Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-08-25
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
INTERESTING SUBJECTS Fob VOW"
FOLKS.
Dead at Two Hundred fenrs-A IT, ~
Who Learned "a Le%son-hs ls.'.ss
a sphere-Fraettp nnl


There died a few days ago NJ Oo'O'N
no N ceylon.. a famous resident VINO
had reached the very great age OF al
least two hundred years The ngure
is nut at two hundred. because nooody
knows exactly what It is. He himseh
was never heard to say a word ABOUT
IL or indeed about anything else pu'
during the whole OF his long life con
tented himself with a wild hiss now
and then at people and things that uiu
not suit him. This was Il rare eAnnlpls
~ total abstinence, because ne heaIu
three or four languages spoken nearly
every day of his life There Is, nrsI
the Language OF the natives OF Ceyloh'
who are kInsmen OF the Malays. Iheh
there are the many Dutch who I'VE
live at Colombo because their ancestors
once ruled In the island for century
or more. Finally there are the Engiish,
who now own Ceylon and pretty nearly
everything In II, including all that y
left OF this oldest resident. He was ~
ready old when the English took Cey-
lon from the Dutch In lT0d, and ne mas
ever since been sort OF pensionef on
the British government
His silence OF two hundred years was
not the only curious thing about TINS
aged resident OF Colombo. His skele.
ton was on the outside. II was stuffed
soon after his death. and Is now one
OF the principal attractions In the
museum OF the city where he was 50
well known.
As You have already guessed, this
old fellow was turtle, and his portrait
appears above. He seems 10 have been
conscious all along Of the dignity OF
his name. which was TestudO elephnn'
tooxis. the second half Of It being given
In honor OF the fact that be- was an
elephant among turtles His imme-
dlate family Is very small-so small
that few OF his relatives survive him,
and II Is thought that these viii die out
Ia a comparatively short time Even
now the family lives In only one spot
on the globe-Aldabra Island, north "
Madagascar. Formerly there were a
great many OF these TestudOs, and trad
ing vessels In the Indian Ocean used %
lay In a stock OF them In order that the
crew might be sure Of having fresh
meat should scurvy break out on board.
The turtle that has Just died was one
OF the largest Of his family, and his
shell was four aud a half feet long,
but when his head and tail were unfold
ed from his shell be was fully six feet
long II Is said that he was sent from
Java as a present TO q Dutch governor
OF Ceylon something like a hundred
and nifty years ago. Anyhow. the Eug
llsh took good care OF him when they
came into possession OF him and tho
island. and most OF the time since then
he has had n park 20 live In lie was a
pet Of the children. and half dozen %
them used 10 ride az n time on his
huge back. He was not to be- trifcd
with. however and seven men who once
tried TO persuade him 10 visit a show
In Colombo found that compared 10
him, piano is an easy thing 10 move
In fact, they gave up trying TO move
him at all, after a tussle ln which the
turtle came out best
Not long ago the British government
concluded to use Tor a dock the park
In which the old fellow had lived for
century, and II was decided 10 re-
move him 10 another park a mile away
from the shore. He was carried 10 his
new residence. but he vas evidently
homeslck, and after short Illness died.
This was pity. because people had be-.
gun 70 think be would live forever,
The age Of turtles Is an interesting
problem. Some people have a mania
for turning every turtle they sec upon
Its back and carving their initials and
the date on It's under side. The writ.
or once knew Of turtle which cyawle,l
about wearing this inscription. "Pon.
thus Plate. 3 Il. g." That seemed n very
remarkable turtle. until somebody cali.
cd attention to the fact that time was
not rcckoned "B. G." Probably the un.
fortunate turtle Is still wearing that
lilo ON his belly, for II tak9 turtle
almost as long as trrc 10 outrrow n
cash from a knife Hnrpcrs Young
People