The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-16
'TRICKiNG AN ELEPHANT.
From The Ds.solt Pee Press.

l have TO relate contains a moral. The
moral OF story usually comes last.
but IN this case | will give 1t 10 you at
once. In fact, there are two morals
Firstly, never make a fool Of yourself
unless paid for it Secondly. never at
tempt TO have fun with an elephant
I've been there and know all about it
and give you my experience free
gratis"
Are the two morals Connected
asked the man with the ST. Louis cast
of countenance.
Intimately so. Let US go back if
teen years. On a certain July day an
eminent citizen about my size might
have been seen vending his way into a
circus in Cincinnati. OF course | took
IN the menagerie first There were
eight elephants, and among them an
old veteran named Hercules. Up 10
the moment l saw that elephant and
fed him cakes I was a level-headed,
sensible man. All of sudden turned
fool. That is, the idea came to me 10
play joke on old Here. He was docile
and peaceful and trusting, and | ought
to have been kicked for entertaining
the idea"
But there was no one to kick you?'
observed the Cincinnati man.
ALIAS, no. had a lot of tobacco-dust
in my pocket, and I got an apple,
scooped it out and filled in big ounce
of dust. | had qualm or two of con.
,science when all was ready, but having
determined to make fool of myself il
was easy to go ahead. ! slipped into
the crowd gazing at the elephants and
tossed the apple TO Hercules. He caught
and chewed it and l got away just as
he began trumpeting and raising 4 row.
The old fellow had been insulted and
was mad about it, and for half an hour
the circus men had all they could do tc
prevent him from breaking away. By
and by, when he had got quoted down,
edged around near him, and the first
thing l knew he made a break for me.
He had sized me up as the chap who
threw the apple, and he wanted TO get
hold OF me so bad that the tears came
to his eyes"
''Well?" was queried as the narrator
paused.
We'll, three years later I went into
Forepaugh's show in indianapolis.
That elephant had been sold to him
and was there in the troop, though OF
course l didn't know il. l had gotten
over being smart and was there with
ont any guile in my heart. was saun.
tering around, throwing peanuts now
and then, when one of the beasts
uttered a loud scream, pulled up the
stakes to which he was chained, and
came down on me like an avalanche.
He made a swing with his trunk which
knocked my hat off, and if | hadn't
dropped down and rolled under
wagon my goose would have been
cooked for sure. He smashed two or
three wagons and kicked up big ex
element, and it was only after he had |
been secured that / knew it was the !
beast | had played the joke on. Here |
membered me after three years, and it |
wasn't his fault that he didn't do me |
up"
Did you ever see him again?"
Il ran across that show dozen !
times IN the next three years, but | .
kept away from the elephants. | met 4
an old elephant trainer who told me
that the beast would never forget the
trick, and / could never rememb Der the /
'swhish' of that trunk as he swiped at
me without feeling cold all over Six
years ago, which was nine years after
my Smart Aleck business, | was in La l
Crosse. Forepaugh was showing there,
but l was too busy to go. One morn
ing ! took n ride with real estate man
into the suburbs, and as we came back
we ran across the circus parade. We
drove up the side street and halted TO
see it. We Were smoking and talking,
and l was flirting with a good-looking
girl on the sidewalk, when the crowd
began to yell and scatter"
''One of those western cyclones, |
observed the Buffalo man
Yes, it WAS, and the vanguard was
IN elephant-that elephant Hercules.
lie had identified me by sight or smell
.wo hundred feet away and broken
away from his keeper. Say, now. but
he way he came rushing down would
lave put a landslide to shame. He !
rumpeted like a whole brass band,
lew ont of his path. He was close
lpon US before we saw him. Ny friend
lropped the lines and leaped out of the
buggy, but ! was simply paralyzed and
at there like lump on log. / know
What happened, because others told
ne. With one swing OF his trunk the
lephant broke the horses back and
mashed him fat. and then he picked
p the vehicle and flung il skv-high. / :
anne out Of that wreck with disIo- {
ated shoulder. q cash four inches long
n my scalp. broken nose and an in {
ury TO my left knee which laid me up I
or several weeks. II I hadn't been
brown over 4 wall into the cellar Of a Z
ew building old Hercules would have 5
aid me of for sure
us that alp" was asked. !
How much more do you want" ez s
iaimed the story-teller. Il wouldn't :
ave had this nose broken for the price 4
two elephants, and the loss OF time S
nd physical and mental suffering Z
mount ted 20 no small item. / have S
CURED II up good many times, but /. 7
ways comes out the same way. That I
ephant IS Al least Eve thousand dol ?
rs ahead OF me on the game Il
And you are not playing any more
-icls on menagerie animals
Not trick, 4 camel in Central I :
ark, New York. wini1ed az me three :
mes IN succession the other day, bot z
never moved an eyeIash- l ca1ne-I z
aged Smart Aieck-I went out OF the =
lnny business Thsts all-zood ?