The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-12-09
A Jealous Elephant.


The following amusing account Of
the pranks OF q Jealous elephant is taken
from the correspondence Of an English
merchant in Rsngoon:
Some male elephants have no tusks.
They are called "hines" by the Burmese.
The most powerful animal ever had
was ono Of them. He was very tall,
and IN strength perfect Samson
among elephants. An incident in his
history is worth relating. Samson
had fallen into q capIicious mood, under
the influence Of little siren belonging
TO the herd, and in fb OF jealousy he
frightened all the others 80 thoroughly
one night that they broke their fetters
and made bolt Of it out Of the timber
yard with Samson in pursuit. One
unfortunate member, who was on The
sick list at the time, and had an impedi-
ment in his walk, was bowled over md
trampled on several times, and was
never fit for anything but the hospital
afterward. The others took to the
Jungle, and it cost some money to re-
cover them. Samson remained in DOS
session Of tho timber-yard for three
whole days, no living thing daring to
venture near him. At the end Of that
time he walked off with his COM
panion one night to tho Jungle,
and selected a spot for his future resi-
dence close to o mud pool. For some
days he made raids upon the adjoining
gardens, eating up the fruit trees with
out compunctiop; and in revenge for
some opposition he met with from a
market-gGrdener, who did not appre-
oiate his new neighbor's high-handed
way of doing things, leveled his hut TO
the ground. Things were beginning to
get serious. Claims for damages be.
came unpleasantly frequent, and it was
absolutely necessary to put stop to his
depredations. Accordingly sent out a
deputation Of elephants to wait upon
him, with picked men as drivers and
attendants for tho purpose of bringing
him to reason. There were ten ele-
phants altogether, tho senior member
being very patriarchal-lookinga animal,
with an immense pair of tusks-the one,
in fact, who was always employed to
settle difficulties among the Juniors, and
in this capacity he had been uniformly
successful. When the deputation ar
rived at tho spot, Samson was
enjoying his morning bath in the mud,
and they surrounded him. The patri-
arch, with the chief mahout driving,
and another good man and true behind
him, for the purpose Of supplying any
lack Of moral courage that might mani
fest itself under trying circumstances,
was taken nearest to the renegade. His
sweetheart was quietly browsing among
the bamboos close by. The moment
Samson realized the situation, he made
q rush from tho bath at the patriarch,
who, forgetting his wonted dignity OF
manner, TUNED tail and bolted. The
hook and the spear, with which the dri-
vers were armed, alike failed TO restore
icourage to the leader. On he went,
tearing through the jungle, the branches
of trees and thorny creepers making
sad havoc with tho persons OF the men
Oh his back. His bad exGmplc de.
moralized the whole force they fed
for their lives, every one of them. At
last it came TO bo race between Sam
son and the patriarch, tho other Gle
plants having made lateral tracks fof
themselves, end got clear of danger.
When it canle TO close quarters between
the two, the mah0ut, thinking discre-
ton the better part OF yalor, laid hold
Of the branch Of trao as ho passed and
held on. leaving the other man 10 his
fate. In q yory short time he too wss
unseated, bnt IN nn involuntary man.
ner; tho elephant slos under the
branch C. o tree which di1 rcs adord
space i0r the Ilan ta pass uuaeros VcIl.
end be was nWept to tie g.omd. lie
was able, howayer, 70 eiude the pur.
sueF, Who was 90 eager 10 get at The
four-footcl fugitive FIAT he took no no
ticc OF tho fallen fidcr as he olawiod
along into the ihicE Jungle. Fottun-
ately no life was lest ia bis most cx,
I citing adyentme. Eyen the pairiAfch
got of scot FREQ. When tired of the
pursuit, Samson -ttamed 10 his FuEal
retreat, The dcputAsion got home IL
the eyeniag more frightened than hurt