The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-04-13
ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS.
Disinterested Devotion Displayed BY Eie-
phants and Other Creatures.

phants ana Other Cronturea-
That the lower animals have their
special friends. or show preferences as
to their companions. no observer can
doubt In some cases, the friendship
Is between two OF the same tribe;
again, we find what are generally con-
sidered the most antagonistic forms
united in bonds of good-felLwship,
and we see acts of devotion and self
sacrifice that are almost identical with
those that characterize the friendship
of human beings. 1t is needless to
say that the impulses are much the
same in all; some protesting an in-
terest that is actuated entirely by
greed, or for personal ends; while in
others it is unselfish.
Amy one who has visited the herd Of
elephants owned by Mr.. Barnum must
have noticed the LARGE dog that stood
by the side of one of the huge
pachyderms To the visitor this
might have seemed accidental; but
the dog was always at its post by this
particular animal. If the dog wan.
dered off, the elephant showed its dis
tress Immediately by attempting to
follow; straining at the chain confined
to it's ponderous feet or throwing
aloft its trunk and uttering the shrill
whistle indicative of alarm, and only
resuming the monotonous swing of the
head when its companion returned.
The elephant was often observed
caressing the dog. and. though the
latter always slept in the straw. sons
times beneath its huge friend. it was
never stepped upon nor crushed
When the elephant was led out to go
through its task in the ring, the dog
would begin to bark and endeavor to
join the throng of performers; so that
it was perfectly evident that the
friendship was mutual
In many of the works of old writer's
are found instances of such at ach-
ments between man and beast: Elian
records a friendship between q little
girl. who sold flowers in the streets oi
Antioch. and an elephant whom sht
was in the habit of feeding One oi
the elephants in the Barnum herd ex.
hibited great interest in little daugh-
ter of one of the attendants. holding
her upon its trunk. and in many way:
showing its affection
In Irdia the elephants are so trusted
that they are sometimes employed a:
nurses. and have been seen tending
their charges, lifting them gently bach
when they were disposed to stra,
away. The natives state that these
great animals have been known TO di,
of broken heart when deprived of /
certain keeper. and Lieutenant Shipp
an English officer of extensive expert
ence in the East, gives a minute &C
count of an elephant that died IN wha
was considered fit of remorse aftel
having killed its keeper.
While attachment between animals
is everywhere to be seen. it is not Otter
that we witness such acts of disinter
ested devotion as we expect anon:
human beings Mother-birds protec
their young in the face of every danger
but it must be confessed that few oh
servers have seen animals go to tn,
rescue of others without maternal o
| paternal incentives; but such cases ar,
| not wanting.
Some years ago Scotch naturalis
wishing to obtain a gull fired at
flock. breaking the wing of one whicl
came fiuttering down, falling into tn
ocean. At first the flock were demor;tl
ized. and flew wildly about, utterin.
harsh cries, but a moment later the,
seemed to be recalled TO a sense of dutl
by-the struggles of their wounded com
| rade. and two birds darted down
seized it by the tips of its wings. thel
rose and bore it away in triumph; for
rs may be supposed, the naturalist di,
not fire. but permitted the rescue
Here was friendship indeed; heroism
in fact. as the other birds alarmed b
the fire faced the same danger. Hfd
4Abcdke-