Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-10-24
WAYS OF THE ELEPHANTS.
A Very Small Eater for Such a Large AMI
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A Very Small Eater for Such a Large AMI
Considering the enormous strength
an elephant is able to exert for hours
at a time, and the small amount of
food necessary to maintain his i'm
mense energy, one realizes that in this
curious animal nature has provided q
most economical machine. A hundred
pounds of hay every twenty-four hours
is all that as elephant eats, with the
exception of twenty-five pounds of
bran every Sunday. -Four horses eat
one undred pounds of hay every day,
and require a large quantity of oats
besides But one elephant will do
more work than twenty horses.
Many time in the history of the
Barnum show it has happened in rainy
weather that the big rhinoceros
wagon, weighing seven tons, has sunk
so deep in the mud that four teams of
eight horses each have strained vainly
in their harness trying to extricate it
Then WORD has been sent to George
Conklin, the elephant trainer, and
Babe or Mandy has come shuffiing up,
and with a single push from the base
of its trunk lifted the stranded wagon
out of the mire. An elephant will do
the work of steam engine at a cost of
two dollars day for fuel in the shape
of hay and all the water he wants to
drink.
Although small eaters, elephants are
great drinkers, requiring about fifty
buckets of water each day. They are
usually watered at half-past seven
o'clock in the morning and two in the
afternoon. Three or four of them are
led out at the same time and allowed
to drink from a large tub, into which
hose discharges from big water
cart. 1t is strange sight to see them
drink The long trunks are first low
cred into the water, which is sucked
up until they are full. Then the trunk
is curved back into the mouth, and the
water, amounting to about bucket
full, is discharged into the big pink
cavern, usually without spilling drop.
Elephants are not only great water
drinkers, but they love to be in the
water, and can swim all day without
fatigue. When a circus is on the road
it is customary, whenever water is
available, to let the herd enjoy a wash
and a swim, the only trouble being
that it is not always easy to get them
to leave the water The keepers allow
only a few of the animals to swim at
one time, and adopt the precaution of
keeping a chain fastened to one of the
legs, so that in case of rebellion the
a,I Of chic okain % N ha ,nada fast tO
another elephant on the bank and the
truant animal dragged ashore whether
he will or not.
Although the elephants are regular
water dogs, and can swim for many
miles without fatigue, cold water
chills them very quickly and seems TO
overcome their powers An unfortu-
nate instance of this sort occurred in
1857, when the winter quarters of the
Barnum show at Bridgeport were de-
stroyed by fire.
A great many of the animals were
burned to death, while others escaped
into the surrounding country, among
these latter being the elephant Rachel,
who ran trumpeting down to the
beach wild with terror. So frightened
was she that she plunged into the bay,
regardless of the bitter season, and be-
gan swimming straight out to sea-
The lighthouse people saw her
plunging along, mile and half out,
but she soon began to swim feebly,
and presently her efforts relaxed, and
she went down, overcome by the cold.
The next morning her body drifted
ashore, and is still preserved in the
Bridgeport museum.
When in the water elephants swim
very low, and frequently let them
selves sink down entirely beneath the
surface. They are fond of splashing
about with their trunks and blowing
up great streams of water like foun-
tains A big elephant swimming out
at sea might easily be mistaken for a
whale.
There is more danger in taking care
of elephants than is generally sup
posed. Strangers are especially liable
to mishaps, largely because they think
The elephant is much easier to under
stand than is really the case. The day
before Barnum's circus appeared in
New York last spring one of the big
elephants caught a new hand in his
trunk, twisted his body between his
huge tusks, swapping his leg, and with
an easy toss hurled him against the
wall of the building with such violence
that the man lay in hospital for two
months afterward.
An experienced keeper never trusts
oil Lt,.ealf 80 h,
taken off his guard. More than one
poor fellow. new at the business, has
paused in his work of feeding or clean,
ing for a chat with a companion, only
to have the talk of laughter inter
rupted by sudden seizure in the pow
erful trunk-an experience no man
ever forgets, if he survives it
Old trainers say that the attendants
sometimes make the mistake of being
too kind to elephants 1t is always
dangerous for keeper to give dainties
to his elephants, and even the general
public in doing so are fortunate in
having a railing between themselves
and the formidable trunks. The ele-
plants have retentive memories, and
having once received an apple or hand
full of peanuts from a person, they eX-
pect the same attention when that per-
son passes again. And not receiving it,
they are apt to reach out their trunks
in well-meant, but dangerous re-
minder.
A new keeper, for instance, having
been in the habit of giving an elephant
some tidbits, passes by hurriedly, in
tent on something else, and forgets his
usual attention But the elephant
does not forget. Out shoots the pom
derous trunk. The animal means no
harm, perhaps, but the result is that
the keeper has several ribs broken,
his spine fractured, or his internal
organs deranged. There is much simi-
larity between an elephants we'll
meant caress and the blow of pile
driver.
My face is my fortune, sir, she
said. "Er-eXcuse me, madam, but
Won can't really mean it rejoined the