Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-05-30

like couple Of children guess
ing the required equilibrium
with almost human exactitude.
Playing on an organ and drum
and dancing in time to the jingles Of
plishments
The habitual caution of these intel
hgent creatures is illus trated when
they are 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,
and the animal was placed in the CEN
ter space of the wagon, between six
shafts. breast and back bar. and Sc
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 por-
ton of the roof of the truck; it was
therefore found necessaryto put a collar
round the neck of the elephant, with
vertical chain leading through, Sc
cured to the floor. In this way 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 des-
perate character. When in one of his
tantrums. ''he did as much mischief as
a tornado" to use 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, 'in few minutes he killed two
buffalOes, a sacred COW, a couple of
elks, several horses, and camel. He
would seize an animal. toss it in the
air, catch it on his tusks, 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. "A 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 ran 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 fast runner. had the latter
not jumped down into an unfinished
cellar of a new house, and ran up
narrow fight 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 yell of rage,
dashed out of the cellar. and started to
kill. Every one flew for his life; but
he was tired, and took up his position
under cover of three haystacks,
hunting all who ventured 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 drop of water. I"
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 in the reign of Henry I'LL,
and the citizens closed their shops and
donned their holiday attire in its hon
or. King James I. had a private men
agerie in st. James Park in which
was kept the elephant presented to him
by the King of Spain. It cost some
hundreds a year to keep this
animal, besides s'the wyne he
must drink from April to
September. gallon the daye." An
other celebrity was the huge elephant
''Chunee," whose tragic end during a
strange attack of mental alteration
kept all London in a ferment for sew
eral days. IL we recOllect Alright, a
show-elephant in London was the
mother of the first elephant born in
captivity. A large elephant. weigh
ing heavier than Jumbo, though not so
tall. was recently on view in Liver
pool, where there was quite run on
his photographs.
Elephants, being so powerful and in
telligent, are worse than any wild ami