The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-07
FONDLED HERCULES.
THE GIFTED ELEPHANT TRAINER RE-
LATES HIS EXPERIENCE.

Awhile Everything Ran Smoothly, but
Now He Sticks to Rhinoceroees.
Did you ever fondle an elephant in
q geological garden?" asked the man
with the lop shoulder as he looked
around on the group which had been
smoking and talking.
No one ever had. and he was invited
to give his experience
up to about ten years ago, " no said
as he settled down, 81 had an idea that
was born for an animal trainer, with
elephants as my particular speciality. i
never went to New York, PHILADELPHIA
or Cincinnati without going to the zoo
and fondling the elephants. Many and
many time have astonished the keep
ers and raised great row by walking
right up to an elephant and shaking
hands with him. as it were. And they
really took to ma When that big. bad
elephant, Tippo Said, Of the New York
ZOO was killing his keepers and smash
ing up things entered his den and
pulled his ears and patted his trunk and
got up such friendship between Us
that he couldn't bear to let me CO."
well, what next?" asked the man
with the cats eye ring on his little fin
ger.
Il got stuck on myself as matter of
course. wanted to be an elephant
trainer and do with tho big beasts
what no other trainer had ever dared
try, but somehow could never strike
job. That didn't prevent me from see
ing the elephants at every opportunity,
however, and keeping in touch with
them. One day got around to Phila-
delphla and was told that an elephant
called Hercules had been in bad humor
for week or two They had him chain
ed to the floor and his keeper daren't go
within ten feet of him, while a man
stood III front OF the cage and warned
the public to keep at a safe distance I'd
seen the beast dozen times before, and
on two occasions he had lifted me ND on
his back with his trunk. I am sure he
knew mc on this occasion, but he gave
me no greeting"
But you Were determined to fondlc
him just the same?" Queried the cats
eye man i'll a vinegary voice.
'Of course" replied the narrator
1T was an occasion had been longing
Tor years L wanted to show profess
slonal trainer what 1 could do in tho
way of pacifying and humbling an ugly
elephant, but for half an hour they
watched me so closely that I had no
show to set at old Hercules The time
came however, and slipped into his
cage and walked right up to him and
began to speak loving words and carcss
his trunk. Gentlemen, excuse these two
tears-thc first 1 have shed for years
but my emotions always overcome me
at this stage of the game"
What are you crying about?" stern
~ demanded the baldhcaded man in the
big rocking chair
AT the recollection of what occurred
then and there. 1 hadn't fondled that
miserable critter over three fondles and
hadn t time to feel conceitcd over nv
slnartness when he picked me up and
waved me aloft and threw me slam bang
against the planks of his cage. But for
the quickneSs of some of the 700 folks
III coming to my rescue I'd have been a
dead man in another minute. They
handled me out o. that with hooks. and
the beast was so mad at my escape that
he broke one of his tusks off in banging
around People mile away could hear
him scream in his rage. Everybody said
1t was wonder how escaped with my
life. My left leg and left arm were
broken, my spine injured, n kneecap
loosened, and 1 didn't get over splitting
blood for year. l was in a hospital In
Philadelphia for 207 days before L could
walk out Gentlemen, here are two
more tears. May depend on your gen.
crosby to excuse them as before?'
What you sniveling about now"
shouted tho baldheaded man as he turn
ed on him
More recollections, sir. / was no
sooner able to be out than was arrest
ed, tried and convicted on the charge of
fondling an elephant. and the Judge
socked mo $25 and costs The whole
affair cost me $42s, saying nothing Of
my sufferings and lost time"
And after that you left the elephant
training business alone?"
Yes. after that. replied the lop
shouldered man in broken tones. II let
up ON elephants and gave my whole at
tention to rhinoccroses Excuse nv
seeming conceit, gentlemen, but am
the only man i'll the world who can
make rhinocems stand on his head
and spin about like u top He also plays
Home, Sweet Home On the accordion
at my bidding and will sit cross legged
with pair of spectacles on and pretend
to read the good book which our moth
ers taught rs to respect
There was silence for a long minute
after he had finished Then every man
rose up and called him a lop shouldered
liar and q horse thi # and left him TO