The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-07-17
ABOUT ELEPHANTS.


Their Sagacity.
There are two kinds of elephants, the
African and Asian. The former is sell
dom domesticated, but is hunted down
and killed for the sake of his tusks,
which are larger and heavier than
these of his Asiatic relation. All over
Southern Asia, with the sole exception
OF Arabia, the elephant is found; but
the home the animal delights in is the
hot, moist, swampy forests of India
and Burmah. They are great travel
ers, and have been encountered on
mountain-tops even as high as seven
thousand feet above the sea; the herds
contain from twenty to fifty, but in
favorably situated countries one hum
dred have been found living together
Each herd is led by the strongest and
largest bull, who leads it through the
jungles.
1t takes about four months to tame a
full-grown wild elephant; but he, or
she, is not trusted alone for year for
fear it might run away; but the calves
give no trouble and soon become great
pets, coming up to the house for fruit,
biscuits and sugar-cane. But it does
not do to let the little creatures see
where you keep those goodies, for l
had pet baby elephant who found out
that the fruit was kept in large
earthen jar four feet in height, on top
of which the filter and tumblers were
placed, and one day, when he thought
no one was looking, the cunning little
thief stole into the room, and fitting
every thing off the jar over onto the
ground, seized large bunch of
bananas in his tiny trunk and ran
away to his mother, who was too
dangerous to go near, she having been
only few months caught. The i'm
pudent little creature, while eating his
ill-gotten prize, kept peeping out be-
tween the old lady's forelegs with his
head on one side, apparently to see
what l thought of his prowess.
As he grew up he was put to drag a
small cart, and unless carefully
watched would gradually edge the
cart to the side of the road and topple
the contents into the ditch. One very
bad trick he had when loose was to
hide in the jungle when he heard any
ohC IluluS tOWulo IlG uOuoc, anu us
they came close he would bring his
trunk down on the earth with such
bang that several visitors were thrown
from their ponies, and every one had
to keep sharp lookout. With all his
fun there was nothing vicious about
him, and children could get on his
back and play with him. To me he
was most effectionate, and have often
awoke from my afternoon nap to find
him standing alongside my grass ham,
mock lightly feeling me all over with
his trunk.
Elephants are extremely useful, and
when kindly treated are docile and
tractable; but they have good men,
ories and recollect injuries quite as
we'll as kindness, seldom failing to re-
taliate upon those who behave cruelty
to them, though the chance of revenge
may not occur for months and years.
You, no doubt, have read the story
Of the Arabian tailor who pricked an
elephant with his needle as he put his
trunk in at the shop window as he
passed on his way to the daily bath in
the river, and who, nlling his trunk
with dirty water, spouted it over his
tormentor as he returned. This is
very common way those animals have
of paying off old scores, and should
there be no water at hand they will fill
the trunk with ashes or dust, suddenly
blowing it over those who have Offend
ed them.
The trunk Is never used for striking,
and, in fact, when any danger is
threatened is coiled close up for pro-
lection; but when angry the elephant
will catch up clod of earth, stone
or log of wood, and throw it with great
force, or they will break off the branch
of tree and make use of it as club,
or as fan, to brush flies away. At
the tip of the trunk there is projec-
ton like finger, and, large as tho
great beast looks, he can pick up
thimble with just as much ease as a log
of wood or any similar large object.
The tusks are the main weapons of
defense, and among the tame males it
is usual to saw off the points, so that in
case Of fight the combatants can not
gore one another. At Rangoon, in
Burmah, an old elephant named Rajah
is kept whose tusks have not been cut,
as he acts as kind of a schoolmaster
to the other animals, of whom q large
number are employed there.
1t is sometimes necessary there to
put elephants on to RATS, and many of
them object to this, not liking the
shaking and unsteadiness. When one
refuses Rajah is called, and comes
rushing up behind, trumpeting loudly.
The refractory beast looks round, and
one glance at the cleaning tusks is suf-
ticient, and he steps on the raft quick
enough. Rajah seldom has to make
actual use of his weapons. For defend
ing itself, in addition to the tusks. the
elephant kicks, and tremendous ones
they can give, females particularly, aud
wild buffaloes, who sometimes attack
them, are emboldened to do so by tho
animal turning round as If to run
away. But this is only device to get
the assailant within reach of the pom
derous hind leg, kick from which will
send him rolling over and over with a
broken back.
Many anecdotes might be told of the
elephants usefulness and sagacity,
and now that no one is allowed to
shoot the wild ones in India it is ex-
pected that in few years they will be-
come so numerous AS to be used for all
purposes that cart-horses are now re-
quired for, at least in tropical coun-
tries. Some farmers have them draw
their native plows. But as they stand
cold almost as well as heat, we may
yet see them become common in En-
| gland and Australia.