The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-09-28
THE CAPTURE OF JUMBO.
How He Was Gagged Previous to His
Departure from England.

t How He Was Gagged Previous to hi
Departure from England.
r Mayor Warner, of Lansing, Mich.
, tells in the Detroit Free Press hoy
he came to purchase Jumbo.
did you buy him at once?' wa
asked.
"Not until I had carefully looked
him over and sized up his many
good qualities" was the reply
There was no possible doubt re
garding the kindness of poor ole
Jumbo's disposition. When I went
up into the gallery and looked down
upon him, he was lying down, and
a small army of children were roll.
ing and tumbling all over him, ev.
identity as much to Jumbo's delight
as their own. Looking down upon
him from the gallery, he did not
seem to me to be anything like so
large an animal as he afterward
proved to be; but when / went down
and stood up under him, | very soon
realized that he was just what I
wanted. After considerable delay,
owing to the reluctance on the part
of the commissioners to sell, a bar
gain was struck, and | supposed the
difficult part Of my understanding
was accomplished. But I very soon
found that | had reckoned without
my host. The difficulties were all
ahead of me. | chartered vessel,
paying full rates for all the room
that would otherwise have been oc-
cupied by passengers, cut big hole
in the deck through which to lower
Jumbo into the hold, then went
back to conduct my prize on ship
board. But he wouldn't conduct.
The poor fellow seemed to realize
that he was being taken away from
those who had made such a pet of
him-including the children-and
he refused to bulge. We got him
out on to the streets, and there he
calmly laid down. You will readily
see that when an animal of Jumbo's
size lies down, it is more than any
man can do to get him up, unless
he chooses to do so Of his own free
will. When we used the prods to
try to stir him into action, the chill
dren came down to the rescue of
their favorite in great multitudes.
The other citizens soon joined in
with them, and we were forced to
desist from the use of force. Day
after day passed with no better sue
cess. Jumbo would always go back
into his old quarters, but never away
from them. The London public
finally grew so excited over the mat
ter, that | was served with an in
junction to prevent my taking the |
animal out of the country. 1t was
six weeks after bought Jumbo be-
fore | finally succeeded in getting
him on shipboard."
Glow did you accomplish it?"
"By a very ingenious contrivance.
We made small house of immense
timbers, and mounted it upon low
truck. The two ends were upon
hinges, and left open. This vehicle
was placed just where Jumbo would
have to pass over it to get back to
his quarters. He walked upon it,
and the two ends were instantly
closed, and he was prisoner. He
was then drawn through the streets
IF London and down to the dock
by forty horses. He was hoisted
lpon lighter-still in his cage
~ huge derrick, and was. in the
same manner hoisted on shipboard
md lowered into the hold. He
never left that prison, or house, un-
il he reached his final destination |
It New York. 1t was trying ex-
'erience, but the very difficulties
which we encountered advertised
he venture all over the world"