Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-08
CIRCUS ELEPHANTS.
AN OLD CAMPAlGNER TELLS OF HIs
EXPERIENCE WITH THEM.

Pulling the Caravan Out Of the Mud-A
Or That Blufed the Big Brute with tn
Trunk-Tenting Life In the Days Befor
Shows Travelled by Rail.
1t must have been a great life in the oil
tenting days" said the reporter.
ut was pretty tough. now, and don't 70,
forget it Scrapes like that are bully to tel
about afterward, but it used to be cold com
fort, | tell you"
~ see by the papers that the big elephan
belonging to Robinson's show was recent,
killed, said the reporter
Chief, you meanf Well, he ought to hav,
been killed long ago When an elephan
once goes for a man in cold blood it's no us,
trying to do anything with him As for out
slders getting hurt, boys that plague the ele
phant or as far as an elephant going for ,
man when they're scared and don't half know
what they're at, that's a different matter
but Chief killed John King, who was as good
even tempered a man as ever worked in I
show, and that's pure ornariness Sometimes
an elephant will tAke it into his head tina,
every man on earth is his enemy, and ther
there's no knowing who he'd go for"
ELEPHANTS GET CRANKY
is 1t like dog going madf'
No, not bit of it. they're not crazy
they're only wicked It's disease, you nigh,
say. though You see they're leading an un.
natural life, the crowd and the noise and thu
training and performing In the ring, and the
parading and one thing and another leases
the fool things An elephant is smart enough
in his way but he's jog trot kind of ami
NAL Charley Gaylord, Barnum's agent. who
went to India and all around buying stock.
told me he'd seen elephants piling timber
without any boss for hours at spell An
elephant don't mind that. and it don't hurt
him, but the everlasting Fostering they get
travelling with show knocks them sfily It's
enough to drive man loony, too"
1T must be nervous business remarked
the reporter
You get used to it, like anything Use. An
Tar as elephants go, they're mighty like
cattle. You take a mean tempered old bull
In farm yard. he's as likely to turn on Won
as any ordinary elephant OF course he ain Z
as dangerous, because he hasn't a trunk tn
catch you with, but if he gets ugly. Won
surely want to go for shelter For that mat
ter saw an old lean OK bluff an elephant
down IN Rhode Island We were stuck in
the mud, just like the other time told Won Of
IL used TO he an everyday thing with US The
roads were nothing like what they are now In
those days, and the clay used to get I'D over
the axies OF the wagons whenever it rainera
more than usual
uout know as it rained more than IL
does now-it seems as il it did, but | suppose
mat only because took more notice of the
ram when had to keep dry between times:
any now, we were glued up as tight as a box.
ana the elephants had pulled their hearts ont
starting the wagons out Of one hole after
another. We camped near a farm house ON.
night and the old shell back potato baker rot
taking to a couple Of US that went I'D to the
mouse to deal for eggs He pitched out a iue
OF cider, and we talked show to him-thatS
Always the way to get on the soft side of =
countryman told him how the eIepbants
were plumb beat, and how we'd left one
nsaVy wagon a couple Of miles back. and
plsneh on to a camping ground without wait
ing for it.
oy thnnderf says he, I've got four oxen
liiat can yank any wagon out OF hole that
ever ran on wheels II they can't they'll sure
ofins the Tore wheels with EN-. sornetbin',
sW 20 give when they lay down to the lob
we loshed him about 1t, just to keen thu
ak going while we were pushing down p,s
ana CIDER. and finally he said he'd knock "A
nauiin wood the next day and zee n hs
couldn't start the wagor.
"hen we sent back to camp | told thu
Oil unan about 1t, and ne said he was going "a
send two elephants back next dav. anvwsv
and the old chap wanted to try his oxen h.
might "
TIE OLD FARMER SMILED
iy N the morning saddled up pony
mo called for tho farmer Fat Mike AZ -
y ased TO call him, big Irishman, was handling
me eiephants-he was killed in a railv.v
near St. Louis aftervard-and -
'oAned the farmer all the way along tn.
-, - .eiiins him how the sisphants could
nag his oxen backward faster than thev
'ould walk forward
!, snaly We got back to the gulch, whr,
ne wagon va. stuck Mike grinnsd At a. |
efmsr, and told him to fire away With ~
= team The elephants pulled GU. 10 an. /
ne q ne road and lsft everything clsar.
- " oxen vsre hitchsd 10 The vasua WI |
By chain TIE old man hAd hroqsht