The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-24
AN ERRING ELEPHANT.
He Lived an Honorable Life for 80
Years and Then Became n Marauder.


London Telegraph.
An extraordinary occurrence was wit
messed in London recently. Jim, an enor-
nous elephant belonging to Sanger's cir
Gus. ran away and was chased by crowds
for hours before he was secured. jim is
said 10 have reached the age of seventy
five without, so far as appears, a stain on
his reputation No doubt he had had his
occasional outbreaks of passing misbehavior
To no one, be he man or elephant, is it
given to play out his part in the drama OF
existence, especially when it runs to so
considerable length, without a single
slip However, it Is pretty clear that Jirn's
alterations from the path Of virtue could
never have been very serious. or the man.
ager would not have taken him out con-
troHed only by hooked stick for walk
In the streets or a northern suburb, and
panion than two Indian Ilamas. each in
Charge Of q boy.
The outing was. no doubt. one of an ordi-
nary character, and must have seemed safe
enough to those who had permitted it; but
as matter of fact, 1t was disastrous
MI MneI h IL was the cutting of the stick or
the hooking II which suggested to Jim
the idea of flight it is impossible to say;
put certain 1T is that when outside Manor
house, t1nsburk Park, the animal became
FESTIVE. broke away from his keeper and
dashed into the park, where, trumpetng
loudly several times. by way of challenge
band stand. The blast of his trumpet may
have recalled TO him the stirring lines of
'One crowded hour of glorious life is worth
since Ho %a5 a ens PAST ?. m @hen G Gf
was captured, he had more than an
four crowded hours of glorious life
hours crowded with the destruction of in
animate objects, and the discontinue of
human pursuers. Stout walls fell before
the blows of his trunk; imprudent young
men Who interfered with his amuSements
were rebuked-in the stomach--with the
same weapon; gardens were laid waste be-
meath his feet; eligible building lots were
traversed by him and left behind in a con-
chasers. He refreshed himself from the
waters of the New river, and visited the
grounds of the Upper Clapton Cricket Club.
Gates were treated by him as smaller ami
mails are accustomed to treat gateways:
that, is 10 to say -, he walked through
occasion by lifting the obsta-
eIe which th haDpened e be Of iron: bodily
A careful student Of the course of his
wanderings would have been in position
to draw tolerably complete sketch map
main road to Tottenham, he entered the
grounds Of the DrabPers almshouse where
until he reached a field on the ST. Lows
estate. near Bruce Grove station, that he
allowed his keeper to chain his front legs
out. as we have said, between four and
five hours. and had done damage computed
Costly, however as were these elephant-
inc gambols. they would hardly have been
remarkable if the age Of the gamboler had
been less mature, for it is understood that
youth must have it's fling" and if the
fling of an elephant runs into money, that
is merely, as the Americans say, a conse-
quence of his avoirdupos." What gives so
painful a distinction to the case is the fact
that the animal had outlived the impetuos-
ity of early years and might fairly be ex-
pected to have sOwn his wild oats.
BY what strange visitation could the
worthy brute, who had probably taken his
ponderous CONSTITUTIONAL many a time be-
fore along this very road, have been sud
denly impelled TO bolt? How came it that
the pastime OF knocking down walls and
marrying gardens now for the first time pre-
scented itself to him in a guise of irresistible
attraction. and that in a moment he deter
mined to throw reputation to the winds and
have at least one good rampage before he
died? We cannot say; these things are a
mystery. That wonderful brain of the ele-
phant-so small for his huge bulk, yet so
wonderfully charged with a power APP
preaching nearer TO the reasoning faculty
than any other form of instinct found
among the brute creation-has its secrets
which 1t Is impossible to penetrate.