The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-10-03
TRUCKING AN ELEPHANT.
But the Insulted Beast Bided His Time and
Got Even.


have to relate contains a moral. The
moral of story usually comes last, but
in this case will give it to you at once.
In fact there ere two morals. Firstly,
never make fool of yourself unless paid
for it. Secondly, never attempt to have
fun with an elephant. I've been there
and know all about it, and give you my
experience free gratis.
"Are the morals connected?" asked the
man with the st. Louis cast of counte-
nance"
Intimately SO. Let us go back fifteen
years. On certain July day an eminent
citizen about my size might have been
seen vending his way into circus in
Cincinnati. Of course / took in the
menagerie first. There were eight ele-
plants, and among them an old veteran
named Hercules. Up to the moment I
saw that elephant and fed him cakes I
was level headed, sensible man. All Of
sudden turned fool. That is, the
idea came to me to play joke on old
Hero. He was docile and peaceful aud
trusting, and ought to have been kicked
for entertaining the idea.
"But there was no one to kick you?
observed the Cincinnti man.
SAlas no; had a lot of tobacco dust
in my pocket, and / 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 a fool of myself it
was easy to go ahead. 1t slipped irto
the crowd gazing at the elephants and
tossed the ap pie to Hercules. he caught
and chewed it, and got away just as
be began trumpeting and raising row.
The old fellow had been insulted and
was mad about it, and for half an Eour
| the circus men had all they co1ld do to
prevent him from breaking away. By
and by, when he had got quieted down
edged around near him, and the first
thing | knew he made 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.
"Wellsa was queried. as the narrator
paused.
WELL three years later went into
Forepaugh's show in indianapolis. That
elephant had been sold to him, and was
there in the troop, though of course i
didn't know it. / had gotten over being
smart. and was there without any guile
in my heart. I was sauntering around
throwing peanuts now and then, when
one of the beasts uttered 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 q wagon my goose would have
been cooked for sure, He smashed two
or three wagons and kicked up a big
excitement, and it was only after he he'd
been secured that I knew it was the
| mem hered me after three years, and it
wasn't his fault that he didn't do me
up.n
Did you ever see him again?
II ran across that show dozen times
in the next three years, but kept away
| from the elephants. Il met an old ele-
plant trainer, who told me that the
beast would never forget trick, and /
could never remember the swhish' of
| that trunk as he swiped at me without
feelin cold all over. Six years ago,
which was nine years after my Smart
Aleck business, I was in La Crosse.
| Forepaugh was showing there, but was
| too busy to go. One morning I took
ride with real estate man into the
suburbs, and as we came back we ran
/ across the circus parade. We drove up
| the sides street, and halted to see it. We
| were smoking and talking, and | was
| flirting with goodlooking girl on the
sidewalk, when the crowd began to yell
and scatter.
| Zone of those Western cyclones, / sup
| pose? observed the Buffalo man.
/ Il he
an ELEPHANT elephant Hercules. He
had identified me by sight or smell zoe
| feet awag. and broke away from his
| keeper. Say now, but the way he cam.
| rushing down would have put land
slide to shame. He trumpted like q
| whole brass band, and the people fairly
took wings and flew out of mis- path.
He was close upon US before we saw
| him. My friend dropped the lines and
| leaped out of the buggy, but I was
| simply paralyzed, and sat there like a
lump on log. know what happened,
because others told me. With one swing
| of his trunk the elephant broke the
| horses back, and smashed him fat, and
then he picked up that vehicle and flung
it sky high. came out of that wreck
with dislocated shoulder, a cash four
inches long in my scalp, a broken nose
and an injury to my left knee which laid
me up for several weeks. II / hadn't
been thrown over wall into the cellar
| of new building old Hercules would
have paid me off for sure.
Is that all?a was asked.
How much more do you want?n ex.
4 claimed the story teller. Il wouI6n,t
have had this nose broken for the price
of two elephants, and the loss of time
| and physical and mental SUFFERING
amounted to no small item. I have
| figured it up good many times, bu,
1T always comes out the same way. That
| elephant is at least $1,000 ahead of mt
on the game"
And you are not playing any more
tricks on menagerie animals?n
Not a trick. a camel in Central
Park, New York, winked at me three
times in succession the other day, bul
l never moved an eyelasb. | came
| played Smart Aleck-I went out of tnt
funny business. That's all-good night
Detroit Free Press.