New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-10

MR. BARNUNs WHITE" ELEPHANI-lliE-
ATRICAL AND MUSICAL INCIDENTS

That he has certain marks which are COM
monty supposed 10 he characteristic OF Wnlto e'c
infants may also be seen. The brush puo'o' 'n'
islnr tender recolections OF IFS lost JUAluo' anu
oo.Ii,er At any object that might replace the &C.
parted monster in its affections, was ready ehoue"
20 believe an ash-cOlored elephant 10 ne WINE
n f,ct that he is exhibited in the gardens of the
Zoologlcal Society seemed a sort Of guarantee OF
his genumeness, and there was testimony OF a
liee,,.pt kind 70 the same effect The managers
for MeSsrs Baraum Bailey and Hutchinson axe
clever people and they prepared the public mind
skilfuUv for the reception of their new curiosity
The scientific mind itself was understood on sat
urdav TO be content. But to-day tho voice OF the
exuert is being heard in the land. apd he utters
some curious notes. Colonel Fred Brine of the
ROYAL Engineers. who has travelled IN Burmah and
Siam. declares that Toung" may be seven and a
half feet high, and weigh three tons, and II any
thing is of a darker ash color than either the King
al B1rnabs celestial elephant, or the King of
Siani's white elephant. " All can notice. says
Colonel Brine, in the animal worth mentioning
Is that it Is less pink notified on the ears than usual
with older elephants in those countries" Then
comes this interesting passage:
ehould like 10 add that the sacred white ele-
nhant Is neither sacred nor white. ana ealing MN
Baddha could Oniy be eqnalied Dy an '"s
taking a ion to Mandztay aud calling nun God' q"
II rrrist moi be forgotten that Just as our loyai
standard has hon SO the Siamese nag Is red with
. white elephant and the Burmese white WIN. a
nearock. and the Buddhists only regard an ele-
uhant in their palaces aud temples as we should
hne lion kept in Buck ngham faiace' espeol@i'9 Il
Of a great age and British.
A great geological aud biological authority Prof.
w II Flower. whose name is probably well known
in America regards Toung's popularity of color
alton as quite unlike that of any elephant previous
" brought 10 this cOuntrv. The general surface OF
the skin TO be sure, is as dark as usual II not
darker But the patches of pale reddish brown
an, definite and dispersed with perfect bil&tefal
symmetry and the effect Of this Is remarkabie.
There are even a few white patches-hah White
On the whole, Toung is not, says Professor tloW-
err a pale variety of the ordinary elephant, but
one characterized by local deficiency OF the cpl
dermic pigment which does not result from any dis
ease of the skin. as has been suggested, but Is
doubtless an individual cougental condition or de-
feet This condition might, if greatly in excess OF
that shown in the present animal, and il complete,
constitute true albinism. Such as he Is. Profess
eor Flower pronounces T0ung to be very curious
and interesting specimen.
Ii seems there really at the couTt OF the late
King of Burmah splendid old albno elephant
who died at Mandalay some twenty years ago. As
the Burmese according 10 the witness l am now
citing believe that both good government aud re-
lirion can only be secured by the continuing pres
epce and protection Of a genuine white elephant,
great efforts were made the death OF this fine fell
low 10 secure successor. Fabulous sums Were
offered bnt TO no purpose so, IN despair the late
King and his Ministers were obliged to content
themselves with an animal which. save in the
Judgment of experts, differed little from the oIdn-
arv beast. "Ayabom is the signature Of this
writer and he gives q most curious account 0i tie
honors paid 10 a baby white elephant in Aandalay
some thirteen wears ago. This fortunate young
h.
b.vv Of twelve handsome well-developed young
women of the respectable middle class" Ii is
sad To have to say that he died soon after from re-
plctiOn and Mr.. Barnum viii not be able TO
exhibit his present purchase to the public,
a TIE hero Of this story which would render itself
readily to pictorial illustrations. The sum oflJ alis
in Ayaboils" opinion, thar elephants with anypre-
tensions whatever 70 he white, even m The most
limited technical sense, arr extremely scarce ~ Il
nah He considers If Iheehaw has really permit
ted the export of such an animal. net few Of his
subjects viii forcten a speedy and ineiorous end
10 has rorn.
The ,acrelness of this or other white elephants is
ftill further contested by another correspondent
who writes as II hc knew Contributing dr. Carl
Boch whose orportuae book on " Temples and
Eiephau'5 has been hastily received as autnori-
taflve F. f ". declares HAT there nothing
erv.l according tc Buddhist teaching ~ white
el,.i,i,aut or ir any other elephant. White is III
Siar. au emblem Of ROYALTY. White elephant, are
Tar' and all that are captured are kept rot ~
temples. but in the royal stables. They are noe
vor-Lppcd. Belig.3Jsmeaumgin q white elephant
there isuoue. BuddhI wa popGluly supposed TO
have tG.us formed himself into 40 elephant but he
also on equally good authority, entered into the
body OF an ant, ana nobody pretelds that aBts are
worshipped. is said that VI Barnum j. oIgau-
izins religious ceremony IL honor Of ToUus
PRIEST are coming idols arr to be exhibited and
numneIy OF some kind is 10 he performed and this
the public will be- invited o. accept a. Buddhi.cir
Very likely this story doe injustice 10 llr Ha-Bm.
II it be true, the who play the parts in this
mock service viii not be, says r. T. w, Buddhist
priests.
Meanwhile. the Briton Rocks to the geological
Gardens 10 see Toung. Enticiug advertis Hcuts
appear in the papers, 50 worded as to 10 pro-
coed from the Geological Society; which, indeed.
has never shown any oycI-Scrup reluctance 5o
profit BY public cXci.eDents. On an ordinary &cu-
day al ts season Of the year thnrc 790 visitors
Yesterday there were nearly COCO 70 their dis
MAJ they dnd {. at Toug is not allowed 10 eat
hUcs. and So one perennial source OF pleasure 10
the VISITOR Is rUtniesssiy cat OH.
Nr. PiBero's Low Water" produced al the Globe
Theatre. January ., has kept the boards exactly
one week. II Is Tire fashion among NJ fuero's
friends 10 describe hIS unsuccessful experiments "a
brilliant failures y Low Water" lS "a failure which
is lot brilliant. Mr. piuerC himself writes 10 the
papers that he tried 10 pre vent lis being acted. He
gives cut that he fUTes9W failure. hut he waited
until the failure complete before publishing
lis protest; protest based, believe, III
whole part. tie alleged in
competence OF tie actors 80 whom lhe
piece was iTtTs.el. But II j. thought that tie
actors were quite good the piece and no act
Ors could Rave saved The play from condemnation
\ tareicai three act comedy has taken the place
OF NJ flncI9s aaiucky venture Alr. Il. Hnnil-
ton Is the adapteI author. say the pllv Eills and
the title IS 90 ON 8cgimcm." There Is q character
part i'm ID for Nj t,erald Moorc whom Tide audience
received favOEably, aud there is euoneh rather
b0ster0us fun TO carry il comfortably through the