The Opelousas courier., 1889-06-29
ABOUT ELEPHANTS.
interesting and Amusing Anecdotes
CT the Huge Beasts.

"AS 1AOS5 Beasts
@Aey are Affecttonate, Fond of neIicac,e.
ana Enjoy a Joke; But Their Anger
ID something Terrible-Some
Celebrated Elephants.
Inc elephant may well be considered
n hea OF the menagerie. Young and
oio are Eve tired of watching these
wonderful creatures; they are so knosy.
1ng' so loving, yet so terrible in thei,
anger. An elephant can tear off huge
ranches of trees with his trunk. q,
stamp the life out of a tiger with his
great feet; yet the same trunk can be
trained to pick up a pin, and the
mighty feet to tread gingerly over the
recumbent forms of sleeping or intoxi.
Gated keepers. Strange as it NAV ap.
pear, an elephants skin is very sensi.
tive; mosquitoes annoy him greatly,
and a beating is a terrible punishment
for him. Courageous as he is. an ele-
phant Is very nervous. He will fight
any other huge beast, VI a mouse is
said to make him shake with appre-
hension and trumpet with terror.
Elephants are very mischievous and
inquisitive; they raise latches, open
doors, and enjoy immensely their own
practical jokes, though so ready to
resent'indignities to themselves. Sensi-
tive as regards insult, their affection is
warm and lasting, and dogs, horses
and other animals are often the objects
of their attachments. Elephants are
pleased with gay colors, delight in
sweet perfumes, are dainty in their
tastes, and revel in the water like an
Englishman in his bath. They prac-
tice theft with the ingenuity of the
'.Artful Dodger" himself, are as med
dlesome as monkeys, have the caution
and cunning of a diplomatist, and the
memory of Magliabechi.
When born. a baby elephant stands
about three feet high, and is not con-
sidered grown up until thirty years
old. Accidents excepteR he is likely
to live about one hundred and fifty
years, if not longer. Though delicate
in its tastes, an elephant likes quantity
a. well as quality, and at his meals
makes nothing of bales Of hay and
gallons of water. His ingenuity in try
ing to cater for himself is astonishing,
and often amusing. An American
Snowman saw an elephant pull up a
stake to which he was chained, "got to
a feed-bin containing eoats, wrench off
the lock. raise the lid, eat all he want
ed, put down the lid. again, return
to his place, poke the stake back into
the same hole, and stamp faadown with
his foot, and, when his keeaer came,
look as innocent as alamb." Atv-inkle
in his cunning eyes showed his enjoy
ment of the situation when the man
stormed and ragged on discovering the
robbery.
An incident of an elephants memory
is said to have occurred some years
since, when Wombwell's menagerie
was exhibiting at Bolton. Four years
before the same collection a in the
town, and on that occasion, on being
released from its van, a large elephant
walked across the Town-Hall square to
a public house and protruded its trunk
into the lobby. The bar-maid supplied
ahe animal with refreshments, and the
who had been in search OF his
charge, then conducted him back to-
his dM. On being released at
the breaking-up OF the show on
the second visit. the same elephant
broke away at a brisk trot in the di-
of the hostelry, and the un-
wonted charge upon the premises
greatly alarmed the inmates. The
barmaid, now the landlady,
arrived onthe scene, and recognizing
her old friend, once more RECALLED him
10 his hearts content. The elephss}t
then submitted to be led away by his
keeper.
Although elephants will not submit TO
abuse, they are not difficult to EACH
and at first are fond of going through
heir tricks on their W account.
neutrality-suspicious. in Rome were
taught to dance by the association OF
and a hot floor. A block ana
,,llev is now sometimes used in train
ing an elephant to assume various po-
,itions, and the word OF command
yiyen as Il it was doing the trick OF Its
accord. Good treatment with
frmness is necessary in teaching them,
md any Righteousness must be checked
the whip. They cry out when sub
1ued, and the trouble lS tnen
for the time. Even VIVID ole
chants are said to be easliy
Taught when once subdued. Most of
ID have admired the wonderful agnltys
such clumsy-looking animals In Dai-
ancing themselves on inverted tuDs'
md SO forth. At Astley's, elephants
to delight thousands with their
performances. These huge creatures
made to stand on their hind legs
uith their ~forefeet poodlewise dangling
II the air. Another stood on its mead
u;th it's hind legs raised perpendlcu-
Iarlv. Placed on pedestals, they
Wheeled round rapidly. or balanced
themselves on the side-legs only anu
other evidences of wonderful
Well-trained baby elephants
We great favorites. One was taugns
If IL table, fan herself, and DO
tricks to delight children
ia their elders too. The two clever