River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-07-31

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. Ii he had
had a 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 it's 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 il he
ne was feeling for a secure foothold, 50
that he could get his work in on his as
sailant and wreck it to pieces. there and
then. tie 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 TiDpO 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 70
{ IL 1t l.
steps forward. But he evidently recon
sidered that motion, and, stopping in
the middle of the rapids, stood there
irumpeting and throwing water around
like a whole fire department
The raft, thrown as 10 was out of the
rafting channel, ran perhaps hundred
yards. where it was cast upon rocky
reef that formed the river bed in part O.
I the channel. The logs flew in all direc
tions. and the raft was made about as
complete a wreck as one would care u
see. At sight of that Old Tip gave a
roar that deaf man might have heard
mile away. The bOatman who had
charge of Tippo's keeper had rowed
wildly 10 the Pennsylvania shore with
| the keeper. in spite of the latter's pro
I tests. the moment the collision between
I the raft and the elephant had become
sure thing. When the raft ran on the
rocks the keeper induced the native tC
/ row him hack 10 where the elephant
stood, sounding blasts of victory in hi,
/ trumpet. Old Tip seemed TO be entirely
satisfied lie had spent his fury on the
/ raft and felt better. He turned ODE
diently AT his keepers order and re-
Sumed his march to Pennsylvania as
docile as if nothing had occurred thai
morning TO disturb his temper in the
| least.
.-On reaching the shore the keeper
made a halt to see whether the old ter
ror had received any injury in the
! combat There wasn't the sign of ever
a scratch upon him. While they stood
| on the bank. however, another raft wa:
seen coming down just below tie
/ bridge. The men on that raft had seer
the latter part Of the misunderstood
/ ing between Old Tip and the raft ahead
| Of them. and had been pulling with all
1 their might to run their raft to the New
/ York shore. When the elephant Wen
/ out OF the water so meekly. though
/ they had concluded that the danger wa:
over, and they rested on their oars
content to pass ON. Tippo did not see
| this raft until it had run down TO q
point almost even with the spot where
he was standing. Then he caught sight
Of it lie gazed at it for second oil
two in amazement 1t was as if ne were
saying:
what. Another one want some o
meP
TT en- he raised his trunk, gave a bel.
| low tLat made every thing rattle. and
charged down the bank for the river
agair.. The men on the raft didn't wait
for subsequent proceedings, but jumped
into the water and never looked back
until they were safely landed high and
/ dry on the New York shore. The de-
serted raft sped on. TippO's keeper
/ flew around like a crazy man TO stop the
I charge Of the elephant, so suddenly en-.
ragged again. but il Old Tip hadn't APP
pareutly made up his mind. after reach
I ing the waters edge. that the raft was
too big a coward for him TO bother with,
and that he could give vent to his feel.
ings sufficiently by hurting defiant and
derisive roars at it, the keeper couldn't
have kept him hack any more than lac
could have stopped a cyclone.
The second raft ran on the rocks
some distance below and was wrecked
and Tippo didn't raise another objec-
tiOn to proceeding on his journey. In
7 fact. he was in rather Jolly mood all
I the way TO Milford. and SO thoroughly
{ was he pleased with his work that day
Z that his keeper had no trouble with
him for a week afterwari All that
season when Old Tip got on his ear and
wanted 10 smash things, his keeper
would say:
i wish We could run the old man
/ into a river somewhere and give him
another round or two with a raft
But the proprietOrs of the show
didn't wish for any thing of that kind.
| IL took all the profits of the show for a
town or two 70 pay for Old Tips wreck
I ing of the two RATS. and l don't know
how much for damage claimed by the
pauic-stricken crew. l left the show
that season, but. il l remember correct
I ly, Old Tip subsequently, succeeded in
killing that same keeper. and then was
killed himself But he was a great old
elephant, all the same.--N. Y. Sun.
An Annoying Episode.
This" said the museum lecturer, lis