New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-01
ELEPHANTS AT HOME.
A MORAL SHOW IN WINTER QUARTERS.

WILL WORTH TIKI NAME-TwO INTER EsTING IA
BlFs-nOw BAREBACK RIDERS ARE TRAINED.
" Here they are, twenty of them, and tins ~ the
gentleman who has taught them all they KNOW
said Mr.. Thomas, Mr. ]. I. Barnums press-agen''
at the Bridgeport winter quarters of the great
moral show Ranged on three sides Of room one
hundred feet square and fitted up for their speciai
accommodation, are twenty elephants ranging III
size from the largest in the country to the engaging
baby elephant lately born in Philadelphia res
said the keeper sthey are remarkable beasts
They will live eighty ninety years In CAPTIVITY
unless locomotive or something of the sort should
happen to strike them. Ever then the chances
would be against the locomotive The scene
brought windy to mind picture of what the Ter
tiarv AGE might have been. with its rowing mon
sters 1t seemed impossible that the gigantic beasts
slowly and continually swaying their heads IRON
side TO side should be SO tame and so easily man
aged. The keeper gave scarcely audible Sighai,
when the roof was fairly lifted by such a bare OF
trunpetngs as one auditor never wished TO near
again The Anvil Chorus If it had been present
would have hidden its respective heads in shame
This noise is made through the elephants trunk,
and there is not the slightest use OF trying 10 GET III
q remark edgewise when one OF the performers mas
the floor. The throat tones sound like distant
thunder and make the most ambitious drum OIL no
consequence. The baby elephant came up to re
IeSSOn-itS
stand on its fOrelegs and head. An apparatus was
fastened 10 its hind legs and they hoised into
the air by block and tackle, with the pateinal as
sistance of one of the larger elephants W hlc III
this aesthetic position the baby was made to touch
It's head 10 the floor. and when IT had done tins II
was Immediately let down. After few trials, baby
seemed to enjoy the process very much aud pre-
sently pun IT'S head on the floor OF its own accord
as soon as its legs were lifted Having learned to DO
this il was given an agreeable reward o. carrots
and allowed to frolic in al clephantlne way 10 ITS
hearts content The keeper method Of teaching his
charges is entirely b. kindness although 1t is often
very difficult to break in old and wicked leHoW
Mr. Thoma, ordered performance by the elephants
in two squads aligned according to size. u was
really startling t. them standing abreast III
single line and at tic order, by the right flank,
double fc,' march of to the right, III douOio me-
with much more ecIat than often is displayed 10y
some city regiments. Mr. BaTnum makes use OF his
elephants to do al the heavy work about the build
ing such as pushing chariots here and there ana
hosting weights The keeper said that these AMI
mails if their angry passions were once really
reused could easily break through the walls OF the
building and escape. They are so doclle, however,
that it is rarely that anything exciting happens
He is occasionally thrown by them, If something
initiates them as was the case when The BABY eIc-
pbant was weaned. Both mother and infant eA-
pressed their wrath WITH RItit i""Ni''' '''-
uuapimity Last summer. While on the road, one
NJ tine poudcrous beasts refused 10 come out Of
river it had crossed, and delayed the whole Tram
for several hours. while be pacldly rested or play
fully gambollcd in the cool waters.
An event like the birth of baby elephant always
causes a great futtering among the scientific ola
maids of the country. Such an occurrence ls eX-
pected soon in this show. The Philadelphia infant
is the only one born here thus far and ITS advent was
not utilized for scientific observation. The Queen
is the tallest matTon in the show, ana de-
serves her name for her majestic appearance and
stately manners Professor Doremus, of this city,
was found inst finishing examination, and was
free to confess that be was the first person VINO
had been able TO make 1t is understood that
n number of savants will visit Bridgeport on the
interesting OCCASION Professor O. {. Marsh among
Others has made arrangements 10 be Suhh"hed'
Professor Dorcmus was disnclIncd 10 reveal any of
the data gathered by him in the inspection. and
merely dropped as a pleasing reflection, the fact
that elephants milk under q microscope shows
remarkable beauty ard regularity in the formation
OF the globues.
AMONG THE MONSTERS
In the same building with the elephants
room are the meuagcre and the rine-room' the
latter containing circus-ring for practice
during the winter. All the animals which can
easily be led are wintcred IN little town about
sixteen miles from Bridgeport hrac iuCIlue IHuoC
of the horses some two three hundred IN number,
the caruels and a good portion of the cattle. The
snakes and other Oyiparou5 animals are nearly All
in this city, The first thing that one sees on enter
ing the menaCerie is the calm and reflective rhlnoc-
eros which Mr.. Bergh once insisted should have
tank If water to swim in although such a pro-
Feeding would have killed il Immediately. OF
course Mr. BCrgh had in mind the wants OF mp
popotamus Beyond the rhinocerOs was the mon
KEYS cage full of wOuld-be Guiteaus Then came
the carniverOus animals. Here were the Wild
animal taincrs one of them devoted to the nstTuc-
ton of lions and panthcrs the OTHER to training the
tigers and lcopards in the way they should go III
order to be good aGd happy. The hon-tamer got
into cage with four animals and put them through
n number of tricks. One OF them was III paTtlcu-
larly vicious humor The man asked for club
and was compelled TO give the beast q severe
thrashing before it would he quiet even then 1t
kept opening its mOuth at him and snarllng saw
arely. His call upon this interesting animal
was as brief was consistent Win goou
manners. The other tanner went into cage OF hah
n dozen leoparls where he sat holding one alfec-
tionately in his lap while photographers who was
present took a view of the group. This tanner also
entered a cage of tigers and amused himself by
sntiug, down on them, and by engaging III other