The Russellville Democrat., 1881-08-04
NOT A GENTLE ART.
How Trainsrs Manage the Elepha.

HOW irAinSrs Manage the Elephant.
 A writer in one of the English maga- zines says The course Of Of t,a.iifiiI,g ele. l phants does t.n..s always run smooth, and when the animal is really refractory the
 keepers have "a heavy hand" with their
 charge. The most usual method of per
 suasion employed, when coaxing and feeding have failed is, we believe, to | job them with pitchfork until blood is freely drawn" at least this was the ex-
 planation given by trainer of repute of
 his own practice in this gentle art, and
 it accords with Strabo's assertion, that
 ito prevent them shaking themselves in
 order to throw off those who attempt
 to mount them, they (the ancient Indi-
 ans) make cuts all around their neck and then put thongs of leather into the incisions, so that the pain obliges them
 to submit to their letters and to remain quiet" Under this or similar treatment an elephant can be made to exhibit the greatest docility in the arena, and will show touching devotion to his keeper
 which cannot fail to render the circus at which he is employed as moral an ex- hibition as Artimus Wards own cele- brated "Snaix" We have seen an ele- phant trainer put his head in the mouth of one of his protegees during perform ance, when the brute obstinately kept it's mouth closed, and was only induced to change his mind by violent kick upon the trunk from pair of heavy boots.
 No doubt this little eccentricity" was followed by summary and severe punish- ment but, we must confess, that to so intelligent creature as an elephant, the insertion of human head in its mouth must have seemed such an idiotic pro. Aceeding that little hesitation as to what to do with it IS quite allowable. In Ba- roda, under the late Gaikwar's rule, huge elephant was kept as the public executioner, and used to dispatch poor wretches, at the word of command, by crushing their skulls with his enormous foot. Perhaps the elephant may have imagined that some such duty was ex- pected of him, and was merely turning the matter over in his mind. When an elephant is callous, even to the gentle persuasion of the pitchfork, and goes "must''-that is to say, hopelessly de- prayed and rampant-there is only one tageously exercised, and that is to Gin huence his head off," or, at least, to adopt the handiest available form of en- tlldHanid. lnt ppoi, Olu HlStoIlCdl elo- phant of the Royal Exchange, madden ed by toothache, had to be treated by a firing party of soldiers, and another sub mitted to about quart of prussic acid, entailing fatal consequences to butcher who had been called in to assist in the subsequent dissection. As rule, they are very patient under pain and easily recognize the fact that any proposed operation is for "their good" There are two elephants at sthis moment in the Geological Gardens who have submitted to surgical treatment, the one for an ac- cident which tore off a portion of it's trunk, the other for an abcess in the face. The ancients also knew how to treat sick and wounded elephants, and Elian gives an elaborate description of therapeutics employed, dwelling at the same time upon the gratitue which the creatures evinced when cured. On the whole, wonder that Ganesha, the Hindu God of Wisdom, is represented with an head to symbolize the posses sion of extraordinary sagacity,