prop
erty was Robinson's monster elephant,
Romeo" This animal was passen-
ger on the Golden Crown, and he ap-
pears TO have enjoyed himself during the
trip in his own way. Pilot Purcell yes
terday gave an Enquirer man the follow
ing details as to "Romeo's" style of
willing the time away. For the first
day or two of the trip be was kept
chained on the forecastle of the steamer,
where he amused himself in various
ways. He made himself quite free with
the freight that was within his reach,
and tumbled boxes, barrels and bales
around promiscuously. At Vicksburg
the hawser, heavy cable some three
inches in diameter, was used to tie up
the boat. The observing" Romeo "saw
the de:k hands haul it once or twice,
when lie seems to have concluded that
ne could do it quite as well as the dozen
men. AS long thereafter as Romeo " "
was kept on the torecastle he handled
the hawser, 80 far, at least, as hauling
it was concerned. The deck hands
dragged it out and made it fast, but the
moment it was united the elephant, who
was always on the alert for something
TO do, seized it with his trunk and
hauled it aboard. He was able TO ac-
complish the work in less than half the
time required by the deck hands to do
it. Before they were taken beyond his
each, the animal amused himself by
lifting barrels of molasses with his
trunk and bouncing them up and down
on the deck. In this amusement he
smashed the chimes of twelve barrels.
When the barrels of molasses were re-
moved Romeo" Immediately turned
his attention to some cedar logs which
were lying on the torecastle. These
logs were heavy, requiring several men
to handle theln. "Komeo wrapped his
trunk around the end of one of the logs.
raised it up, and churned it up and
down on the deck, rattling the boat
from stem to stern. He was then re-
moved to the interior of the boat, where
the ringing of the engine bells soon at
tracted his attention. The bell-wires
running from the pilot house to the
engine-room passed under the cabin
floor directly over his back. He evi-
IDENTIFY noticed that when the wires
moved the bell rang. He had not been
long in that position until he began to
ring. the bells himself by jerking the
wires with his trunk. He was out OF
sight of the engineer, and the first time
lie jerked the bell-wire, which happened
to be the wire to "stop her." the engi-
neer stopped the boat.
"What's the matter?" asked the pilot
through the speaking tn be.
"Nothing." respo- -ded the engineer.
What did you stop her forP"
Il didn't ring"
"Ting-a-ling, ting:a-ling, ling-ing-
ling-iing," clattered the bell as if there
were spirits in it. The engineer rushed
out lust in time to catch Romeo
Jerking the wire. and the mys.ery was
explained. There was no way to, pre-
vent the animal from playing with the
wires, and he kept it up night and day
throughout the trip. When the pilot
wished to signal the engineer ne did It
through the speaking tube.-Cincin"at'
| ENQUIRER.