Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-08-23
Elephants
4 VETERAN SNOWMAN TELLS Oh
SOME OF THEIR CRAZY FI1s.

A VETERAN SNOWMAN TELLS or
SOME OF THEIR CRAZY FI1s.
'Of all mad elephants, Hannibal, l
think. was the worst, said the veteran
Snowman. Most elephants recover
from mad fit within few days. bu'
Hannlbal-wcll, he would keep up
tantrum for weeks and mOlths at
time. The lDnIes, spa'l hc ever hid
began early one morning 10 Jlae 1854
He broke away from his keeper and ran
the highway thirteen miles, smashlng
everything he could, Talk abolt ele-
plants being large Hannibal looked
as big as a locomotive that mOrlln g.
The keeper attempted to check HIN,
and was chased into swamp. The
first vehicle the mad elephant met was
butchers Gait loaded with mutton,
He smashed the cart, killed the horse
broke the drivers arm, aud scattered
the the quarters of mutton along the
highways. Two vegetable wagons wore
upset and the horses were killed, the
drivers escaping unhurt. When the
fury of his Fl. was spent Hanui0al was
found beneath tree by the roadside
completely exhausted, and for the tlme
submissive. Tusk chains were applied,
aud tor many weeks afterwards he was
kept under the sirictest surveillance.
To approach him during this period was
dangerous. On turning out one MORN
ing in Burlington, w., found num-
Der of women aud children pettIng him.
whil1 he was swinging bis ear' in evil
dent enjoyment. Then | knew the
spell was broken. He was very docile
and .ractable the ballnce of that sea"
SOD.
HannIb al VAS the most vicious anil
NAL that eyer tramped with show. In
1919, while we were at COrnellsyille,
Ohio, stranger gave HIM. a pail Ct
water. He drank the water leisurely,
aud then turning his head, struck the
man with his tusks; the poor fellow
died. While chained at Williamsburg,
NY, in 1857, he took fit and pursued
the keeper into stoneyard' when he
got wed !ed in among the boulders, aad
was subdued in that dilemma. Up to
1845 Hannibal was noted for his uD-
c5anccable good nature. In thUse DAYS
old Put Townsend used to be his keep
er. Pat had trained him 10 drive the
stake to which it was customary TO
cham him. One day Put started the
stake. and handed the sledge to Hannl'
bal 10 complete the job. Hannibal made
ponderous blow at the steak hea d but
struck his foot instead. He threw the
s,edg 50 far that il required an hours
search to fad it, and he never would
touch one again. Hannibal lived to be
one hundred years old, and killed
twelve men,
columbus was another bad elephant
Ia December, 1910, he killed his keep
er took possession OF the show, and
retained il for three days, killing in that
time two camcls, a lama, and upsettlng
a large stove aud two animal cages.
The doors were bayricaded, cannon
were mounted in the street, and sol
diers par.ded the premises in readiness
to clyo him a warm reception should he
appear. Finally, two keepers entered
the building from above, straddled the
cross-besms, and dropped a noosed
rope to the floor. He walked into the
trap, and when he realized that he was
caught, submitted quietly to the chalu-
inc operation Columbus fell througt
bridge at North Adams, Mass, the
following summer, aud died few days
later.
Bill Williams was Columbus's first
keeper. Forepaugh's elephant, Romeo
killed him in winter quarters at Frank
fort Pennsylvania, 10 1865. Bill went
into the ELEPHANTS den to DO some
chores. and his mangled bodY was found
a few hours aIterward. George Waste
was killed 10 much the same manner BY
Turner'S African Romeo. Before a
rescuing party could get his body away
from the elephant, it vas denuded OF
everything except one boot. Tue ele-
phant Pizafro had mad spells oftener
than those | have mentioned. Iu 1850
he killed his keeper and two camels,
near New Orleans, aud then rAidsd the
country for miles around; doing great
deal Of damage to farm property. CMef,
who Is tue only one of the mad or rogue
ELEPHANTS alive, killed John King, The
keeper with Robinson's shog in 1872
what causes the madness OF ele-
phant p was asked.
III you have ever noticed, you may
have seen that there are issues from the
head Of the elephant just behind the
ear. when these are kept open, thin
waierv substance eXudes thereIrom. l
have always noticed that elephants are
kindly disposed aud easily handled
while these issues are open, bat just as
soon as they become clogged, madness
ensucs. The insertion Of common
tape.needle brings relief
is it true that elephants are fond ol
sllmulanls aud narcots p
Yes, exceedingly so. Now. there's
popular error that should be corrected.
Il has always bsen thought that II y'r
: eaye an elephant tobacco he would
= ... g -cot n and years after would