The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-18

tain way. it Is not overwise 10 drive them
m the opposite direction too much.
me captain OF a steamer coasting along
hdrmSh told me OF an interesting expert
ence he had. lie was anchored of the
coast for some time on special service.
anu was quite close 20 the shore. Every
morning az daybreak a female elephant
ana ner baby. fine little fellow four or
uNr ieet high. would come down and have
"a pain one morning the baby. who was
always up 20 mischief. got into deep water
and made a great fuss. blowing his shrill
htue trumpet and splashing about al a
great rate. The mother laid hold OF him
ana hauled him out 10 the bank. where
she save him a good dressing down with
her trunk, till he beloved with pain. AZ
Ter that Master Baby had 20 stand on the
udlh every morning and get sort Of
sponge bath from his mothers trunk.
The Burmese manner of taking a wild
elephant is very simple When "A herd Is
reported Tn any gct-at-able place. a COY
Young female Is sent out TO interview
them The civilizins Influences Of cap
tlNlty probably makes her irresistible IN
lnc eyes OF the wild, untufOred bull. FOR
she generally returns with a devoted adj
mlrcr SO thoroughly infatuated that he
would follow her into the stockade built
Tor his reception. once In there. his DAYS
OF freedom are over. for trained elephants
soon beat them into submission not for
getting playful charge once IN while
sprawling.
II is not a good plan 10 tell OF the work
done by the elephants I'm the mills with
out having photographs or sketches to
Sunstantlate ones story. / tried IL once in
Paris with disastrous results
was living at the Hotel ST. Petersburg
ana at the table a. hote my neighbOrs
We're an Engllshman and his wife. Just
across me table sat a young American
iull OF go. and good humor-too full or
humor. found him. ] was telling my
English friend about the elephants. ana
he was deeply interested. when. CHANGING
70 look across the table / saw the young
American nearly checking TO death in a
vain endcaVOr to keep STILL" as he put
II. he was winking and noddng at me as
much as TO say, pump him fun Of II. He
soon had the whole table listening to the
narrative and admiring me as a sort OF
amateur Baron Munchausen. ! think
somebody told my English friend that I
had been telling him pretty tough yarns,
Tor he was very cove and standOffish the
next day and was careful not 10 give me
another opportunity to take advantage or
his crdulity. But the young American
was quite prOfuse In his admiration Of my
storytelling powers. He referred to the
manner in which / had stuffed the old
duffer" as being away up in c. and in
troduced me to one of his friends as the
man who told the elephant story. / must
take a cocktail with him. he insisted.
ana II ever | came to New York I must
look nm up and he would have me tell
the elephant business down at his club
Inc elephant Is TO the Burman what the
COW Is to the HindOo-a thing 70 be re-
Nered but yet made use Of In former
days in Burmah none but the royal family
were dlloWeu 10 ride on the sacred animal.
Inc possession OF a pure white elephant
was considered one OF the great blessings
that could befall monarch. for Il brought
him good luck, and through the sacred an
lmal he himself took on an Increased di-
Vinity. Its death was bcmoaned as a ma
tlonal calamity and the king became ter
rined at the evident displeasure Of Che
gods. The people were not allowed. on
pain OF death. 10 speak of IL as dead; Il had
Departed, was the proper way to put It.
King Budousachen, who ruled the land OF
the Pagoda In the latter part of the eigh-
tenth century. had a white female ele-
plant which a guard Of 100 soldiers and a
retinue of servants amounting to 400 or
500 II was washed daily In bath OF per-
fumed water and had golden vessels 10 eat
Of Musical Instruments and dancing girls
lulled It to sleep. and when II went out Il
was accompanied by procession OF man
darins, soldiers and guards. and the streets
through which II passed We're sprinkled
with water. Presents were sent 10 n by
all the rich mandarins and merchants: "
IS related that one mandarin sent a gold
dish weighing $50 ounces: and, as these
presents were all the property of the mas
ter, the king, 1t was not a white elephant
on his hands as understood by the people
Of this land. In fact. ] dare say the king
was a bit of a Barnum himself and made
pretty good thing out of his white ele-
uhaut."