The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-12
ELEPHANTS AT WORK.
Making Use Of Their strength and
Intelligence In Central Park, New

ELEPHANTS AT WORK
Making Use Of Their strength and
Intelligence In Central Park, New
York
fsew YORK Tri6gae.l
Tor fortnight the employees about
the arsenai In Central Park have been
occupied with the preparation Of the
winter quarters Of the animals in the
menagerie. The tank in the lion
house has been enlarged. 20 that i will
afford room for the hippopotami, who
legin 10 find their outdoor bath TN
pleasant Of q keen. frosty morning.
The prairie-dogs are getting ready u
retire for the winter, the black bears
are becoming sluggish and the Polar
bears correspondingly active, when a
sharp northwest wind blows and the
sky and the air are wintry. The most
active animals IN the course Of these
preparations have been the elephants.
Three young elephants which have
been in the menagerie during the sum
rner we're secured By Director Conkiin
! for four years. They are the property
Of Cole, the old circus proprietor, and
we're with BaFnurn's animals last year
in Bridgeport when the big IRE de-
stroyed 80 large a portion OF the col
lection. These animals escaped uniu-
inred. though badly scared By the con-
Migration. These elephants we're
taken about twenty years ago, when
they were only a few years old, and
have "a sed most OF their lives in cap
tiyity. There ages are about p years
each. which IN the elephants career j.
the fun period OF youth. The two
male. Tom and Billy, are the largest,
but Jennie, the female. j. by far the
most intelligent ami tractabie.
The keeper OF the elephants says
that she knows everything that Is said
~ her; she will follow him about, il
permitted. ike an immense Newfound-
land dog. The elephants average IN
weight nearly 800 pounds apiece,
and their sides have become round
and fat during the summer from eat
| ing great quantities OF fresh Central
PARK grass. Ia the winter these AMI
mails are kept IN large outer building
| In the menagesie, but during the sum-
mer they remain most all the time IN
the open air, and have become &C
climated and able 10 endure extremely
| severe weather without taking cold.
| The ONLY way of lettering these enor-
| nous animals iSby fastening heavy
chain 20 a staple deeply Embedded III
| the ground. This answers all ordl-
nary purposes, but by putting forth a
| small portion of their enormous
strength. they can readily snap the
massive links OF iron.
| Thetremendous strength which these
animals arc capable OF putting forth
| can not be realized until it Is seen
| The keeper SAYS that any one OF the
elephants has the strength OF a dozen
horses. When they exert this power
they suggest some enormous engine
| which has become endowed with life
| instead Of moving mechanically 10y
| steam power. Whenever any heavy
weight Is 10 be moved about the arsenal
| the elephants are employed. The
| keeper has a short hook which he uses
| like a spur, directing the animals by 8
| touch on the trunk. 4 few days age
| a heavy beer wagon became fastened
| in a rut in 4 street near the arsenal
| The stoutest team of Norman horse;
4
| several other horses lent their aid ir
vain. Director Conklin, who had
| stopped 10 look on, sent for one OF the
elephants. The keeper directed the
| animal 70 push the wagon from be
hind, and when he placed his head
| against it with a slight effort the horse:
started and the vehicle rose out OF its
rut a. il by magic.
Last week frame building was tC
| be removed to another part OF the
grounds. II was a small, two-story
structure, partly filed with grain and
| implements, making weight OF II oil
| Il tons. With some difficulty the
| workmen raised the huge mass on roll
ers. The elephant Jennie was thef
brought up to push. She would place
her great head against the structure
| and brace herself; then the building
| would strain and creak, and move OF
rs rapidly a. the rollers could be placed
in position. Jennie and the keeper
would follow It up, and she would
bend her head to give the building
another push when the foreman shout
Ell " Ready" The crowd which col
leCted To watch the spectacle cheereG
their admiration, and Jennie would
reply with a trumpetlike snort o
pleasure at their appreciation.
81 OF course she knows what Is sale
Ia her. remarked the keeper. % Ele
plants don't forget very soon. They
will always remember their fright a
Baruum's fire When | caught then
afterward they shook all over and weTt
| a nervous as children And YOU maj
not think il, but they know the mean
ing OF the word fire. Isn't that so p
lie appealed to Or. Cunklin, who nod
ded his head in affirmation.
Last summer We came near having
| some trouble. Men were blasting on
trenches ia the Transverse road. nortl
OF the arsenal, 60 put in water pipes
When the blast va. ready one OF then
stood up waving his red flag ans
shouting Fire Fire, The elephant
were fastened outside their buildings
and al the first ,hout, they raised ihei
heads in alarm and at the Secon,
every one oi them snapped thei
chains a. d ihey had been thread, an,
the way they went jumping in the OF
posite direction, as the blast was fired
startled the people who got out o
their way "a, quickly a possible
found them down in the trees YER
b much frightened. After that the maj
was told not 20 shout are any NOR
| - here tho glaTah1ut- geuff he4r him