Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-01
suenu,Ne AN ELEPHANT.

Swinging q Recalcitrant Quadruped in the
Air to Bring Him to Reason.
1t took a dozen men five days of last
week to break the spirit of a vicious
elephant in the winter q%uarterso of Adam
Forepaugh's menagerie. Early in Feb
ruary one of Mr.. F~orepaugh's Euro
pean agents bought four elephants and
shipped them to this country. The
huge beasts reached New York two
weeks ago, and were at once trans
ferred to Philadelphia. Three were do
Gle, but the other, Ajax. is a tusker,
eight feet high and vicious.
On reaching this city he became sui
len, but Jack Forepaugh, who has
charge of the winter quarters, believ-
ing that the brute would become good
natured in a day or two. hitched him to
a post and locked him up for the night.
A few hours later Ajax broke his
chains. butted the iron-bound door of
his room, and rushed into an apart
ment in which a dozen of the more
peaceable elephants live. He attacked
a performing elephant named Bazie
and a desperate fight began. Five or
six of the small elephants broke loose.
Their frightened cries soon excited
every animal in the buildings, and the
air was filled with roars that aroused
the neighborhood. The night keepers
were afraid to attempt to separate Ajax
and Bazie, who were trumpeting and
charging at each other with great fury.
When their huge bodies came togethG
at the end of every rush the shock could
be felt throughout the place.
Jack Forepaugh was sent for but
before he arrived the Waterman dis
covered that Ajax and Bazie were %
engaged with each other thai they did
not heed what was going on about
them. The doors We're opened, and all
the elephants except the fighters were
driven out. By the tine this was ac-
complished Mr.. Foreraugha arrived. He
has had thirty years. experience with
wild animals and stands no more i n
fear of an elephape than an ordinary
person does of a dog. Grasping an
elephant hook-a spike and a hook on
a handle-he ran between the furious
beasts and ordered Bazie back. Bazie
obeyed, but the blood of the new cle-
plant was up and he charged on the
man, who eluded him and fastened the
hook in the beasts ear. Ajax turned
and bore down upon him. The trainer
stabbed him with a spike and lodged
behind a post. Ajax butted the post
down as though it was a reed. The
other men ran to Mr.. Forepaugh's as
sistance and assailed the elephant from
so many points that he paused irreso-
lutte. During that pause a chain was
passed about one of his hind legs and
fastened to an anchored ring. This
rendered him almost helpless. His
other legs were hobbled and he was
left alone until daylight, Bazie being
driven off to another part of the quar-
ters.
On Tuesday morning Ajax was as
sullen and vicious as ever. Bad ele-
plants sometimes remain in this mood
for days, and no man can approach
them with safety. Until such an ele-
plants spirit is broken, he is worse
than useless. Steps were at once taken
to convince Ajax that he must obey his
keepers. OF the thirty-six elephants
under Forepaugh's care none was as
hard to subdue as Ajax.
The work of conquering the proud
spirit of Ajax began at nine o'clock on
Tuesday morning and ended shortly
before noon yesterday. Beating has no
effect upon a mad elephant. 1t only
renders him more stubborn and wicked.
The breakers only hope is to convince
such an animal that he is powerless
against man. That accomplished, the
beast becomes as docile as elephants
ever are. On Tuesday morning four
hawsers we're passed through immense
pulleys attached to beams under the
roof. Then a set of harness, shaped
something like a monster shawl strap,
was fastened about Ajax's defiant
body. The leather straps, which were
three-ply thick, covered small chains.
All the leather plates We're copper
riveted and a foot wide. Ajax looked
as though he We're in armor after being
encased. Three hours were spent in
getting the harness on him, and during
the job he slightly injured two of the
keepers.
Through iron rings, supported by
great chains, were passed the hawsers.
Then a dozen men grasped two of the
lines Of rope that passed through pull
leys. and before Ajax knew it his hind
feet were six feet above the ground,
and he st cd on his front ones in the
most approved performing elephant
style. For a moment he was paralyzed
with astonlshment, but surprise gave
place to fury when he appreciated the
ridiculous posture he was in. He
surged and trumpeted and Tapped his
ears. but all to no purpose.
When his struggles subsidized some of
the men rano off With the front ropes,
and in a jiffy Ajax's body was suspend
ed in Che air. He made the most fran
tic efforts to tear the betting of with
his trunk, but the chains between his
fore legs and around his shoulders pre-
vented it. There the monster brute
hung us helpless as al infant. He was
free to kick and plunge and butt the
air as much as he pleased. From tine
to time he was lowered, so that he
might rest his legs, but none of the men
were allowed to approach or worry him.
In the evening he was lowered and fed,
and allowed to spend the night on the
ground, thinking over the lndignities
that had been put upon him.
After his breakfast On the following
morning he was trussed up as before.
Ia - ~.