The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-03
ELEPHANTs As SAWMILL HANDS.
A Force OF GI,nt PRchy derms that Nave
Never Net Gone ~ strike.

from ~, 81. L.ui' Giob,- D,mnerut
Tho displays OF trained animals. broken for
show purposes. cannot oiIer the sllghtest com
hibition one sees in the city Of Mouimein.
British Burmah. The most absorbingly en-
paradoxically industrial character which the
work OF these huge Indian pachyderms as
WORK OF a sawmill. usually done ty human
hands. could be accomplished through tho
Of the ssk Hna tns hs
the Irawadi steamship Company uses some
forty 70 nifty ssphanis in the Speration OF It's
ships is here made ready for the artisan.
the Fast gives an Interesting account of the
manner in which the mills are operated. The
several hundred i miles nj down the saIwin River
TO the mill. which is situated on the banks OF
the stream at Moulmeip. Here the logs are
oftransporting Is done BY the elephants.
The boom is very similar 70 those S.s we sec i9
Mchran bn sTctt the sss 81 sa
brightly CARRIED in red and blue, running
from log to log and moving them n %H long
elephants wRding and swimming among the
teak logs and pushing them toward the
the water. Lut are first seasoned. aud the ele-
plants not only bring the logs from the water
to the land. tut also stack them In huge piles.
convey them to tho mill saw them. and after
ward pile the lumber. or course. each ele-
Hhant performs
work for which he has been trained. and the
entire herd is divided into com panies OF from
two te, eight. One division OF the pachyderms
does the work in the water, mother company
carries the logs TO the drying or seasoning
stacks. others pile them, another class con-
veys the dry logs to the mill, where some Of
the elephants do the work OF saving. still 9TH
ers pile the sawed lumber. and another herd
carries hay and prepares the FOOD Tor this
great Industrial combination OF brute strength
But the most wonderful. interesting. novel.
nd al inc Ia fan Of hA tiFa
combination is the sight OF two monstrously
large male elephants that actually act In the
These move from place to place among the
work. elephants. spurrlng them on. push
%G ena OF tSe
Very few men are needed to direct the ele-
phsnts in, their work. From six to eight OF
wade or swim. according to the depth OF the
water. to the log boom. and. loosening sew
certain point Zach Of the company OF sls-
plants that convey the logs from this point
e the drying place has q chain attSchsd i to
bottom of this chain l., q loon through which
the log Is run. A man directs the movements
coil h" Of the chain. The elephant picks up an.
other log by his trunk. and in this manner
About eight elephants are employed in this
capacity, The work OF pillng the logs to dry
Is done by two female elephants. Each winds
gether they raise It in horizontal position
aud place 1t on the stack.
After the logs have dried sufficiently they are
ready Tor the mill Two female elephants take
the dry logs from the pile and deliver them to
y herd similar In training to those that work
These convey the logs 10 track over
one log at a time is placed upon this car. As
soon as log is in position on the car an ele-
plant. trained for this particular part OF the
the mil, the log is pushed from the ear to :" a
carrier that passes beneath the buzz saw. As
soon as the log is thus transferred 10 the car
rier he elephant operating, the car returns for
another log while another huge beast. trained
TO do the saving. operates the carrier and
pushes the log against tho saw, But the in
terestinG part Of the work does not end here,
for. as the log is being sawed into the desi red
boards and timb ers. another elephant receives
the completed material, plinG the slabs on one
side and the more valuable product on the
other. But two men are required to oversee
and direct the elephants in saving the logs.
Another detachment Of the herd is used in
carrying the lumner from the mill to the yards
with the low front and back wheels close to
each other, are used. There are elephants
these trucks. while others push the loaded
trucks 10 the sheds In the lumber yard are
the "Dilers' or elephants that take the lum-
Der from the trucks and place II in piles for
As stated before. there is one detachment OF
"Kitehen woPk Tor the hotel de eggplant, or
whatever the feeding place OF these blg fellows
may be called some may be seen carrying
hay for the stables. but by far the most inter
esting sight Is the prsparatlo OF tn food This
lie com posed Of grass bran. and molasses, and
Is mixed In a large vat While some are carry
ing these different cOmDOnsnts Of this highly
delectaule esphantipc boarding house hash.
others are engaged In mixing II with pestles
which they deNteTOusly manipulate with their
trunks. The narrator observed one Of the ele-
phants suddenly stop Ia HE work with the
pestle and refuse 20 WELD his mixing stick
any further. one Of the two big boss 81 ephsnts
was called 10 the scene. and. picking up the
TeealcitTAnts psstle beat him with 1t over the
na
Only about ten men are employed In direct
Ing the work OF the entire herd OF slsphknt4
msln In operation all aCree Ia giving it the
credit OF being the greatest exhibition Of
trained animals in the world. and say that
animal shows. are simply nowhere near In
Nne" with H. The mill hands. or. more prop
~ E.ra l..usr - h u nni IN = siriE