Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-05-03
GOOD ELEPHANT STORY
How Forepaugh Got Even with the
Late p. T. Barnum


lie, IN which he had served many years.
He said: Some ten years ago there was
a great rivalry between the late Adam
Forepaugh and p. Z Barnum for suprem-
acy IN the circus business. The world
was being searched for novelties thar
/ would attract the public to the cities of
/ tents in which their colossal shows were
! given.
Each spling as the grass began to peep
! out from iis winter covering the BarHHHI
and Forepaugh shows would begin 10
! spread their acres of canvas. Bill boards.
dead wall and old barns would take on a
gauuy drtsS Of paper, on " hich we're pic
| tured birds OF the air beasts of the field
ana the denizenS Of the deep, acrobatS i'm
all possible and impossible positions, fair
est OF maidens mounted on the most fiery
OF steedsl prancing gaily before the small
| ooys (and some boys not so SmalD. and
ming their hearts with joyful ingerinps
Tor circus day to come and the fulfllment|
OF the pa per promises on the wall.
fOr years TINS strife went meTlilv on
between Forepaugh and Barnum. Bar
mum got Jumbo and worked his famous
racket about the public Indignation In
LONDON because the big elephant was
going TO leave them. FOrepaagh got a
thousand dollar beauty and twice
SlO,OW worth OF free advertising for her.
In the winter OF 1SSl-S2 j LIB, GAYLORD
VINO was securing the world for features
Tor the Barnum show. in far-off Siam
purchased at fabulous price a so-called
white elephant beast that was sacred
In that country, and hence the difficulty
IN securing the elephant and permission
20 take IL away. But our papers, with
startling headlines, published European
dispatches proclaiming the success of
MI. Gayi0rd's diplomacy and Mr.. Bar
mum dollars in securing the beasts. and
ff so 4
white elephant ever on exhibition In any
country, with the Barnum show. That
the elephant would be in charge of four
Siam priests. who would guard the sacred
beast night and day that il might not be
polluted by the touch Of any Christian
dog.
This news set Adam Forepaupb wild
In mldwinter he summoned his agents
TO his home in Philadelphia aud a cahi- |
net meeting was convened. Mr.. Fore. |
paugh said; The Forepaugh show must
nave white elephant. and he vowed II |
there was one white elephant there was /
two, and he must have the other one. |
Agents must start at once for all parts of |
the world, aud If they did not return /
with a white elephant they need never |
return
In joking manner one of the agents
said, why not paint one white?' Il will |
give the man who does il, in such a man.
ner as TO defy detection. 1900 said Mr..
EOrepaugh.
with the utmost secrecy an lnvestiga.
IlOn OF the subject OF manufacturing q
white elephant was begun, and by the aid
OF the scientific knowledge Of Philadel-
phla chemist a solution that would de-
stroy the pigment in a complexion so pro
covered.
"Of course, IL would never do TO attempt
thls transformation act on an elephant in
the animal house in Philadelphia, where
the secret would become known TO the
keepers and their assistants. 1t must be
Kept within as few as possible. The pry-
ing eyes OF keen reporters must also be
kept lar from the scene of a job like that.
a rusty man was sent down into Mary
Iadd, and on the shores Of Chesapeake
bay, an old barn was found belonging TO a
nan VINO was willing to keep still for
consideration. To deceive the men en-
lloyed in the winter quarters at Phila-
ielphla 70 supposed purchaser, the ele-
)hdnt, Old Belts, was sold and shipDed
'stensibly 70 Baltimore, but really TO The
barn on the shores Of Chesa-
)eake bay. She was taken across the
COUNTRY from the railroad I'm the dead of
light and secretly housed in the Mary
and barn I
I'm six weeks Old Belts had been %
blondined' from dirty dark brown 10 a |
ight mulatto, all but her legs. for these
'ould not be gotten 70 as light shade as
vas attained on all other Darts Of her
)ody; But as white elephant with dark
egs did not look bad, they concluded the
oh was good.
Dispatches were sent from 'Europe'
hat an agent Of the FOrepauph show had
ecured white elephant in Borneo. and
would arrive in New York about cer- a
alil cate ID charge OF guard OF wild
len from BOrneO. Four yell W bows of
5al umore were engaged for the different '
OleS OF wild men of Borneo' A sloop -
vas engaged, and one dark night the
eWly-made white elephant was trans
erred from the barn 70 the sloop. A few |
avs san and the slOop came To anchor 4
II Sandy Hook, at the enhance to New
.ork harbOr. A captain of an Atlantic
ieamer was found, who. for 81 600, was
'llllng 70 so time his ships arrival al
andy Hook that his passengers would q
e asleep and the elephant could, with
he least liability of detection, be trans
siTed from the sloop TO the steamer. The {
Iephants arrival on this steamer had =
cen duly announced from Liverpool. and
ne New York pupers had whetted the
lriOSty of the public
The slOOp lay at anchor off Sandy
look. The steamer made this point ia
ne dead OF night. When her passengers r,
ere sleeping the white elephant aud the y
altlmore BOrneOs were transferred 70
le steamer. In few hours they had
used the customs collectors. y
he New York papers swallowed the ,
ephant, and spread her fame from the |
AT 70 the lakes and the Atlantic To the
acihc. In Just eight weeks TO a day from
le night old Belts was sneaked out of
Philadelphia in Baltimore and Ohio
eight car she returned in palace car. 90
lilt for her exclusive use, attended by the az
iorneO Princes She re-entered Phila-
.lphia and was received with an ovation i,
lat must have surprised the old cam
ilgner. She was four weeks ahead
Barnum's sacred Siam, and clear 1
had the best OF il. Barnum's |
EAST, when il came. was an or |
nary elephant with some dirty looking |
hite spots on It, and did not compare
ith Forepaugh's Borneo blonde. Under
gorgeous canopy, surrounded by every |,
xury on elephants heart could wish.
lth every want attended TO by the Bal
more Barne0s, who never left her fex-
pt during the Baltimore engagement.
here they might have been recognized
d Belts made a tri1mphal tour OF the
untry In 'S2. Once In while they had -
apply the blondine where the natural
Tor was asserting itself IN the winter |