The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-12-18

Personal "Reminiscences BY His Keeper,
Matthew scott.
The following interesting sketch Of
Barnum's mammoth elephant, which
met such tragic death in Canada last
summer. is taken from an article in q
late number Of Harper's Young People:
1T was in December, 1851, that my
name was entered on the books Of the
Royal Geological Society's Garden. at
Regents Park, in London. / was then
seventeen years of age, and my great
desire to be constantly among the ami
mails which had visited over and over
again was finally gratified.
II well remember when 1t was an
nounced, eighteen years ago. that an
African elephant, with immense ears
like folding parlor doors, would soon
put me in charge of him. There was
great excitement when the boat arrived
from Paris, and it seemed as IL all the
boys and girls in London turned out to
see him. The little elephant was
curiosity on account Of his peculiar
shape and his big ears, and the MEM
bers of several learned societies came
to examine him. The name / gave
him, Jumbo, had no particular signifi-
canoe; in fact. don't think that /
had ever heard it.
From the natives where he was
captured it was learned that Jumbo was
five years of age, and took delight in
telling the visitors that he would grow
up to be the biggest elephant in the
world This judged from the pecul-
lar size and proportions Of his bones in
relation to the body, and l resolved
soon afterward that l would make
study Of feeding him. He was then
sickly, and in bad state of health gen.
orally. Jumbo and myself were fast
friends the first time we met, and he
would be governed by none of the
other keepers. He was like a great
good-natured boy. and he took spe-
cial fancy to children and ladies, and
was never so happy as when he could
carry back-load Of little ones around
the Park His passengers included
children Of royalty and nobility, and
as he grew rapidly, larger saddle was
necessary every few months.
| "One day as Jumbo was passing
through crowd he suddenly stopped,
| and would not move an inch when
commanded him to proceed. From
my seat in the saddle l observed that
lady below was much agitated as she
came running toward Jumbo. Lean
ing over the side of the saddle, saw
that child Of two or three 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 infant tenderly in his trunk and
passed it over to the mother.
mr.. Barnum, ten years ago, saw
Jumbo at the Gardens and tried to pur-
chase him. When he offered fifty thou
sand dollars for him was afraid the
directors would let him 60 and that
would lose my best friend. l didn't
have much to say to the great show
man, and was not at all anxious to ex-
hibit the good points of my big ele-
plant until after the managers Of the
Garden had assured me that they
would never allow the animal to 20 to
America for any price. Six years ago,
however, Jumbo had turns Of fretful-
ness which alarmed the directors, and
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