The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-12-18
PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES VI JUMBO.
by HIS KEEPER, MATTHEW SCOTT.

BY HIS KEEPER, MATTHEW SCOTT.
1t was, in December, 1851, that my
namc was entered on the books of tho
Royal Geological Society's Garden, at
Regents Park, in London. Twas then
IL years of age, and my great desire
to be constantly among tho animals
which had visited over and over
again was finally gratiiied.
My work Us assistant keeper was H.
boriOus. but did not shirk my duties
for fear of discharge. and the pleasure
! found in making friends Of the dumb
beasts made the working hours pass
quickly by. Tho most ferocious aud
tho widest animals seemed to be the
ones liked best, and whenever an
elephant arrived ut the garden l was
usually the first to mako friends with
him. Sometimes found it impossi-
bic to gain their confidence, and l
might tell of many struggle with o
treacherous wildcat or Lyena.
we'll remember when 1T WAS an
hOunced. eighteen years ago. that an
African elephant, with immense ears
like folding parlor doors, would soon
arrive, and ths managers decided to
put me in charge of him. There was
great excitement when the boat ar
rived from Paris, and it seemed as il
all the boys and girls in London turn
cd out to see him. The little elephant
was curiosity on account of his
peculiar shape and big ears, and tho
aneMbers of several learned societies
came TO examine him. The name l
gave him. Jumbo. had no particular
Significance; in fact, don't think
had ever heard it.
From the natives where lie was
captured it was learned that Jumbo
was ) years of age. and took delight
in telling tho visitors that h8 would
grow to be the biggest elephant in the
world. This l judged from tho
peculiar size and proportions of his
bones in relation To the body. and
resolved soon afterwnrd that would
make study of feeding him, He
was then s;ckly md in D. bad state
of health generally. Jumbo and my
self were fast friends the first time We
met and he would be governed by none
of the other keepers. He was like Il
great good natured boy, and he took
Il special fancy to children and ladies,
and was never so happy us when he
could carry u back load of little ones
around the park. His passengers ill.,
cluded children of royalty and nobility.
and as he grew rapidly, larger sad.
die was necessary every few months.
One day Us Jumbo was passing
through Il crowd hc suddenly stopped,
and would not move an inch when
commanded him to proceed. From
my seat in the saddle l observed that
u lady below was much agitated as she
eame running toward Jumbo. Lean
ing over the side of tho saddle, l saw
that IL child of of 8 years had fallen
in our pathway. and was lying between
Jumbo's fore fest. Tho boast would
not stir until he had taken up tho in
FAINT tenderly in his trunk aud passed
it over to tho mother.
Mr.. Barnum, ten years ago, saw
Jumbo Mt tho Gardens, and tried 10
purchase him. When he offered $780,
900 for him. was afraid the directors
would let him 20, and that l would
lose my best friend. l didn't have
much to say to the great Snowman
and was not at all anxious to exhibit
the points of my big elephant, until
after the manager of the Garden had
assured me they would pevOr allow
the animal to go to America for any
price. Six years ago. however, Jumbo
had turns of fretfulness which alarm
ed the directors. and they even went
so far as to purchase blunderbusses
with which to shoot him if he became
mad and unmanageabls. told them
that elephants were social animals, and
what allied Jumbo was the want of
society with his own species.
As Mr.. Barnum had a score or two
OF elephants in his great American
show, Mr.. A. d. Cartlett, Superintcn.
dent of the Geological Gardens, advis-
ed the sale of Jumbo at o greatly re-
tluced price. MIR. Barnum offered
$4,000. and the directors accepted it,
on the condition that he should take
him as he stood. as they would run no
risk of removing him. The bargain
was made and it was 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 not 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
about the wonderful beast that had
now grown to be the largest known
animal in the world.
When Jumbo had got to be q good
sized boy another African elephant
was brought to the Geological Car
dens. This was o female, and we
named her Alice. She is now there,
and her age is 20 years. four year less
than Jumbo's age. She is of the
same build, and very atfectionate, but
does not display the same affection for
children.
Jumbo and Alice always won't out
together, and whenever he was taken
for q promenade she was uneasy un.
less She could 20 too. Her affection
for me was very marked, and when l
return to England l expect to be
greeted by her with cordial demon
STATIONS of elephant pleasure. Sho
was growing fast when left her, and
she has six or seven years to grow vet.
The children call her now, az then,
Jumbo's wife.
Jumbo was unlike any other ele.
plant in Mr.. Barnum's great herd.
1t would never do to punish him or to
force him to obey. MIR. Arstingstall
holds sway over nearly fifty great an /.
imals (any one of which might pick
him up and hurl him as boy would o
rat) solely because they fear him. Not
SO with Jumbo. He minded me be-
cause he loved me. Many years ago
it was that he began to show his a.
lection for me, and he never BETRAYED
the confidence placed in him. Whom
ever could make my wishes known
to HIM. be always obeyed. Like a
child. he would sometimes be peevish
and sullen. but at such times he would
solicit me to pet him, and il Ire.