The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-17

night. once forgot 10 give MIN his
portion, and after [ had dropped
asleep he put his trunk around me,
and lifted me out of my bed. / then
recollected the nip OF beer l had left
in the mug, not enough to wet the old
fellows throat, but IS soon as he got it
he was satisfied.
" He was mischievous, too, and
oftentimes he would wait until l had
fallen asleep, and then carefully take
off my bedclothes without awakening
me- If it was cold weather, | would
find the quilts crowded into the venti-
lator overhead. l recollect finding my
coat and vest carefully tucked into the
grating of the car. out of my reach. 1
looked for them for half an hour,
while Jumbo swunk his trunk like an
enormous pendulum, as he always did
when expressing delight. Finally he
directed my attention to the grating,
and at my request gave them back.
Many times Jumbo has picked me up
and placed me out of danger of vari-
Gus kinds to which he fancied ] was
exposed, and III several instances he
saved my life. When the stampede of
elephants took place last year, he
caught NE in his trunk, and held me a
prisoner between his fOre-feet until the
general alarm had subsidized.
IAN amusing instance occurred at
Penn Yam of JumbO's jealousy of the
attention paid me by visitors to the
great show.
"A young lady from the rural dis
tricts took quite fancy to me. and |
suppose | took more pains than usual
that she should know the whole history
of Jumbo. She returned several times
before the circus performance began
in the big tent. and each time brought
bouquet or other small gift. After the
exhibition she came again, and Jumbo
concluded | was either in great dan
ger or else receiving altogether too
much attention from the damsel. At
any rate, he wound his trunk around
me and drew me away from her. L
freed myself, and again made myself
agreeable, when Jumbo picked me up
and placed me on one side, and then
gently but firmly pushed the lady away
from him rs far as his chains would al
low.
Il DO not ike to review the details
of JumbO's sudden death. He showed
his affection for me to the last mo-
ment, and it seems that he realized
the danger to which l was exposed.
He first took care, as he saw the fatal
train coming. that | should be saved,
and quickly put me out Of harm 5 way.
Then he as quickly rolled Tom Thumb
away from the track, and in so doing
lost so much time that the engine was
upon him before he could move away.
He was king, and he faced death like
a king. The locomotive struck him on
the head, fracturing his skull.
Jumbo hide and bones are now
in charge of Prof. Ward, proprietor of
the great museum at Rochester. \. Y,
and he is preparing them for Mr.. Bar
mum hereafter to transport through the
country with his show. Eventually the
skeleton will rest at the National D1u-
scum of the Smithsonian Institution at
Washington, while the stuffed skin will
be placed in the Barnum Museum of
Natural History at Tufts College, near
Boston.
MI Barnum sends the following
short account of Jumbo's introduction
to his herd of elephants:
The day after Jumbo's arrival at
Madison Square Garden we resolved to
introduce him to the thirty-fVe Indian
elephants which we had there. Some
of us feared the result, but Scott in
sisted that Jumbo was too much of
gentleman to misbehave. So we placed
our thirty-tive elephants in a row. each
being chained one leg to post, and
then Scott led Jumbo in. He passed
in front of the string of elephants, look
ing at first little surprised, as did all
the other elephants when they first dis
covered him approaching. But Jumbo
and all the other elephants at once
looked kindly, and each extended its
trunk as Jumbo passed, which he fondly
took with his own trunk. giving each
elephant a kind caress. Mutual aflec-
ton seemed at once established, and it
existed without interruption till the
day of his death. ;" ...