The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-13
A GREAT sLEPHANT-cArcHER.
Career OF the Man Who Eac1ed One
Hundred md TWENTY at <lne stroke

The late Mr. Sanderson's name had
been tor a quarter Of century familiar
to every Indian ''Shikari" Yet, though
all the great game of the far east had
fallen before his rifle, it was not rs 2
slayer of wild beasts SO much as cap
tor of one of them that George Sander
son made for himself name and a
career. Unlike Gordon Cumming and
Baker and Selous, he was "a kilie.,
but keeper of quadrupeds. s'or some
twenty years he had been as the head
OF the lephant-catching stabiish-
ments, or keddahs, in > sore ami
Assam, and less than tive years ago
he accompanied the late duke
OF Clarence on his to- through
the sporting regions of the empire
over which it then seemed that,
in the fullness of time, the young
prince would be fated to rule How
ever, the catching of elephants and the
keeping of keddahs is not vet a recog-
nized branch of the civil service 1t is
not even profession; so that it was
Mr.. Sanderson's distinction not only to
attain the summit of. but also to invent
the calling. for which r. ca~lv dis
covered he was better suited l....A Tor
the work which had been set him 10
perform. The mans conversation was
more interesting than any book Il
abounded in quaint tales of his life in
the jungle, OF the strange incidents in
native life, of the habits of wild beasts
which he had witnessed from his hut
door, from the limb of forest tree. or
while engaged in the perilous duties OF
his daily business. Happily, however,
when taking his first furlough
after thirteen years continuous
residence in the plains of South
ern India, he was induced TO put some
of his notes into print. and, though
decade of experience have accumu-
lated since that date, both in Mysore
and in Assam, to which he was trans
ferred, science and the lovers of adven-
ture must. we fear, be content with
what he then vouchsafed. The hard
won knowledge of the last years of his
life will. like so much other priceless
information, die with the possessor
Indeed. though some of his feats were
sufficiently rema rka BILE in the earlier
period of his life, it was only in 1887
that we had occasion to record what
was then the unprecedented capture of
one hundred and twenty elephants at
one stroke, haul worth in hard coin,
q part from the convenience of having
so many animals to draw upon, close on
ten thousand pounds. Since then he
has more than once broken this record.
with results of the utmost value to the
government In one season four hun
dred and four were captured in the
Garow hills, one hundred and thirty
two being taken in 1889 in single
drive.
When Mr.. Sanderson arrived in India
years age he was already
dreaming of a jungle life, among ele-
plants, tigers and bison. and in few
friend gave the lad chance
of surveying land. and seeing the conn
try. about which he learned a little.
and a great deal about duel, and ante
lope shooting He then devoted him
self to the study of Canarese, the ver-
VI vi SUN az titC Gnu VI
a year had applied himself so judicious-
10 this branch of philology that he OBJ
tanned the appointment of assistant
channel superintendent From Hou
soor he had to look after hundred
and fifty miles of river-drawn irriga ton
all Of them works of an
tiquity, and to traverse almost daily
81 ,nJ, ovI
Jungle fowl swarmed. But it was not
for more than year that he
to sight a tiger, and
the elephants which were soon to- be
The work of his life were as yet strange
TO him. Little by little Sanderson rose
higher and higher, until he bacame the
head of his department, and, having
The charge of seven hundred and six
teen miles of channels, had TO penetrate
further and further into the forest |
depths. He had then sufficient salary !
% afford good battery, and the |
money necessary for obtaining good |
sport. And" he tell US, Il spent |
most Of my leisure and all of my cash !
upon it," until an opportunity was af-
forded him of changing what had |
hitherto been favorite recreation into |
he business OF his life. For il was |
hen that, for the first time he grew |
familiar with the wild elcphet, which |
'oamed in herds, useless and destruc- /
i've, through various parts OF the Ny
,ore province. Every year the ele- !
ohant in captivity is getting more /
-aluable. though many places it /
vas difficult 20 get along with /
,ut its aid. Sanderson then 1
proposed that he should be permitted /
o capture some of these rowing Grovcs. I
md. by the aid Of the natives. was 50 !
ortunate in his first endeavor that he 4
vas appointed to take temporary charge /
Il the Bengal Elephant-catching ests b. !,
in Septem Der, 1875. For hin
months he worked that province, dur
ng which time he visited Garoy= and |
hills, then wild and little
.nown tracts, and returned 20 Mysore
Elephants in the district last named
The famine for a time put a check upon
is work, for. as fodder coBid not br
procured for the support Of any ele-
,hants which might have been cap
ured. the keddsh establishments We're
m ployed N spportioning the boroer
crest in TO grazing blocks for the starv
ng cattle tina. foc1sed thither for pas
ure.-London Standard
Hebsing at Bosh Finds