The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-26
AN ELEPHANT AT AUCTION.
THE BIGGEST ANIMAL IN THE COUN-
TRY UNDER THE HAMMER.
Seven Circus Men and tho superintcudent or
the Central Park MenaRerie Attending tho
saIe-Mr. Coles BID OF 8,8OO the High est.

Seven Circus Men and tho superinteudont OF
the Central Park McnaRerie Attending tho
saie-AIr. Coles Bid OF $4,000 the Highest.
The biggest elephant in the United States,
according to Charles Reiche. who owned him
and next to the biggest according to each
circus man who has got an elephant Of any siz
whatsoever, was advertised for sale at auction
yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock in Reiche h
Brothers stables. Hoboken. Half an houj
earlier THE SUN reporter found MIR. Reiche.
John O'Brien. the Snowman of Frankfort, Pa.
and Mr.. Charles Clinton OF Hoboken seated IN
a square room. bare of everything except few
chairs some hay. a stout hawser and an enor-
nous elephant. which had become a white
elephant on one side by contact with a kalso-
mined wall and which James A. Bailey. Of
Barnum. Bailey d Hutchison's show. said
looked very much like balloon behind"
Here comes Cole" said Mr.. Bailey as W.
W. Cole of Coles New York and New Orleans
Circus. now .wintering in Utica, entered the
stable; I'll bet good cigars for the crowd that
ri take that bet" Mr. Cole replied, adding.
l don't want the elephant l only came over
seq the blood In his eye"
oh, I've got elephants enough" Mr., o'Brien
that one. by the way. I'm the only one. here
who has measured him. He is ten feet two
How tall is he. .Reiche ?" asked John Doris
Of Batchellor Dorris's moroccan Circus
Well" said Mr. Reiche, who had skilfully
evaded answering that question dozen times
got, has got a bowed back while this ones back
crown Of his head when his head is held up
he ii measure over eleven feet"
.Showmen usually measure from the tip end
Of the tallest hair on the highest point" said
NJ get him III III bill him thirteen feet" said
pose. and brought it with me-
where in the neighborh9od q The ceiling in tho
keeper measured it with Mr.: o'Brien's rule.
United States Circus Of Wisconsin. George W.
B1sS sb i93rms srEyv NIP G2up and now with
aloud or Whispered to their TRENDS I that they
had not como to buy the elephant. but were
er pronounced the stick to be feet and IL
inches long, measured it over. and found it
aha and it sed good
measure. BY this time there were a great many
representative elephant herders in the room.
MIR. Bailey represented drove of twenty-five
not incuding Jumbo. now on his way over the
ocean. Mr.; Doris had a partnership interest
hands. Mr. Cole had four Superintendent ".
4. Gonklin Of the Central Park .menagerie. who
had Joined the party has two in his care and
by proxy Mr.. ,Conkiin tried to buy this ele-
phant, but had not time to raise sufficient
money. He said the rich people were so pes
tered for charities that they had no surplus left
We'll. gentlemen" said Auctioneer Muller.
who was 70 sell the monster am now going
to offer this animal at auction. IT. class
OF goods amt used to selling. This animal
came from Ceylon to London. where Mr.. Reiche
purchased it year ago. 1t has never been ex-
and is nc tallest and biggest animal of any
kind nov in America. 1t is obedient and gentle.
mus its BACK What ana ored or
I'll open the bids with $4,000" said Mr..
~, Three Three thousand five hundred dollars" said
oh. the trunks worth more than that!"
Four thousand dollars, said Mr., Doris,
Reab may rs T' sag gf c saS M
viii take the balance in paper"
oraan e no paper in the Madison Square
understand that the oldest circus men have to
own expense r Reiche Shielded f dVeA Forty f y
I'VE HUNDRED 20 dollars Lars; sa'd Nh Cole go $50
Sndrd d nF 1FR d E2uT b $Rp
'oh, boom her up said Mr.. Rciche. James IS.
take the elephant outside and walk him around
ms Sale Is genuine and want all to under
Doors that walled in half the side of the
house We're thrown open. and with swaying
motion like that of balloon whose gas begins
to ift il from the ground the enormous animal
the intense delight Of the children Of Hoboken
ing and shouting beyond the garden railing.
Eve th9ns4 ,n d2liars NJ Gle remarked;
Doris. Cole added 5000 and Doris made 1T il
$4,000. Cole lengthened that by 800 and then