Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-08-14
LUCK IN THE DARK.
Befriended By an Elephant-A Tr-nT
Nealizes Good Chance of Q Living,


Realizes Good Chance of . Living,
Tn tramp. Whether I was driver
to the road by hard luck or de ir,
to lead an easy life Is none o you
business. I'm no better or worse .haI
the average.
Some men, with my advantages
would have been in Congress to-day
Some others, with my temptations
would have been In State Prison lont
ago.
Ii the world owes me anything T.
forgive the debt. II l owe the wo
anything she'll have to dust AROUND
lively to collect the debt.
A year or two ago, whilo / was
tramping In Indiana. / struck a strcak
CT hard luck. II had come on winter
and my toes were out, my pockets ditto
and was dressed In Summer
clothing.
I trampcd fourteen miles along e
thickly-settled highway one day ano
faile'l to turn up even a slice of bread
On the other hand, 1 was bitten three
times by dogs, and several farmer
threatened TO shoot me.
When night fell / was haii-fro2e.
and tho other half starved. 1t was
no use to apply to a house for lodg
inss and got my eye on q straw-stacb
and slowed myself away.
Now. then, there's nothing NEAR
about o straw-stack, but 1t doesn't
DeGln with first-class hotel for com,
fort. You may work into stack youl
whole longth and chink up the hole
behind you and you'll find it cold.
The air seems to sift in from all
directions, and you fall asleep to dream
OF floating over q colo sea on an ice
hn thnr nj
and by midnight l found that J
must get out OF that or freeze tC
death.
There was barn about forty rods
away, and l crawled out and took run
One OF the small doors was unlocked
and / crept In to find the place n
thousand timcs more comfortable thar
the stack.
1t was dark as a pocket In there, and
l had no matches to strike a light.
began feeling my way across the floor
hoping to strike some bags or blankets
for cover. when suddenly something soft
and warm touched my arm, glidcd
around my waist and was lifted Off my
feet.
Did yell2 No, sir. was too fright.
my arms, and my hands came in contact
with-what do you think?
An elephant had his trunk around me
He pulled me gently up to him. and thei
felt me over with his trunk, as il
to see what manner of man | was.
AS he offered no violence to me my
nerve came back pretty soon, and
patted him on the head and called
him pot names. He had a big stall
to himself, and as soon as / could
give him the slip l began to back
of.
But he wouldn't have It that way.
He reached out, took hold under my
arms, and swung me around into his
imanger packed with hay. and Tn
blessed II the keeper didn't find
mo there and fast asleep in the
morning!
l was pretty we'll satisfied that the
beast had no intentions OF making
my tramp existence any worse than
IL was. and as soon as / got warm !
went to sleep.
What aroused me in the morning was
that elephant trumpeting away in high
dudScon, and turned out to find that
she wouldn't lot her keeper como with.
n ten feet OF her. He coaxcd an,
'culicd, but she was firm.
While she would trumpet at him
IA.
ny hands that she got her break fast
lou see, $40 was circus elephant II
winter quarters, and there were q goo,
many other animals in and ubuuo III,
barn.
Tho long AMI short Of It WIS,
AS hired To take care of Empress
through tho Winter, and should hav,
gone on the road with her In the Spriny
out FOR my own stupidity.
One day got drunk and stirred up o
lion With pltehfork. He struck m,
through tho bars OF the cage, raking my
left arm from shoulder to wrist, ant
the doctors had to amputate it to saw
my lifo.
That's all, gents, and IL you have an
old coat, u pair of boots. or anything
else ito help tramp trim up for Tho
coming Spring campaign shall be for
ever grateful, - Detroit Free Press.