Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-28
DESERET EVENING NEWS
TRICKS OF sHOWMES.
HOW THE WHITE EIEPHANTs OF
FoKEPAUGH AND HARSUM WE'RE
SECURED.

Old shownien who travelled with
the late Adam FOrepaugh or were
Intimately acquainted with him for
many years have countless stories TO
tell about the veteran circus man
and his long career under the eau
vass. Perhaps one OF the most in
teresting tales is that which gives
the real history Of the famous white
elephant, which is now a historic
animal, but whose artificial color
has long been well known TO these
who were attached % the fOreplUgh
show. An old circus man, who
was in Adam FOrepaugh's employ
Cor many successive seasons, tells
the story.
.'When Barnum announced that
lie had procured a sacred white ele-
plant Adam Forepaugh made up
his mind that he must have one at
oTce. Not long afterward he pro-
claimed that ne had secured a genu-
iue white elephant IRON siam with
extreme difficulty and at cost OF
5000. This so-cllled sacred white
elephant was merely a small ele-
plant worth about $500 that had
been painted with preparation de-
vised by n man that usei TO WORK
for Barnum N Bridgeport, Conn.
Or course the elephant was not pure
white, but n dull gray, and, in n
manner that can hardly be account
Ell for, even eminent scientific
men who examined the animal
were deceived into the belief that
the color was really natural, not
withstanding tue expenditure OF an
immense amount Of money by Bar
NUNS pe0piein their endcavOrs TO
prove the elephant bogus. The ele-
plant was touched or with the pre-
paration about every other day, and
on Sunday it was fixed up for the
coming week. On Monday morn
ing the elephant always appeared
surprisingly bright, but along to-
ward the end OF the week the color
became 50 dingy that visitors often
asked which was the white ele-
phant.
I'm 1854, when Forepaugh had
his white elephant in his show, an
embassy frOm siam visited the
country for a tour through the
States. The Siamese ami the show
CHANGED 10 he in Chicago at the
same time, and Forepaugh's agent
saw chance 10 work the foreigners
for big card. The scheme was 10
get the Si3mese visitors to attend
the show, take look IT the sacred
Sismese white elel liant and thereby
get b;g advertisement out Of il.
After four days Of hard work the
agent SUGGESTED in getting the EN-
hassy 10 visit the show. They passed
the white elephant without com
ment, watched part Of the Perform
ance and then went out, pausing ia
the menagerir tent to take another
look at the elephants. Adam Fore
pdugh, in his shirt sleeves, stood al
the gate, and seeing the Siame>e
gentlemen, lac rushed 10 them and
gave the Siamese prince, who led the
larty, nUssing sap on the back |
and said: There, now, prince, amt |
that The kind Of elephants you have |
IN your cOuniry2' Fhe foreigners, |
none Of whom understood English |
except the interpreter, looked at
Mr.. FOrepsugh in amazemrnt al his
and then quickly de-
arted. The agent who had worked |
% hard to get the Siamese visitors
into the show nearly tainted al
what Mr.. Forepaugh did.
The white elephant appeared on
Inc bills aud in the show until in-
teTest in the animal began 10 flag, |
-ud then IL was suddenly announced |
that the sacrei creature had died, |
having been unable 10 stand the eli
maze. slr. Forepugh fixed his
loss at D,O01, aud an admiring |
public gave him its sympathy. The
ruth al the matter was that the
elephant was washed off and turned
IN with the herd. IL has been with
.hc show ever since, being billed Of
ate years rs John l.. Sullivan, and
iuing n boxing act IN the ring. The
ince famous white elephant is now
IN the Winter quarters at Front
street and Lehigh Avenue. Bar
lum's white elephant was no more
genuine than this one. They merely
off the rough outside
iiie until IL began % show pink. -
Record.