Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-07-13
THE CRAZY FITS OF ELEPHANTS.

And my white satin gown is begun.
THE CRAZY FITS OF FELEPHANTS.
Showmans Recol!ections OF Keepers KILL
cd and Destruction Done by Them.
"Of all mad elephants, Hannibal, I
think, WAS the worst" said DR.. 1. A.
Graves, the veteran Snowman as Bunnell's.
"Most elephants recover from d mad fit
within a few. days, but Hannibal-wen he
would keep up tantr1m for wseks and
months at a time. The longest spell he
ever had began early one morning in June,
Warnings menagerie from Pawtucket to Fall
River. He broke away from his keeper and
ran the highway thirteen miles, smashing
everything he could. Talk about elephants
being large! Hannibal looked as big as a
locomotive that morning. The keeper at
tempted to check him, and was chased into
a swamp. The first vehicle the mad els-
phant met was q butcner's cart loaded with
mutton. He smashed the cart, killed the
horse, broke the drivers arm, and scat
tered the quarters of mutton along the
highways. Two vegetable wagons were
upset and the horses were killed, the
drivers escaping unhurt- When the
fury of his fit was spent, Hannibal was
pletely exhausted, and for the time subnis-
sive. Tusk chains were applied and for
many weeks afterward he was kept under
the strictest surveillance. To approach
him during this period was dangerous. On
turning out one morning in Burlington, VT,
found number of women and children
petting him, while he was swinging his
ears in evident enjoyment. Then ! knew
the spell was broken. He was very docile
and tractable the rest Of that season.
Hannibal was the most vicious elephant
that ever tramped with show. In 1S49,
while we were at Connellsville. Ohio,
stranger gave him pail Of water. He drank
the water leisurely, and then, suddenly
turning his head, struck the man with his
tusks. The poor fellow died. While
chained at Williamsburg, N. H., in 1857, he
took fit and pursued the keeper into a
stoneyard, when he got wedGed in among
the bouldess, and was subdued in that di-
lemma. Up to lS45 Hannibal was noted
for his Interchangeable good nature. In those
davs old Put Townsend used to be his
keeper. Put had trained him to drive the
stake to which it was customary to chain
him. Ore day Put started the stake and.
handed the sedge to Hannibal to complete
the job. Hannibal made ponderous blow
at the stake head, but struck his foot in
stead. He threw the sledge SO far that it
required ar hours search to find it, and
never would touch one again. Hannibal
lived to be 100 years old, aud killed twelve
men.
Columbus was another lad elephant. In
December, 1S49, while at Raymond & War
ing's menagere, Chestnut street Philasel-
phla. he killed ais keeper, took possession
Of the show, and retained it for three days,
killing in that time two camels, llama,
and upsetting large stove and two animal
| cages. The doors were barricaded, cannon
were mounted in the street, and soldiers
paraded on the premises in readiness to
| give him warna reception should he ap-
| pear. Finally two keepers entered the
| beams, and dropred moose rope to the
| floor. He walked into the trap, and when
he realized that he was caught. submitted
quietly to the claiming operation. Col
umbus fell through bridge at North Ad-
ams, Mass, the following summer, and
died few days later.
| bill Williams, or Canada BIZ" as he
| was professionally called. was Columbus g
! first keeper. Forepaugh's elephant Romeo
| killed him in winter quarters at Frankfort.
| Pa, in 1866. Bill went into the elephant S
/ den 10 do some chores and his crushed and
mangled body WAS found in few hours
afterward. Geo. Waste was killed in much
the same manner by Turner's African Ro-
meo. Before rescuing party could get
his body away from the elephant it was de-
| elephant Pizzaro had mad spells o1tener
than those have mentioned. In 1850 he
| killed his keeper and two camels near New
| Orleans, and then raided the country for
| miles around, doing great deal of damage
| to farm property. Chief, who is the only
one of the mad or rogue elephants alive,
| killed John King the keeper with Robin
i sons show, in 1879"
sWhat causes the madness of ele ohants?
was asked.
IF you have ever noticed, you may have
! seen that there are issues from the head OF
the elephant, just behind the ear. WheI
these are kept open, thin, watery sab-
| stance exudes therefrom. l have always
remarked that elephants are kindly disposed
| and easily handled while these issues are
open, but Just SO soon as they become clog.
| ged madness ensues. The insertion of a
common tape needle brings relief"
"Is it true that elephants are fond of
stimulants and naccotics?"
aYes, exceedingly SO. Now, there's a
popular error that should be corrected. It
he's always been thought that if you gave an
| elephant tobacco he would never forget it,
| and years afterward would kill you did on
opportu nifty present itself. That is not So
On the contrary, theleare but two things
which they relish more appletrae boughs
md thistles. Their passion for tine cut
tobacco is something marvellous. Some
years ago, when was travelling with the
elephant Conqueror, it was my custom to
carry meerschaum pipe in particula,
pocket in my coat. One day left my
| ooot ucitI,i,, roo oh of b;e frnnh md IN Jaes
time than it takes me to tell it, he had
found the pipe, crushed it, and swallowed
it, case, stem, and all. During the few
years was with Conqueror reckon he
must have eaten several hundred pounds
Of tobacco. The truth of the matter is
gentlemen, an elephant, like an intelligen,
person, will eat only what snits his taste
and never harbors any dislike for those
J people who give him disagreeable food"