Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-10-10
ELEPHANTS AT WORK.
PRopIeIous LABOR THEY PERFORM
AT INDIA'S LUMBER MILLS.

An Elephant Rolling Logs-Rcwsri.d
for Extra Hard work---CarryIng a Dray
I.,ad On the Tusks--An Anxious Mother.
Tricks Taught.
Early the next day, while yet COOL we Wis
ited one ol the decided lions of the city
the working elephants Formerly these were
very numerous, leing the heavy workers in
the timber yards and great sawmiils Ma
ehinerY has nov suppianied them ia all es-
Establishments run 10y torcigners la each Of
the native mills where small orders are
filled two OF the mobile beasts yet perform
the heavy labor which human hands uaas-
sisted could scarcely manage. We visited
some nf these the second time ON our return \
from up country. and were greatly inter
ested They draw the logs many Of them /
three fret Ia diameter ana thirty 10 forty /
feet long, from the river, pile them up in \
systematic order, and when they are needed /
roll them to the ways and assist in adjusting
them for the saw. Lumber u not here sawed /
into boards, hut the slab Is taken of and
the good stuff left in square t,mber to be
ripped up into boards where consumed This
is done both tor homo consumption and for
expectation.
After the log Is thus cat the elephant goes
smoug the machinery, takes the slabs away,
and then carries the good timber and piles il
up or lays II gently upon the OK carts 70 DO
hauled off. A carpenter we saw wanted lum-
Der from u particular log which was under
several Others. One of the monsters rolled
the upper logs OIL and pushed the chosen
stick Ia the mill. The way was not clear
the log butt,,d against others. lie pushed
tho-e aside and guided his piece through
them with a sagRcity almost human His
stick became wedged lie pushed and tugged;
il would not budge but at a whispered
word from tae mahout aud the promise of a
bit uf nice food he bcnt 10 IT, Still It stuck.
With whistle audible for quarter of
nsle be got on his knees, Strengthened out his
hind legs and put his whole force 20 Il. He
was successful. We could almost read his
satisfaction In the gentle flaps of his huge
ears and the graceful gentle curve of his
proboscis as he put 1t up to the mounted ma
hout asking his reward.
now THEI DO IT.
Sticks over two feet thick and ten to
fifteen feet long are lifted up bodily upon the
great worries, and are then carried of and
laid upon the gnngways 50 gently Us not to
make "A jar One stick twenty-five inches
thick and twenty two feet long we saw car
ri,-i In this way. In carrying this the beast
, ,Iad path not three feet wide among the
mnss - loose logs lie had Ia plant his
( fore i,S upon these and thus walk a con-
, siderable distance. lie looked as IL he were
. walking upon his hind legs. The corner Of
a bamboo hut stood IN his way. lie lifted
the log over its roof, and bent his body 80
that his sides gently scrRped the corner OF
; the house and did not shake IT, A hum
!, dredth part OF his weight would have caused
4 it 10 topple from It's pile foundation.
n IN faH mill nf WI
a pieces 10 to Is feet long He ran his tusks
: under a few The mahout told him that was
= not enough He tried again, and probably
4 doubled his load. His driver gave him a
fierce prod with his iron hook over the fore
head. With a shrek Of rage he sent his
ivories under the pile and threw his snout
over the top. He had TO get ON his knees 70
.a get the load up IL decent dray load.
n As he passed rs, perched on IA pile of logs,
n. moved away, for thought there was blood
"a in his eye, and that he might dump ths load
a on the foreigners But when he came bacl
an he stopped before US, got on his knees
~ bowed three times, and lreld out his snout u
no us for gratuity | pitched coin 10 tn
a. nlahont Ii. whispered 10 the beast tina
- his elephantsbip would get part Of IL
NO This seeIned satisfactory, for he snutfed N
,v a pint OF dust, blew II over his rilInp, AN,
,,- marched off for a bath IN a mud hole mo
4 far away. Each mill has pair They worl
am only in short spells, and take their rest whs
nj feeding In grass grown mud ponds
i'll BABY ELEPHANT.
lg- In Mandalay We saw quite a number b,
We longing to the English commissary depart
of -ment. They were formerly King Thehawi
ers One OF them had little baby only thirt,
nut four inches tall. The mother was chaine
ST. 10 tree The baby toddltd 30 us and bel
a whistle | feared the COW would brea
loo@s--she seemed 50 uneasy and strained
.ry Mt her chain But | got my hand on u
bie little fellows back and scratched it. Ho
ich he wriggled with pleasure. The moth
ON understood the thing and easel up VIII,
nm we startssl off the calf wanted more rtl
.si- bing aud followed The cow blew
his whistle that Tsa,ie us hurry The lii
by fellow then toddiet hack and teok pull
xed his morning bottle.
ON the steamer going 10 Mandalay N
tile Lacey, superintendent II the great Bomba
hat Timber company, was a fellow Passeng'
red He employs CD elephants drawing teak 10
,rv. 10 the creeks several huadrei miles up o
try Of the branches OF the Irawaddy. He b
gar been here many years, aud gave me sever
not curious anecdotes showing the wonderful i
and gacity OF the great monsters
,i.k Each elephant has his individual keep,
and but when they GO into camp at CLOSE Of d
he they are sent oil alone to the jungles for Il
the wood. and never fail TO bring the proI
,Iler kind From many things told me | am
an. most persuaded they have decided neGsoni
urn qualities, and are not simply taught tri'
ent. by rote. We watched the performance
exi- several at Rangoon for two or three hou
y and saw eyidences Of sagacity far surpassi
the little tricks done la the menageries
mahout sits on a houdah ON the back OF
,,,.,, huge animal He rarely speaks loud enou
-. for one 10 hear him few feet OF.
Lacey believes they understand Burms
- -, One day he praised one of the elephants
- this language The animal showed evid
- pleasure. He then spoke disparagingly
a. him. The vain monster gave such nnmist
!, - able signs Of being angry that the NAH
-. asked Lacey 10 desist 20 prevent dan
49, Calcutta Cor. Chicago Mail
- The Apes of Gibraltar.
feels Gibraltar is the sole European localit,
|, his which the Brabary ape Is found in '
f,., state These animals, reduced few y,