Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-10
ELEPHANT AND RAT.
The Rat Ran Up the Elephants Trunk
and an Earthquake Ensued.

From the San Francisco Examiner.
One small rat caused more damage in
five minutes In the big circus tent at Cen
trail Park yesterday morning than dozen
men could repair in twenty-four hours. The
rat ran up the trunk of Jess, the big fe-
male elephant, and she did the rest
Just how it happened no one seems to
know, but when the first wild alarm was
given and the dust had settled a score or
more of frightened employees found two ami
NAL cages upset and their bars bent and
twisted, the canvas of the menagerie tent
saggins to the ground in the places where
the poles had been knocked out and a ath
of ruin leading to where the big doors that
close the Sth street entrance had been burst
cpN and smashed into kinllins wood.
Jess was gone.
Where she had gone or what she was
doing no one knew. The fact that she was
loose IN the streets Of a big city was sut!l-
Gent provocation for the widest conjec-
lures, for an elephant without master can
do more damage in a given time than
dozen runaway locomotives.
At the first sound of the commotion one of
the animal trainers, George Knight, CROPPED
his way out of the big tent and was just
in time to see Jess demolsh the doors and
disappear In the street. He followed, run
ming, and was Joined at the entrance by
Manager William Sells, who had been eat
ing his supper In restaurant across the
street. They gave chase TO the elephant,
which had taken the center Of the street
and was going toward Howard street at a
lively gait, waving her trunk high I'm the
air and trumpeting loudly at every stride.
BY great burst of speed Mr.. Sells and
Mr. Knight overlook Jess as she was cross
ing Mission street. but she paid no more at
tenton to their frantic orders Of Down!
Down! Jess!' than If they had not been in
existence.
Out Howard street again the chase led
but when 18th street was reached Jess
stopped short and began 20 beat her trunk
on the stones of the street knight ap-
coaXed the elephant to allow him to ex-
anime her trunk. He found something re-
sembling a slate pencil in size and shape
protruding about an inch from the hollow
end of the member. Thinking this might be
the cause of the trouble he took firm hold
of it, gave a stiff jerk, and out came-a rat
The little animal that had caused so much
trouble was not yet dead, but nearly SO,
and when Jess saw Ii she gave every evil
dence of satisfaction that an animal can.
give. She was commanded to kneel down,
and while she was contentedly mastica ting
a dozen loaves Of bread that had been
brought from neighboring bakers shop
she permitted the attendants who had come
up with ropes to hobble her. She was after
warn leu DdCh 10 neF quarters without
the least trouble, and when the children
from the orphan asylum fed her peanuts In
the afternoon sho looked the mildest-rnan-
nered elephant that ever wrecked a tent
During all my experience in the show
business" said Mr.. Sells II have never
seen or heard Of a like occurrence. Jess
has always been good-natured animal
and has never developed any vicious traits
She follows her Burmese trainer, Elephant
BILL, around like a dog, and any of the
animal men can handle her
Il suppose the rat ran in her trunk while
she was asleep. An elephant sleeps with it's
trunk lying straight cut along the ground,
and suppose when the rat ran in she con-
tracted the muscles Of the trunk and held
him fast. Her trainer always sleeps with
her. but he was away last night. and when
she failed to find him she became panic
stricken. II he had been there she would
have at once indicated to him what the
trouble was and he would have relieved her.
AZ 1t was we were extremely fortunate in
securing her before more damage was
done"