The Dickinson press., 1888-04-28
ELEPHANTS AT WORK.

ELEPHANTS AT WORK,
PRoDlGIoUs LABOR THEY PERFORM
AT lNDlA's LUMBER MILLS.
An Elephant Rolling Logs-Rewar,led
for Extra Hard Worls-Carrying Dray
Load ON the Tusks-An Anxious Mother.
Tricks Taught.
Early the next day, while yet cool, we Wis
itetl one Of the decided "lions" of the city
the working elephants. Formerly these were
very numerous, being the heavy workers in
the timber yards and great sawmills Ma
chinery has now supplanted them i'll all es-
adjustments run by foreigners. In each Of
the native mills, where small orders aro
filled, two of the noble beasts yet perform
the heavy labor which human hands urus-
sisted could scarcely manage. We visited
some of these the second time on our return
from up country and were greatly inter-
ested. They draw the logs, many of them
three feet i'll diameter and thirty to forty
feet long, from the river pile them up III
systematic order, and when they are needed
roll them to the ways and assist in adjusting
them for the saw. Lumber is not here sawed
into boards, but the slab is taken off and
the good stuff left i'll square timber. to be
ripped up into boards where consumed. This
Is done both for home consumption and for
expectation.
After the log is thus cut the elephant goes
among the machinery, takes the slabs away,
and then carries the good timber and piles it
up or lays it gently upon the OK carts to be
hauled off. carpenter we saw wanted lum-
her from particular log which was under
several others One of the monsters rolled
the upper logs off and pushed the chosen
stick To the mill. The way was not clear
the log butted against others. He pushed
those aside and guided his piece through
them with sagacity almost human. His
stick became wedged. Hepushcd and tuggcd /;
it would not bulge. But at whispered
word from the nahout and the promise of a
bit of nice food he bent to it. Still it stuck
With Il whistle audible for a quarter of Il
mile lie got on his knees, Strengthened out his
hind legs and put his whole force to it. He
was successful. We could almost read his
satisfaction i'll the gentle flaps of his huge
ears and the graceful gentle curve of his
pr"l'oscis us he put it up to the mounted ma
hout asking his reward.
HOW THEY DO IT.
Sticks over two feet thick and ten to
fifteen feet long are lifted up bodily upon the
great worries, and are then carried off and
lal'l upon the gangways so gently as moi To
max" II jar One stick TWENTY-FIVE inches
thick and twenty two feet long we saw car
riel IN this way. In carrying this the beast
,lad path not three feet wide among the
masses of loose logs. fIc had to plant his
fore feet upon these and thus walk Il con-
siderable distance. He looked as if he We're
walking upon his hind legs. Tho corner Of
banjo" hut stood i'll his way. He lifted
the log over its roof, and bent his body So
that his sides gently scrapcd the corner of
the house and did not shake it. a hun
dl" It'll part of his weight would have caused
it to topple from its pile foundation.
Ii" was ordered to carry oil a pile of Axe
pieces 10 I" ID feet long. He ran his trsks
under u few. The mahout told lnm that vas
not enough. He tried again, and probably
doubled his load. His driver gave him u
fierce prod with his iron hook over the fore
head. With Il shri"k of rage he sent his
lN"r"s under the pile and threw hls snout
over the top. lie ha, To get on his knees to
get the load up. Ii was Il decent drny load
AS he passed us, perched on Il pile of logs, /
mu.ol away, for thought there wns bimnl
iii his eye, and that he might dump the load
"m Tie foreigners. But wien he came bach
he stopped before us, got on his knee.
h""et! three times, and held out his snout to
IL i"r grntnity. pitched a com tp the
iah"ut II whispered to the beast that
bio elci'l!antship would get II part of it,
Tins seemed satisfactory, for he snull,,i up
pint of dust, blew it over his rl,np, and
l.n.,''hc'l oil for u bath in a mud hole not,
far @maI. Each mill has pair. They work
"iiE in short spells, and take their rest when
ic"''itS III grass grown nutl ponds
a EAbv ELEPHANT
In Manlalny sr sa" quite a number be-
i'1u-,ing To tine English roli:niss;,ry depart
iI"i.. They were 1"riIcrl. King Theh1w's
ti. "i them had q little tab, only thirty
i"l.i ;nrllrs tall. The mother WAS cll..nrd
ton tree Ii!" baby tod"l, To us and :nd
"!t hi sn"tt. tired to catch il, He gave
WHISTLE AIRED the cnw ~nlni lr,al.
ipea" sc seemed So n,ica, ;,iid strained So
al ir-r r:ltiH But :oi ny hnI.d on ia.
Atic i"ii"s ) ha''i: ana 3 latchci It, How
he "ii9E!"d "Iln pleasure 'llie mo: at.
understood the thing. and case,i UP WI
"" started oil the c;l.f W;,ntc,i more rtn
ting. and I"i,"wcd Us. lile row lIcw =
"hls:lc thai n.;n:c II, hurry The nt!
ieiio" lhrn to,Iied back and took Il ylii nj
llS in"ii.liig hu;tlC
On She steamer going to Mamlalay II .ir
Lacey, superintendent ri tn. ~ n. Bomb,
lihiber company. WAS Il iei.p" lEsa".l; ~.
lie eihl'"Ys ''" "l''!'i'''' It's drawn teal: ip.
To tn" creeks %t'':i.l ill;.'fe'i niies ~, ri.-