Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-25
Elephant Workers In hhhs"""'

We had seen many elephants during
our Indian journey. and in a variety OF
from the temple elephants
engaged in their solemn and sleepy pro-
cessions 10 the huge and well-groomed
animals belonging TO the artillery pat
ferries at Quetta and Pershawur on the
Afghan frontier. and we had listened
10 not a few tales of what they could
do. sometimes with just shade OF in
creduity.
There are about a dozen elephants en-
ployed in the work of the yard, and all
OF these but one ara males. This may,
and probably does. arise from the fact
that the males are usually larger and
stronger than the female elephants; but,
judging from the specimen we saw, II
cannot BE- from any superiority OF intel
ligence on the part of the male animal
The solitary female worker indeed, is
p veritable maid-of-all-work about the
yard, and no kind Of work appears to
come amiss to her. At one time she may
be seen holding a log UP 10 the saw
when at work. either endwise or across,
as the occasion may require; at another,
she IS dragging the slabs away with
the end OF her trunk, and piling them in
heaps with all the regularity and skill OF
the most neat-handed workman; at
third she is making a stack OF the sawn
boards or sweeping the sawdust from the
mill-house floor with a gigantic broom.
The meaning Of the whistle 10 knock off
work is not better known TO any work
man on the place than to her. and it is
no easy matter 10 induce her 10 do
single trunks turn when the signal has
once sounded.
The log. once piloted TO shore will. at
the word of command. if not Of greater
weight than about a ton and half, be
priced up by the animals tusk and then
grasped with the trunk carefully and ex
actly I'm the middle. and carried to the
spot where it is wanted. Arrived at
the heap Of logs in the yard. he will
place one end on the ground and the
other on the heap. and then proceed
with tho most systematic care 10 push IL
up and adjust it with the point OF his
tusks.
You cannot overload an elephant, how
ever. for the animal will at once refuse
any load which he considers beyond his
strength, and there is practically no APP
peal from the elephants opinion on such
a question. In case OF n log being
brought ashore which seems to be too
large and heavy for a single elephant
a second Is called TO his assistance, and
the two animals proceed quietly to pick
to the required heap, where they de-
poslt II with the utmost care even ex-
aiming II critically to see that il IL
perfectly in line with the rest OF the
stack. For this and all other nice pro-
cesses of adjustment the point OF the
trunk is the instrument used.
1t has been said that an elephant can
do everything but speak. and. indeed.
we are often disposed to doubt whether
there was even this exception Whatever
emotion one Of these animals feels he
seems ready TO express in sound. and so
various are the modulations of his voice,
and so ready their sympathy and appa-
rent comprehension of one another that
we could hardly doubt that the impression
that elephants cannot speak was due
rather 10 our ignorance than to their
want Of the power of making themselves
understood. The elephant is very liable
to suns roke. especially when working In
the water. and even on shore he Is gene
rally furnished with a cover for his head
during the hours Of the greatest heat
A good elephant is Of such value that his
health is not TO be risked lightly, and
indeed. after we had seen what they
could do, we were inclined 20 90 further
and say that a well-trained elephant is
absolutely invaluable for heavy labor in
n climate such as that in which he finds
his natural home.