The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-04-14
SAGACIoUS ELEPHANTS.
Crater Harrison Visits d Burmah
Saw-MilL

Saw-MilI
Noble Beasts Who Perform Heavy Labor for
Their Masters-Huge Logs Lifted Around
Lik4 So Many Matches-Stories About
rusked Pets. "a,
Following Is an extract from ex- Mayor Har-
rison's last letter to The Chicago Nall
early the next div, Ntiile yet eeel, NE via.
tied 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 saw mills Ma
chinery has now supp,anted them In all estab-
lishments run By foreigners In each Of the
native mills, where small orders are filed, two
Of the noble beasts yet perform the heavy Id.
boz which human hands unasssted could
seareely MANAGE We visited some Of these
ihe seeohd time On our return from Up Goun.
try; and were greatly Interested. They dfaK
the logs iiiany OF them. three feet i'd dame
Ter. and thirty to forty feet long, from the riV-
er. pile them ur iu systematic 6fdes. and
when they are needed roll them to the ways
and assist In adjusting them for the saw.
Lumber lie not here sawed into boards. but the
Slab is taken off and the good stuff left In
square timber to he ripped hb into boards
where consumed. This Is dohe both for home
consum ption and for expectation. After the
log is thus cut the elephant goes among the
mach!ner,-. tskes The slab away, and then car
rics the good timber and piles 1t up or lays II
gently upon the ox-carts to be hauled OFT
"a carpenter we saw wanted lumber from a
particular log which was tidder several others:
One Of tile 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 these through ana guided
his piece through them with sagaclty almost
human. His stick became wedged. lie
pushed and tugged; 1t would not bulge, but
at whispered word from the mahout and the
promise Of bit of nice food he bent to it.
Still 1t sttclu With d whistle audible for n
quarter Of mile he got on his knees, straight:
ened out bis hind legs and put bis whole force
Id 1t. lie was successful We could almost
read bis satisfaction IN the gentle flaps Of his
Luge ears and the graceful curve OF his pro.
Doscs as be PUT 1t up to the mounted mahout
asking bis r:ward. Sticks over two feet thick
and ten to fifteen feet long are lifted up bodily
upon the great worries, and are then carried
OIL and Ia d upon the gangwsys 30 gently as
not to make jar One stick 70 inches thick
and % feet long we saw carried Id this way.
IN CARRYING this the beast had path not three
feet wide among masses Of loose logs He had
10 plant his fore feet upon these ard thus
walk considerable d stance: He looked as
II he were walking upon his hind legs. The
corner Of bamboo hut stood In his way. He
Ia 49, Ia. Id,
so that his sides gently scraped the corner of
the house and did rot shake 1t. A hundredth
part OF his weight would have caused 1t to
topple from Its pile foundation.
ME was Ordered to carry off pile of Axe
pieces 10 to Is feet long. He ran his tusks
under few. He tried again. and
probably doubled his load. HIS
his iron hook over the forehead. With a
shrek OF rage he seiit his worries under the
pile and threw his snoutOver the top. He had
to get on his knees to get the load up. 1t was
u decent ,lray-load. As he passed us. perched
on pile OF logs, moved away, for thought
there was blood In his eye, and that he might
dump the load on the foreigners. But when
he came back he stopped before US, got on his
knees, bowed three timrs. and held cut his
snout to Us for graiuity. pitched coin to
The mahout. He whispered to the beast that
his elephantship would get part Of 1t. This
seemed satisfactory, for he sDuffed up pint
Of dust, blew 1t over his rump, and marched
I'll for Il baili in mud hole not far away.
Each mill has pair. They work only In
short spells, and take their rest hen feeding
in grass grown mud ponds
I'm ManGalay we saw quite a mum Der be-
longing TO the English commissary depart
ment. They were formerly King Thebaw's.
One of them has little baby only thirty-four
inches tall. The mother was chained TO tree.
The baby toddled to us and held out It's snout.
| tried to catch 1t. lie gave whistle.
teared the cow would break loose-she seemed
so uneasy and strained SO ut her chain. But
got my baud on the little fellows back and
scratched 1t. How he wriggled with pleasure
The mother understood this thing and eased
up When We started off the calf wanted
more rubbing, and followed US The COW
blew whistle that made us hurry. The little
fellow then toddled back and took q pull at
hls morning bottle.
"On the steamer going to Mandalay a Mr..
Lacey, superintendent OF the great Bombay
Timber Company was a fellow passenger.
He employs 60J elephants drawing teak logs
TO the creeks several hundred miles on one of
he branches Of the Irrawaddy. He has been
here many years. and gave me several curious
anecdotes showing tn: wonderful sagaclty of
the great monsters. At the cost OF being
prOlix will give my little brother two OF
them.
"A mahout elephant keeper was addict
cd to the use Of opium. Orders were given
that when the elephants came into town for
supplies this man should remain at an out
station some miles away. The willy fellow
had long talk with his elephant-they seem
to town and get him some opium. OFF he
went and reaching the village, tore around
like mad. The villagers went to the
trees. The elephant nosed around,
sme!t where opium was stored, took ball,
and trotted 10 his keeper. This was done q
second time, when the master gave orders
that small piece Of the drug should be
given the beast whenever he came to town. In
this way the mallout was kept OIL very short
allowance, for the elephant did not seem to
comprehend the necessity Of getting ball,
hut was satisfied with small bit.
At another time an elephant camp got out
of sugar. 1t was near trail along which
pony train from China passed. The mahouts
knew train was near at hand-one Of them
ex plained to his brute what was wanted, and
sent him to intercept the train. He did so,
and scared the men to the trees and scattered
The loads Of the ponies. The elephant found
some sugar baskets, ate his own fill-they are
very fond of sweets-and carried off basket
10 his keeper. Each elephant has his in
divldual keeper, but when they. go into camp
at close of day they are sent Off alone to the
jungles for dry wood, and never fail to bring
the proper kind. From many things told me
/ am almost persuaded they have decided rea-
soning qualities anil are not simply taught
tricks by rote. We watched the performance
OF several at Rangoon for two or three hours,
and saw evidences OF sagacity far surprising
the little tricks done in the menagerles The
lnabOut sits OIL a houdah ON the back OF the
huge animal. He rarely speaks loud enough
for one to hear him a few feet of MIR.
Lacey believes they understand Burmese. One
day lie praised one Of the elephants In this
language. The. animal showed evident
pleasure. He then spoke disparagingly Of
him. The vain monster gave such unmistak-
able signs of being angry that the mabout
asked Lacy TO dcsist to prevent danger"
"CharleY" Farwell.