The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-15
THE WORLDS BIGGEST ANTS.
THEY ARE ELEPHANTS AND AS IN
TEREsTING AS THE LITTLE ON.-S.

Something About Their Virtues and
Vices-They Love whisky, hut Are
Poor Judges OF It-Fritz's False
ChiII-The First Elephant Brought
TO This Country.
From the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Elephants love whisky That IL the
testimony of elephant men generally.
though all are familiar with the good
old temperance argument that no animal
will touch alcohol except degenerate man
alone. George Conklin, who has charge
OF the herd of twenty-four elephants
with the Barnum & Bailey show. and who
ought to know the animal pretty well,
since he has handled large numbers of
them for the past twenty-five years,
says that he never found cue that did
not like his tipple, and that the love for
stimulants is not confined to the male
elephants, but is just as strong in the
females. No instinct of modesty teaches
them that they ought to be superior to
their stern-sexed companions, and they
viii swig off pailful of the good Ken
lucky product or of Tennessee moonshine
loved of children in two hemispheres be-
cause of his lovely disposition and gentle
ways, was a confirmed topper, and never
went to bed in his private elephant car
without taking his nightcap. The Eng
lish keeper who travelled with Jumbo
from the time he was brought to this
country until he met his untimely death
at st. Thomas, Ontario, got quart bottle
Of good Bourbon county rye every night,
and took one three-fingered drink him
self; Jumbo drank the rest, and very
moderate drink he seemed to find it. Up
TO The day of his death he never neg
lected to ask for more, and TO smash the
bottle when he failed to get it. That was
his one exhibition of bad temper.
Jumbo had another bad habi, that an ex-
emplary elephant whose associates were
mainly children ought not to have, anu
that was an inordnate love for tobacco.
A quarter pound package of cut smoking
tobacco always came into the rear ear
with the whisky and the keeper got one
ppeful of it. The rest was chewed up ana
swallowed by the monster elephant. Hdv-
ing taken his whisky and his tobacco, ne
would retire and sleep peacefully TIL
morning, unless it happened 10 be his
watch night on the train. Elephants new
er 90 to sleep without leaving one or the
herd awake to keep watch and give warn
ing in case of intrusion. Go into the DIG
menagerie tent of the show any night az
ter the elephants have gone to sleep, or
20 into one of the elephant cars on 4
night run, and you will find that, no mat
ter how quietly and stealthily you have
entered, the eye of one member of the
nerd is upon you. and that you cannot
make movement without being follower
by that twinkling. bright little optic. II
: probably a jungle instinct which CEN
turtles have not overcome.
Fritz, one Of the biggest elephants OF the
herd, had chill the other day, and he,
was given whisky 10 cure it. That is the
elephant keepers favorite remedy. ChiHs
and collie are the chief Ills that trouble
his charges. and whisky will cure both
ehills and collie. Fritz got his drink all
right, and seemed to be cured, but il was
not long before George Conklin passed
him again and saw he was shaking with
terrible chill. Conklin passed aleng and
stepped out of sight of Fritz, when the
zig fellow quit his trembling, and went to
throwing dust over himself 10 drive or
the flies. When Conklin came back IN