Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-05-02
FIVE-MINUTES' HISTORY
Of Wild Animals-How They Are Trained
and Cared for With Circus.

Of Wild Animals-How They Are Trained
and Cared for With Circus.
In the sprihg of the year all wild ami
mails are shifted from their winter quar-
tiers into their summer cages.
Some people wonder how this chang
ing is done. 1t is customary to have
strong, well braced box, about six feet
long by three feet wide, with sliding
doors at each end, which work up and
down in grooves set inside of the box.
Then all the wild animals are changed
from one cage to another through this
box.
Much care and good judgment must
be exercised, so that none will get away
Or be injured.
The elephants have passed a long
winter in bondage (as they must be
kept chained through the winter. In
the spring they must be exercised as
much as possible. 1t is surprising to
think that large animal like an ele-
plant cannot stand the cold an better
According to natural history the ele-
plant lives to the age of $50 years, but
in captivity their lives are shortened
about one-half.
In the spring their hoofs are trimmed
and oiled all over with neat's-to oil.
Many elephants like to be oiled, while
others object most furiously. 1t takes
from one to two gallons of oil to oil an
ordinary-sized elephant.
They like to wallow in mud and dirt
as much as possible. They are natural
beggars, and are always looking through
everyone's pockets to see what they can
steal. They will eat almost anything
they find Sometimes they are trained
to assist in many things when it is nee
essary around the show grounds. Some
times show wagon will get stuck in the
mud. They may have dozen or more
horses on. In this case they will take
large sack stuffed with hay, place it on
the strongest part back OF the wagon.
Then they will get the elephant to place
his head against it. He will always
push it.
One elephant can push more than
forty horses can pull. have known it
to happen where the locomotive was
called away from the show train; and in
these cases have many times used an
elephant in that same way, and set
whole train for loading. A man would
get on top OF a ffty-foot car to hold it
from running too fast.
They eat the same food as the horse,
only it requires about ten times as
much
/ Often boys take contract to carry
water for them for free ticket to the
circus, and l have known them to carry
thirty-five or forty buckets to each ele-
plant. In this case their tickets were
dear.
They never feed lion meat on Sun
day. When lion is well fed it never
exercises, but when hungry it walks
around the cage continually. This keeps
them in a healthy condition. They
don't eat every day in their native coun-
try and get no medicine when sick. For
that reason all showmen have chosen
Sunday as the day the lion must 90
hungry and must exercise.
Once week they feed elephants on
sailed bran mush. Lions and other cat
animals are fed milk and sulphur.
Clean cages, prompt care, and the an
imals will always be healthy.
Lions that are born in this country do
not look SO wild and savage as those
brought here Take lion that has been
captured and subdued, then you can
trust yourself in cage with them with
more safety than with the one that has
been born and raised in captivity. For
this reason you will take more chances
and will be more careless with the lat
ter. They have the disposition of the
wild lion, and will sneak up on you
when you are least aware of it.
PROF. HARRY w. PArT.
Elephant and Lon-Trainer.
Il cannot permit it." said the mis-
treSs; ''you must not bring stranoarc