The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-12-22
BARNUM SUCCEEDS AT LAST.
Securing a White Elephant-The Price
Paid $500, ooo-To Arrive Here
Next June.

The New York TriJune Of last Thurs
day says: Mr.. Barnum and his partners
have been trying for years to get a sacred
white elephant. Their agent, Mr. Gay
lord, visited tne court of siam for that
purpose last spring, obtained an audience
with the King, and stated his Grand
The King, with an air of establishment
at the request, referred Mr.. Gaylord to
his aged uncles, who. he said, were his
advisers. An interview was obtained
with one of the uncles, and Mr.. Gaylord
told him that 500, 1000 or more would be
given for the elephant, or half that sum
for its use for exhibition purposes for two
years. The Siamese Prince Indignantly
replid:
'Sir, you know the Siamese worship
the white elephant; that the King de-
mands for them the same care and re-
spect that is accorded to his Majesty or
or ans,member Of the royal family; that
we believe the spirit of\feities and the
spirits of our Kings possess these sacred
animals. Now, suppose the King of Sfan,
should ask the President of the United
States to sell or loan him the tomb of
Washington for exhibition in Siam, what
would be the reply? Do you suppose
that hundreds of millions of money would
influence his decision? Sir, you have my
answer, and | advise you to hasten your
departure from Bangkok, lest the ven-
geance of our Court and all the Siamese
people overtake you for your blasphem-
Gus presumption
Mr.. Gaylord quilted the Siamese CAPT
tai the same day and fastened TO British
India, whence he cabled the facts to Mr.
Barnum. His visit to the Siamese capital
and his proposition to the King were
talked about throughout the Eastern
country 1t soon became known that the
owners OF Jumbo would give 500, GOO or
more for sacred white elephant. A
month later three Siamese sought out
Mr.. Gaylord at Moulmein, in British
Burmah.
They knew of sacred white elephant
which had been captured by a Siamese
noblemaH, who was at twenty-days'
journey on foot from Bangkok, and Mr..
Gaylord signed contract TO give them
100000 if they could purchase the ami
mai-s25, 900 upon arrival in Moulmein,
$25, 600 upon delivery on steamer at Sing
apore, AMI $4,000 upon arrival in good
health at San Francisco. In forty days
the elephant arrived in Moulmein. The
party had travelled stealthily by night,
all being liable to instant death if they
were caught smuggling this sacred ami
NAL out of the country. Gaylord paid
the first instalment of $25, 900 and the
animal WIS shipped to Singapore, where
it was killed by poison, supposed to have
been administered by Siamese emissarics.
This fact was cabled to New York last
May. Mr.. Barnum and his partners
cabIad Mr.. Gaylord to offer 100000 for
a white elephant owned by some poten-
tate, SO, 900 on arrival in British India,
$4,000 on arrival in Cairo, $50, 900 on
delivery in London, and the remaining
$4,000 on arrival in New York. This
offer stirred up hundreds of fortune hunt
ers in Asia, and the result is that, after
months of diplomacy and large brides to
courtierS, a white elephant has been pur-
chased from the notorious and cruel King
Theebau, Of Burm#h. with all the royal
documents under seal establishing its
genuineness.
The price paid by p. T. Barnum and
his partners, James \. Bailey and J. L.
Hutchinson, is 100000 in gold. The
first iustalment OF $50, 600 has been paid,
and the animal is now under the care of
Barnum's agents in India, j. B. Gaylord,
Robert White and f. II. Davis. The fol-
lowing dispatches have been received
RANGooN, Nov. "a, 1898.
To BdrHum, Bailey d HtchiaSon:
Money received. Secured genuine sa-
cred white elephant, with royal docu-
ments, from King TTheebau Cost e40,-
600. Can ship only on deck. Will it be
safe by building strong, warm house >
steamers leave monthly for England.
Signed GAYLORD.
RANGooN, Nov. %, 1888.
To BarHUm, Bailey d Uutchins0a:
White, with two native assistants, leave
with sacred elephant December 8. steam-
er Tenasserum. Building strong warm
house amidships. Captain guarantees
safe delivery, London or Liverpool. Pos
tive port known at Suez. Shall obtain
hairy people. Wrote full details from
Mandalay. CSignedl GAYLORD.
The animal Will probably reach London
in February and will not cross the Atlau-
tic before June. London and Paris will,