Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1891-03-14
INTELLIGENT ANIMALS.
Instances OF Reasoning Power In
Elephants.
The Careful Manner ,n which They 0ssrt
Chlldren In Their native Country
A Peculiar Trait 81 the Mann
moth uru.e,

Every ono knows that the elephant
can bc trained Ia do all kinds ~ work"
says Thomas w. Knox in his volume en-.
titled Horse Stories and Stories II
Other Animals. while ihAvc no hcsi.
tation about relating instances Bearing
on this statement, prefer tu tell Of oc.
currcnccS which indicate no actual rca.
soning power In the animal.
1T Is customary IN the settlements 20
water the cattle from large woodcn
buckets Oiled with water pumped from
n we'll This Is done that they may no,
drink the water ~ the reservoirs, which
IL stagnnnt aud unwholcSomc Ord.
narily the pumping is done nj early
morning 10y one ~ the elephants, the
work taking nearly an hour Accus
toned Ca the task. he does not wait 10
hc ordered and every morning, an hour
before sunrise. be IL al his labor with
the precision 81 u living alarm-clock.
II wns staying once nj Irichinopoly,
nt the huusr ~ u friend uf mine. a mrr.
chant, who owned u grand villa few
leagues outside the city. The run was
rising, and my servant had just awak.
cncd mc for my bath Passing through
the yard saw large white elephant
working at the pump. lie closed his
eyes sadly, and was apparently trying
10 turn his thoughts from his wcariSome
lnhur lie salutcd my presence with
joyful Tapping of his ears. for during
the two days since my arrival | had
given him many dauiir,. hut he did not
cease from his work. which had 10 I've
finished
Il was Ntrul,,ug him with my hand 10
passing, when noticed that one ~ the
two blanks whrcl supp"rtcd the bucket
on either .ur had fallen away. II thus
happened that the bucket. being up
held on one side only, spilled its con.
tents, without possibility of being
filled.
The elephant did not think that hh
work was ,udrd because one side Of the
bucket was filled. nor did he attcmm
the impossible feat uf trying Ia I'LL the
other side until huth sides wcrc even
In few minutes the water commenced
Ia run from the lower side 81 the buck.
at. and the animal begun u show signs'
~ uucasinc~s nevertheless. he contin.
ucd L. pump. Soon, however, he
dropped thu handle, and drew nearer
e. observe the causc 81 the trouble. lie,
returned To- the pump three times, each
time coming back Ia examine the bucks
1T. ] awaited the end uf this strange
scene with unilufF,ng interest. All a.
once "A waving II the ears seemed Ia In
dictate that un idea had occurred Ia him
He came over 10 lift up the plank
that had fallen away. and for momen nj
! Thought that hc intended tn put III
back in It's place under the lower sidel
~ the bucket But he was not troubled
nhnut the lower eide, which was nj
ready filled with water: IL was the
other side which annoyed him. Lifting
the bucket carefully. he supported III
for moment with one ~ his great fee,
while with hi, trrnI hc pulled out TIKI
second plank aud PLACED the bucket IS
solid earth, thus making il even ON al
sidcs. This done. tho tabor ~ filling n
was easy.
The elephant T., much attached to
the women and ,hldr,n IN the villages
and il would he dangerous for q strnh
ger to make even an uuirnndly gcstur
in The presence 81 III, animal,
1t l., remarkable sjrht Ia see hin<
guard his masters children in ,hcs
prumcnadcs; he watches every thing 4
beasts, scrITnts, turf ~, aud swamp~
in fact, any danger which may Ia in
ngncd Is overcome L., lis presence. llh
pace IL regulated ~ t'."t ~ the chillrh1
and he attends thcm. .'LthcIing lowcn
fruit from the tree, .nd ru.,ar canes. al
u motion from uur "l th,iu l.v viii hrcak