The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-20
RECAPITULATION.
Species.
ELEPHANT AND RAT.
The Rodent Drives the Big Animal
Wild with Fear.
San Francisco Examine.

San Francisco
One small rat caused more damage in five
minutes in the big circus tent at Central
Park yesterday morning than a dozen men
could repair in twenty-four hours; The rat
ran up the trunk of Jess. the big female
elephant, and she did the rest.
Just how 1t happened no one seems to
know. but when the first wild alarm was
Civ 2 and the dust had settled a score or
NAL cages upset and their bars bent and
twisted, the canvas of the menagerie tent
sagging to the ground in the places where
the poles had been knocked out and a path
Of ruin leading 10 where the big doors that
close the Eighth street entrance had been
burst open and smashed into kindling wood.
Jess was gone.
Where she had gone or what she was do
loose in the streets of a big city was sufi-
cient provocation for the widest conjec-
lures. for an elephant without a master can
dozen runaway locomotives.
At the first sound of the commotion one
of the animal trainers, George Knigh
CROPPED his way out of the big tent and was
Just in time to see Jess demolish the doors
and disappear into the street. He fol-
lowed, running, and was joined at the en-
trance of Manager William Sells, who had
been eating his supper in a 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 in the air and trumpeting loudly at
Sells and knight overlook Jess as she was
crossing Mission street, but she paid no
more attention 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 Eleventh street was reached jess
stopped short and began TO beat her trunk
on the stones of the street. Knight ap-
preached, and after great difficulty he
coaxed the elephant to allow him TO exam
inc her trunk. He found something resem-
bling a slate pencil in size and shape pro-
truding about an inch from the hollow end
of the member ThinkinP this might ha the
cause of the trouble he took a 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 al elephant can
give. She was commanded to kneel down.
and while she was cOntentedly maSticating
a dozen loaveS Of fresh bread that had
been brought from a neighbcring bakers
shop she permitted the attendants who had
come up with ropes TO hobble her. She was
afterward led back to her quarters without
the least trouble, and when the children
from the orphan asylums fed her peanuts
in the afternoon she looked the mildest-
hammered elephant that ever wrecked a
tent.
business" said Mr.. Sells, II have never
seen or heard of a like occurrence. Jess has
always been a good-natured animal and has
never developed any vicious traits. She fol-
around like a dog, and any of the animal
men can handle her.
while she was asleep. An elephant sleeps
with its trunk lying straight out along the
ground. and l suppose when the rat ran in
she contracted 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. If he had been there she
would have at once indicated TO him what
the trouble was and he would have re-
fortunate in securing her before more dam.
age was done"