Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-06-05

training. Well-trained baby elephants
are great favorites. One was taught
to sit at table, fan herself, and do
numerous tricks to delight children
and their elders too. The two clever
baby-elephants Jock and jenny were
m~arvelously trained. They made their
bow to the audience, and then one of
them walked on the tops of a double
row of bottles. On a plank placed
over a trestle they see~sawed
like a couple of children guess
S7g the required equilibrium
with almost human exactitude.
Playing on a N organ and drum
and dsrcing in time to the jingles of
bells, wSre amongst their other accom-
plishmenc,
Tho habis>;el a ton of these intel
llgent creatures is illus trated when
they + travelling from show to show.
Should several be in a car together,
one OF their number will remain awake
on guard while the others are Sleep
ing. Some years ago experiments
were made in the transport of ele-
plants by railway. One of the ordi-
nary cattle-wagons of the East India
railway was fitted up for the purpose,
ard the animal vas placed in the CEN
ter space OF the wagon, between six
shafts, a breast and back bar. and So
cured in addition by anklets on the
fore and hind feet, united by couplings
transversely and longitundinally, and
further by four diagonal morning
chains passing through holes, and
dashed round the corner pillars of the
wagon. The first elephant loaded,
having his head free, took the oppor-
tunity to remove with his trunk a por-
ton Of the roof of the truck; it was
therefore found necessaryto put a collar
round the neck of the elephant, with a
vertical chain leading through, Sc
cured to the floor. In this way q sue
cessful experiment was made to Pun
dooah and back, the animal showing
no signs of fear. or making any at
tempt to free himself.
Many interesting and famous ele-
plants have been favorites of the cir
cus-going public long before the late
Jumbo's successful debut. One of
these, known as Canada" was a des-
perate character. When in one of his
tantrums, she did as much mischief as
a tornado" to use a showman's words
tossing hacks into the air and tear
ing down signs and lamp-posts. He
was sent with the rest of a menagerie
to a farm, and when there, had one of
his mad fits. Rushing into the stable
yard, lin a few minutes he killed two
butfaloes, a sacred COW, a couple of
elks. several horses, and Il camel. He
would seize an animal. toss it in the
air, catch it on his tus5s, and then
either jam or trample the life out of
it." He then sailed out for the town,
and the popular excitement can be
imagined. IA trap was set with a
long ponderous chain with an enormous
cornerstone at its end to entangle the
animals legs and hold him." A man
then a out in sight of Canada, and
the elephant instantly rushed after
him. The trap was successful so far
as making the chain and stone
fast to him. but he kept right
on, and would have caught the man,
who was a fast runner, had the latter
not jumped down into an unfinished
cellar of a new house, and ran up a
narrow flight of steps on the opposite
side. The elephant jumped down after
him as easily as a dog would, with the
big stone gathering behind him."
Fortunately, the stone was large
enough to stick wedged against the
walls on each side of the stairway, and
Canada was fast, but it was a close
shave for the man. They managed to
secure the savage animal with more
chains, and then went to work to con-
quer him. AS the account graphically
describes it, ''they wore out big clubs
on him, fired loads of buckshot into his
trunk and ears, and beat and tortured
him for hours, until he howled in token
of surrender. The moment he was
loose, however, he gave a yell of rage,
dashed out of the cella::, and started to
kill. Every n flew for his life; but
he was tired, and took up his position
under of three h%aystacks,
hunting all who venturod near
him. '.Buckshot fired into his head
only checked his wild rushes, and
whenever he thought people were on
the other side of a stack from him, he
tried his best to topple the hay over
on them. The fight went on for three
days and nights, during which time he
had not a bite to eat-for he was too
angry even to take any of the hay
around him--and not a drop of water"
At length, despajring of saving him,
the shot-guns were exchanged for
heavy rifles, and several big bullets at
close range finally put an end to him.
The first live elephant seen in Lon
don was il. the reign of Henry ILL.,,
and the citizens closed their shops and
donned their holiday attire in its hon.
or. King James !. had a private men,