The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-01-12

'ETlmt is a mistake. IN elephants skin is
fully an inch thick, but they are. nevertheless
moe sensitive than 4 horse. IN the summer
time, WHEN flies are troublesome, they use
their trunks to throw dirt and sod ON thelr
back tn the skin is covered. In this way
they protect that part of their body rom mes
they cannot reach in any other Way. WIZ,
one gnd iiy about an elephant will drive hlin
almost crazy
"Tlicy are generally very mischicvouS, are
they not?'
VERY MlSCiiIEVOCS.
'W'cll. I should observe. One night, while
our show was going through ILLINOIS,, IN .nG
latter part of the season, The weather turned
cold, and we hired the privilege rom Il FARMER
of Keeping our elephants in his barn over
night, The animals had hardly been quarter
ed there ill he and his son went IN anon
them to get out a wagon, Chief licked up
the man in his trunk and threw him clean
through halcinch board partition. Then he
lifted the boy in ms trm,!k ana pinsi nnay
swear they diun't go near those elephants
again. Did you KNOW that an clcphantulways
respects Il drunken man"
"Yes sir; in 1876 VIC had an old elephant
which we called old Bolivar "Gll,sir, that
rascal hated old John Robinson like poison,
! hate for his owner on general principles. II
Old John came into the animals sight me
brutc's eyes would never leave him till he
went away; Even in the ring B9!ivar %om,n
l lpllON lIlC pNNN I llN NSN's
WAS dcathly afraid of the old fellow, ana no
wonder. Well, one day we were showing IN
Atlanta. and q drunkcn man persisted IN
feeding Bolivar an apple and taking Liberties
with the old fellows trunk. Robinson wason
needles points all the time for fear the man
would get killed. The fellow was doing what
Uncle John wouldn't attempt for the 80, nc
Georgia. ~ last, In a spirit Of
told the dssffLk HAT WITH APPLES
md offer to Bolivar. assuring him that the
| up Ia M n1ppl,Dnt wpllll pmntS INC hal anu re-
turn il in good shape. The bOoHy visitor be-
lirvcd il all. He BOUGHT II hat full of apples
and rendered it, TO his big friend with the
trunk. Bolivar wound his proboScis around
the hat, and smash went hat: apples, ana al
down his capaciouS Jaws, dlshppearinS ht =
gulp. The owner of the hat stood agi'as,. haii
senses and realizing his loss, he bc%an to
squcal. Robinson was glad to get rid OF him
ahd sent him away to buy a new hat nj the
shows expense.
What hceame of Bolivar""
I'VE sold him to another show, and he died
some years after in Maryland, near llagcrS-
town. 1t was supposed that he was poison.
cd"
"IIow many elephants have you
"~1hrcc-Mary, or the Empress, Chiel ana
Princess
"Wcll. Empress is probably the most notcI
Of the three. We know her to be ST years old.
| We bought her from John %%athanS; who i'm,
ported her from Asia, where's She had been used
as Il pack animal. We bought her III loG6 for
Sl21, 900. Got her cheap on account OF Il defect
in ono Of her feet, which made her bad prop
erty for shows 1T those times, when the!
{, Travelled mostly without railroads or boats.
| The defect still exists. but docs not hurt her
for performing or street parAdcs.
EMPRESS IS a POWERFUL ANIMAL,
and has always ruled every animal the show
has ever had. She will beat Chief III! the lcl-
low will cry like q child. Indeed. Mary Is the
only power Chief fears, and she has saved
more than one life from Chief S riciousnesS.'
"IcIl us of some INSTANCES" r,,oc
"Wcl, last Winter, in New Orleans, chief
was Just about killing Il boy, when Mary
rushed up and knocked him clean through
The canvass, She has intericrcl moe than
once to save her keeper, John King. That
lis last Nv Words we're: Fetch Mary, quick
That was in (harlottc, y. C., last Summer.
We had just come into town, and were nn.
loading the elephants from their cars. rs
Chief was slipping down by means of the
rcLcstiiS, King cLrclcSsly passed in front or
! the brute. The latter hit him with his trunk
and knocked him up against a box car. nc
| had only time To shout Fetch Mary, quick!
Whrn Chief butteu hima against the car. crush
ing Kings skull like a peanut Shell. When
Tie keeper fell 10 the ground the brute, not
satisfied,
RAN a TrsK THROUGH HIS CRUSHED HEAD.
Ey this time Mary came up, and Chief start
ed down the railroad tack on IL run Mary
followin and lashing the murderer with her
srink at every step. But Chicl got away,
and, turning OIL into one of the main streets,
he went charging through Charlotte, spread
Ing terror on every square. John Shunatc,
! the boss hostlcr, and as plucky a man as Coo
ever made, had followed III hot chase, ana,
just as the big animal was charging on Il lady
and gentleman whom he had cornercd, Shu-
mate caught hin I'm the corner OF the NOUN
with q tent hook, and held him til Mary ana
Princess came W, when he was secured and
taken back
Did you punish him?'
"Not that time. We he'd no opportunity.
The last year he killed n rcly valuable pony.
Then we went for him. W took him onto Il
small island in the Ohio river, just below
| Blenncriiassctt, threw him down, tied him
L! with ropes, and beat thin till we were all tired
out; but he never blubbercd. Then we strung
hin: up by the two.hind legs etwceh two
trees. by means OF block and tackle, and
burned him."
Burned him -
YES. sir; but Il fire which began TO SCORED.
his neck and when it got lot you ought to
have heard him below"
"Wcakencd, did he ~
"Wcll, | should say so. Whined and
CRIED LIKE y WHIPPED SCHOOL BOY.
Well, we let him down, and Il better elephant
was never seen for n month altcrward. Then
! he got the devil in him again."
elias he always been Il bad clcphant?'
"No, 10. When we bought him he was OF q
reasonably good disposition. lie began to
grow mean three years ago, ard *lowed ltp'
throwing sticks and stones. lie hates q Mig
ger above all things earthly, and think his
one aim in lie is 10 kill one Of tic colorcd
race
ais he n valuable elephant -
"Not 50 valuable as Mary, bee: lsc he Is not
the performer She IS. About all lie does is to
tcc;cr and aid in the pyramid"
elbow Old is he p
"Ihlrtccn years.
Are he and Empress OF the same species ~
"Ics. both are Asiatic. Chief ca'nc from
CcNlon.'
and african cicpiantS?'