The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-13

BUILDING A TELEGRAPH LINE.
The writer once had the good fortune to
witness a troop OF elephants building a
telegraph line. The telegraph follows the
advance OF the troops, TO secure rapid
communication with the rear. First a
track was made by telling all timber and
clearing of any underground TO about
twenty feet in width, hundreds of natives
being employed. Such trees as were
suitable in length were trimmed down for
telegraph poles, a number of them being
piled at intervals along the track.
Then the elephants were sent out with
the poles to the distances they were to be
set apart. One mahOut conducted the
elephants to a pile the heavy poles and
ordered the intelligent animal to pick one
up. The elephant quietly obeyed, carry
ing the pole to the spot indicated by the
mahOut. The elephant was then directed
to go to the pile of and place them in line
along the track, at the same distance
apart. The native then calmly selected a
cool shady spot under the widespreadng
palm and went to sleep. In the mean
time the elephant took up each piece of
timber and carried it to its proper place
in the line. After the task had been &C
complished the elephant gently touched
the mahout with the tip of his trunk and
awOl1e him. as much as to say: Your
mahout awOke, mounted the elephant,
and went forward to continue the con-
struction of the line in the same easy
manner.
The Burmese mahouts are very kind to
their elephants. They tickle them behind
their ears. stroke and fondle them, select
ing choice morsels of food at every OPP
porttnity. The natives of Hindoostan,
on the contrary, are frequently very
ha1. n 10 ha oil do,
their charge, striking them on the top of
the skull with the crooked iron rod called
ANGUS.
AS EXECUTIoNERs.
Elephants do not travel fast, their gait
being at best but a shambling walk.
Twenty-Five miles is the outside limit of a
days journey. 1t is only when hard
pressed that elephants break into a run
If wounded he will suddenly turn and
rush at his assailants, select one and try
to catch him This is termed charging,
and woe be to the unfortunate hunter if
the Infatuated animal succeeds in reach
ing him with his flexible trunk. In an in
slant he is hurled to the earth and trod
into an undistinguishable mass. Ele-
plants have been kept by the kings of
Burmah as executioners. When crimi-
nails condemned to die, and frequently in
ffuential mobiles, whose riches the king de-
sired to seize, were brought out of prison,
public spectacle would be made to
strike dismay to the hearts of the mon
arch's secret enemies. The elephant
would catch hold of victim by the neck
with his trunk, lift him off his feet, give a
sudden jerk like swapping a whip lash,
then tread him to jelly beneath his enor-
nous feet
A mahout elephant keeper was ad-
dicted to the use of opium. Orders were
given when the elephants came into town
for supplies that this man should remain
at the country station. The dark-faced
native had long talk with his elephant
they seem to understand Burmese-and
told him to go to town and get him some
opium. Of he went, and reaching the
supply depot tore about as if in a fury.
The villagers sought cover. The elephant
nosed about, smelt and snorted where
opium was stored, took ball and trotted
back to his keeper
At another time an elephant camp got
out of sugar. 1t was near trail which a
pony train from China passed. The ma
bouts knew a train was near at hand.
One of them explained to his brute what
was wanted and sent him to intercept the
train. He did so and scared the men to
the trees and scattered the load of the
ponies. The elephant found some sugar
baskets, ate his own fill and carried off a
basket to his keeper.
THE ROGUE ELEPHANT.
The rogue elephant is kind of felon or
convict, who has become separated from
his companions. He loses his way or is
perhaps wounded, and ultimately recov-
ers. But he has forfeited his citizenship
he has lost his rights, and becomes mere
tenant on sufferance. The herd will per-
nit him to browse near them, but the in
timacy must not go further The pariah
then becomes desperate He wanders
about and attacks everything. He cannot
join his own kin, and so he marauds reck-
lessly In this way he becomes more &C
custOmed to meet men, and revenges upon
them the wrongs which have been so
cruelty visited upon him. 1t is said that
he gets such an adherence for his own
tribe that he will not even make common
cause with another rogue, which is per-
haps fortunate for the natives.
An English army officer stationed at
Ceylon relates the following curious ac-
count of an elephant funeral:
Il went after herd of eight elephants
and came up with them about p. m
After stalking got a chance at the one
which seemed about the biggest of the
herd and dropped it at the first shot. 1t
turned out to be a big cow elephant
About two hours afterWard | had the
tail and feet cut off and taken to the
bungalow. Next morning l went to the
spot to look at the elephant and found her,
or what remained of her, non est. After
looking around l saw the herd had been
around during the night, and l soon dis
covered a track where they seemed to
have retired in a body. / followed this
through a thick bamboo Jungle, and about
500 yards further on I came upon the dead
elephant, lying in the bottom of a rocky
stream.
Judging from the appearance of, the
body the elephant had been carried to the
top of The bank, and from there rolled
into the stream. From the tracks it was
plain that the body had not been rolled,
but carried to the bank, and it was plain
that it had been rolled through the mama
grass, which grows on the sides of the
stream. The jungle through which the
body was brought to the stream was very
heavy, with bamboos growing close and
the track which the elephants made was
several Yards wide. Some surprise was
expressed at the circumstances by my
neighbors till l showed them where the
elephant had been shot and where the
body lay in the stream, which proved
conclusively that by some means or other
the body had got over the intervening
space in the night" HID. S.
HORNETS BREAK UP A FUNER AL.
Driver and Horses Viciously Stung.
Ran Over a Nest in the Road.
From the New York Times,