Morris tribune., 1882-09-14
TAKING A HEADER.

How the Elephant Duchess, in the St
Luois "Zoo" Enjoys her Daily Bath
From st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
"She's regular duck in the water, 1
| can tell yon."
This is what Secretary Kalb, of the
Fair association, said to Globe-Democrat
reporter at the Geological Garden, yes
terday afternoon, as the Asiatic elephant,
Duchess, went swinging across the
grounds toward the pond under the lead
of John Winner. 1--WE give her a swim
between 6 and o'clock every warm
day." continued the secretary, "and if
you want to see really novel sight
come on" So the genial secretary and
the reporter hurried along in the wake
of the big Quadruped, heading for the
little lake just beyond the bear caves.
The distance had been about half cov-
cred when keeper Winner brought his
charge to a halt, and gave young lad
meeting him mount on the broad back
of the Duchess for ride. ''Halfa dozen
boys can ride on her back all right" )"
said John, cas- long as l will keep
her moving, but let me get up there, or
let me get out OF sight, and she
thinks she ought to lie down." Here
the edge Of the pond was reached, and
the keeper sung out Duke" as though
there was some one by that name on the
other side he wanted to see. The re-
porter did not expect anything less than
to hear an answering Hi" and was con-
siderablv set back to see the Duchess
come down on her knees and side at the
call, so giving her lord chance to put
his feet once more on the grass without
the trouble of 4 jump. "ls that what
You say when YOU want her to lie down?
he asked Mr.. Winner.
That's about the size of it," was the
reply. "lou see its 4 good easy word
to speak with sharp, decisive sound
that catches EN-" and he lifted his pet
gently by the ear, with command that
had q pleasant, cooling murmur, sliding
her, as it were, at the same time into the
water. and sitting down to watch the
fun. The sight during the next half
hour was indeed funny one, but it was
also equally interesting. Duchess was
no more than up to her knees than she
began to take q copious drink, by first
filling her trunk and then curling it un-
der into her mouth to let the contents
run out.
1T looks as though she might drink
from her mouth while she Is IN the
pond" said Mr.. Kalb; ''but she don't,
her thirst always being quenched in that
round about way"
The operation finally over, Duchess
moved out to the center of the pond,
and suddenly took a header down be-
low" 1t was an out-and-out header, for
she went out of sight completely, with
the exception Of the ridiculous lash of
a tail that came up square above the sur
face and Haunted by itself in the air.
There was not a thing to be seen for a
full minute but just that solitary appen-
dage, shining brown and ugly in the set
ting suns rays that were breaking their
way in a wild troop through the thick
leaves of the surrounding trees, and
then it went out of sight to give place to
the opposite end. This was only the
head and trunk of the greatest girl in
the garden, and as she held her seat,
submerged to her eyes, with trunk laid
out straight, it was hard to tell what she
most resembled. Another minute
licked away, and away went the head.
This time there was some kind of
wrestle at the bottom that was lost to the
lookers-on, nothing showing but
mighty swirl ana wash OF waves, until
the back of the duchesse came up as she
regained her feet, and stood very inno-
cent and lamblike. "She is just as good
natured as she can be-" said the keeper,
waiting patiently for Duchess to have
her gay old soak out; "but she's regu-
lar little rascal when she can be. Now,
if she thinks l don't wan her to 90 out
on the other side she just tries her best
to do it. If she finds me in little hur-
ry for her to get through and come out,
she lays out for an all-night swim, and 1
have to 90 after her with boat. Just
so with her eating. Her yard is the
choicest grass-plot anywhere out here,
vet she'd rather browse around among
the weeds and chew plantain. She does
hate to be under restraint, her whole
heart being bent, when chained up, to
get the best of the lock- You know the
experience we have had with padlocks?
Well this noon We put on new one
made of extra strength and size to Mr..
kalb's order, and finding she could not
get away with it, she worried one of the
links of the chain apart The chain was
one, too, that stood all the strain the old
African elephant put on it when he
went mad, but she managed to find a