Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-12-31
PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES OF JUMBO.
BY HIS KEEPER, MATTHEW SCOTT.

1t was IN December, 1901, that my
name was entered on the books of the
Royal Geological Society's Garden, at
Regent Park, in London. was then
IL years of age, and my great desire
to he constantly among the animals
which | had visited over and over
again was finally gratified.
My work as assistant keeper was In
borous, but i did not shirk my duties
for fear of discharge, and the pleasure
l found in making friends of the dumb
beasts made the working hours pass
quickly by. The most ferocious and
the widest animals seemed to be the
ones / liked best, and whenever an
elephant arrived at the garden | was
usually the first to make friends with
him. Sometimes / found it impossi-
BILE to gain their confidence, and /
might tell of many a struggle with a
treacherous wildcat or hyena.
| well remember when 1t was an
nounced. eighteen years ago, that an
African elephant, with immense ears
like folding parlor doors, would soon
arrive, and the managers decided to
put me in charge of him. There was
great excitement when the boat ar
rived from Paris, and il seemed as if
all the BOYS and girls in London turn
ed out to see him. The little elephant
was Il curiosity on account of his
peculiar shape and big ears, and the
members of several learned societies
came to examine him. The name |
gave him, Jumbo, had no particular
significance; in fact, | don't think
had ever heard it.
From the natives where he was
captured it was learned that Jumbo
was , years OF age, and / took delight
in telling the visitors that he would
grow to be the biggest elephant in the
world. This l Judged from the
peculiar size and proportions of his
bones in relation to the body. and l
resolved soon afterward that | would
make study of feeding him. He
was then sickly and in q. had state
of health generally. Jumbo aud my
self were fast friends the first time we
met and he would be governed by none
of the other keepers. lie was like Il
great good-natured boy, and he took
a special fancy to children and ladies,
and was never SO happy us when he
could carry a back-load of little ones
around the park. His passengers in
cluded children of royalty and nobility,
and as he grew rapidly, II larger sad
die was necessary every few months.
One day as Jumbo was passing
through II crowd he suddenly stopped,
and would not move an inch when |
commanded him to proceed. From
my seat IN the saddle / observed that
II lady below was much agitated rs she
came running toward Jumbo. Lean
/ ing over the side of the saddle, | saw
that child of of 3 years had fallen
in our pathway. and was lying between
| Jumbo's fore-feet. The beast would
not stir until he had taken up the in
FAINT tenderly in his trunk and passe d
! it over to the mother.
| Mr.. Barnum, ten years ago, saw
Jumbo ut the Gardens, and tried to
purchase him. When he offered $50
900 for him, was afraid the directors
would let him go, and that / would
lose my best friend. L didn't have
much to say to the great Snowman
and was not ut all anxious to exhibit
the points OF my big elephant, until
after the manager of the Garden had
assured me they would never allow
the animal to go to America for any
price. Six years ago, however, Jumbo
had turns of fretfulness which alarm
cd the directors, and they even went
so far as TO purchase blunderbusses
with which to shoot him il he became
mad aud unmanageable. told them
that elephants were sociql animals. and
what allied Jumbo was the want of
society with his own species.
AS Mr.. Barnum had score or two
+ of elephants in his great American
show. Mr.. A. ID. Cartleit, Superinten-
dent of the Geological Gardens, advis-
oil the sale OF Jumbo nj greatly re-
duccd price. Mr.. Barnum offered
$4,000, and the directors accepted it,
on tho cond ton that he should take
him ~ he stood, as they would run no
risk of removing him. The bargain
was made and twas the happiest days
of my life when found that ] was to
accompany my old friend across the
water.
The journey is familiar to every boy
and girl in the laid. Even those who
have NO, seen Jumbo on his travels
through The country have read how
Jumbo was boxed up and hoisted
aboard The steamer. Assyran Mon
arch by means of enormous derricks,
and how, on his arrival in New York
In April in 1882, every paper in the
land had columns of interesting news
abont the wonderful beast that had
now grown TO be the largest known
animal in the world.
When Jumbo had got to be good
sized boy another African elephant
was brought to the Geological Gar
dens. This was female, and we
named her Alice. She is now there,
and her age is 20 years, four years less
than Jumbo's age. She is of the
same build, and very affectionate, but
does not display the same affection for
children.
Jumbo and Alice always went out
together, and whenever he was taken
for promenade sho was uneasy I'M
less she could go too. Her affection
for mo was very marked, and when l
return to England ] expect to DO
greeted by her with cordial demon
STATIONS of elephant pleasure. She
was growing fast when left her, and
she has six or seven years to grow yet
The children call her now, as then,
Jumbo's wife.
II