Mower County transcript., 1890-07-30

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direct course. in the channel, and avoid
the dreaded collision that was other
wise inevitable. But it was too late,
and all their work was in vain. When
the crew saw that they were sure to
bring up against the big. mad, roaring
elephant, every one of them, from the
pilot down, gave up the ship, jumped
into the river, and struck out in wild
and helter-skelter race for the New
York shore. The deserted raft rushed
helplcssly on. Old Tip never moved
from his tracks. His fury was sight
to see.
1.-The raft was made of hemlock logs,
and was at least one hundred feet long
and forty wide. The water was swift,
and so deep where Tip stood that it
reached above his belly. Although it
was early in the morning, crowds of
people had gathered on both sides of
the river to witness the novel sight of
an elephant fording the stream. When
they saw Old Tip stop in the deepest
part and wait for the raft, and resist all
efforts to get him out of the way, the
people grew wild with excitement
Every one, including the circus people,
expected to see the elephant, enormous
as he was, carried away, and done up in
great shape by the raft, and his owner
couldn't have insured Old Tips life
just then for five dollars. But the ugly
old brute came out strong. If he had
had sure footing on the river bottom,
there is no telling what he wouldn't
have done with the raft
''But as it was when the shock came
the raft trembled and snapped, and its
speed was greatly diminished. The
big elephant couldn't hold its footing
on the slippery stones, and the heavy
raft in the swift current carried him
with it down stream. Old Tip didn't
move down as if he had to, but as if he
he Was feeling for secure foothold, SO
that he could get his work in on his as
sailant and wreck it to pieces, there and
then. He did get foothold now and
then, but only temporary one. Every
time he stopped, though, he lessened
the speed of the raft until its momen-
tum was so much overcome that the
hind end of the raft began to swing
with the force of the current. When
this began the swift water soon carried
the hind end around until it had be-
come the front end, and the raft ran
away from Tippo diagonally toward the
New York shore. The elephant gazed
after it as if in triumph, and raised his
trunk and trumpeted loudly. Once he
seemed to have made up his mind to
pursue his defeated foe, and took few
steps forward. But he evidently recon
sidered that motion, and, stopping in
the middle of the rapids, stood there
trumpeting and throwing water around
like a whole fire department
''The raft, thrown as it was out of the
rafting channel, ran perhaps hundred
yards, where it was cast upon a rocky
reef that formed the river bed in part of
the channel. The logs few in all direc-
tions, and the raft was made about as
complete wreck as one would care to
see. At sight of that Old Tip gave
roar that deaf man might have heard
mile away. The boatman who had
charge of Tippo's keeper had rowed
wildly to the Pennsylvania shore with
the keeper, in spite of the latter's pro-
tests, the moment the collision between
the raft and the elephant had become
sure thing. When the raft ran on the
rocks the keeper induced the native to
row him hack to where the elephant
stood, sounding blasts of victory in his
trumpet Old Tipseemed to be entirely
satisfied. He had spent his fury on the
raft and felt better. He turned obe-
diently at his keepers order and re-
sumed his march to Pennsylvania as
docile as If nothing had occurred that
morning to disturb his temper in the
least.
"On reaching the shore the keeper
made halt to see whether the old ter
ror had received any injury in the
combat. There wasn't the sign of even
scratch upon him. While they stood
on the bank, however, another raft was
seen coming down just below the
bridge. The men on that raft had seen
the latter part of the misunderstand-
ing between Old Tip and the raft ahead
of them, and had been pulling with all
their might to run their raft to the New
York shore. When the elephant went
out Of the water 50 meekly, though,
they had concluded that the danger was