The Delta independent., 1890-05-20
CURIOSITY HUNTER.
j. e. WARNER RELATES HIS Ex.
PERlENCE AS BARNUM'S
ANIMAL HUNTER.
The Difficulties He Had in Getting
Jumbo on Shipboard.

EX-Mayor >. II. warner, of Lansing,
leaned comfortably back in one of
the most luxurious chairs in the lobby
and fixed his mild blue eyes mcdita-
lively upon vacancy.
eyes" he said, following up a
recollection rather than any previous
utterance, "my past life has been Il
more than usually cventful one. Much
of it has been spent in the menagerie
and circus business, and you doubtless
know enough of the world to form n
pretty correct idea of what that
means.
''The most vicissitous part of my
life, was when was in the employ of
Barnum as curiosity and animal hunter
in foreign lands"
"Did you experience much difficulty
in securing Jumbo and getting him
over to this country?" was asked.
"Few people have any idea of the
difficulties which encountered in that
mommoth undertaking" Mr.. Warner
replied, his eyes twinkling at the re-
membrancc. "When Barnum started
ME out on that expedition it was simply
with the order to secure the largest elc-
phant that could be found, regardless
of expense. No stipulations were
made regarding the countries to be
visited, or the means to be employed
to accomplish our purpose. 1t was a
queer sort of mission upon which to
set man afloat, but L had performed
several equally difficult, and had little
doubt of eventual success. What we
HncIrn1 nlor,l,nnf ca r,,,vol,
larger than any that had ever been ex-
hibited i'll this country that the country
would be clamorous to see it. trav-
elled through a great many countries
and spent Il great deal of money with
out finding the sort of animal of
which was in search. In Moscow,
Russia, came across an immense elc-
phant-if anything, larger even than
Jumbo-but it had an ugly disposition
and was ungainly in shape. A day or
two before my arrival it had killed
couple of its keepers, and when i
went to examine it it's legs were fast
ened together with an immense chain
to prevent further depredations. l
hesitated long time over that animal.
He was such huge fellow that l
disliked exceedingly to let him slip
through my fingers. But when came
to investigate the facilities for getting
him out of the country, found that |
was checkmated, even had been will
ing to overlook his llnsocial and mur-
derous disposition. The railroad cars
of that country are very brief in the
matter of length, and it would have
required half a dozen of them to ac-
commodatc the huge animal. then
gave up to the Russian elephant and
returned to England, where l found
Jumbo in the musuem."
"Did you buy him at once?" was
inquired.
"Not until I had carefully looked
him over and sized up his good quail
ties" was the reply. "Thcre was no
possible doubt regarding the kindness
of poor old Jumbo's disposition. When
went up into the gallery and looked
down upon him, he was lying down,
and small army of children were
rolling and tumbling all over him, evil
IDENTIFY 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 ami
NAL as he afterwards proved to be, but
when went down and stood up under
him, very soon realized that he was
just what l wanted. After considera-
BILE delay, owing to the reluctance OH
the part of the commissioners to sell,
bargain was struck and / supposed the
difficult part of my undertaking was
accomplished. But very soon found
out that had reckoned without my
host.
"The difficulties were all before me.
i chartered vessel, paying full rates
for all the room that would otherwise
have been occupied by passengers, cut
a big hole in the deck through which
to lower Jumbo into the hold, then
went back to conduct my prize on
shipboard. But he wouldn't conduct.
The poor fellow seemed to realize that
he was being taken away from those
who had made such pet of him-in-
Guiding the children-and he refused
to budge.' 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 children came down to the rescue
of their favorite in. great multitudcs.
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 success. Jumbo
would always go back into his old
quarters, but never away from them.
The London public finally grew so ex-
cited over the matter that was served
with an injunction to prevent my TAX
ing the animal out of the country. 1t
was six weeks after / bought Jumbo
before i finally succeeded in getting
him on shipboard."
"How did you accomplish it?"
"By very ingenious contrivancc.
We made small house of immense
timbcrs and mounted it upon low
truck. The two ends were on hinges
and left open. This vehicle was placed
just where Jumbo would have to pass
"a 4 Il. Il 4 4.