San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-08
FONDlING AM ELEPHANT.
The Hero of This stirring Story Relates
1t Himself.

ZOOlOBlCdI SdTuen dSheu the many 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." he said,
ss he sS-s.ss 9j y had IN idea that
| HaAs ]k;oorrff for an animal trainer, with
elephants as my particular specially:
1 never went to New York, Philadelphia
or Cincinnati without going to the zoo
and fondling the elephants. Many and
many a time l have astonished the keep
ers and raised a great row by walking
right up to an elephant and shaking
hands with him, as it were. And they
really took to me. When that big, bad
elephant, Tippo Said, of the New York
zoo, was killing his keepers and smash
ing up things 1 entered his den and
pulled his ears and patted his trunk
ond got up such a friendship between
US that he couldn't bear to let me GO"
"Well, what neXt?" asked the man
with the cat's-eye ring on his little
finger.
Il got stuck on myself, as matter
of course. / wanted to be an elephant
trainer, and do with the big beasts what
no other trainer had ever dared try,
but somehow I 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 1 got around to PhiIa-
delphia and was told that an elephant
called Hercules had been in bad hui
NOR for week or two. They had him
chained to the floor, and his keeper
daren't go within ten feet of him, while
man stood in front of the cage and
warned the public to keep safe dis
lance. I'd seen the beast dozen times
before, and on two occasions he had
lifted me up on his back with his
trunk. | am sure he knew me on this
occasion, but he gave me no greeting"
But you were determined to fondle
him just the same?" queried the cats
eye man in vinegary voice.
"Of course" replied the narrator.
ut vas an occasion had been longing
for for years, WANTED to show pro-
fessional trainer what | could do in
the way of pacifying and kumbling an
ugly elephant, but for half an hour they
watched me so closely that / had no
show to get at old Hercules. The time
came, however, and 1 slipped into his
cage and walked right up to him and
haCra n IN Snaaly lnyircr dc
his trunk. Gentlemen, excuse these
two tears-the first 1 have shed for
years-but my emotions always over
come me at this stage of the game"
What are you crying about?" stern
ly demanded the bald-headed man in
the big rocking chair.
"At the recollection of what occurred
then and there. 1 hadn't foudled that
miserable Critter over three fondles,
and hadn't time to feel conceited over
my smartness, when he picked me ui5
and waved me aloft and thew me slam
bang against the planks of his cage.
But for the quickness of some of the zoo
folks in coming to my rescue I'd have
been n 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 a mile
away could hear him scream in his
rage. Everybody said it was a won
der how l escaped with my life. My
left leg and left arm were broken, my
spine injured, q lnee-cap loosened, and
1 didn't get over splitting blood for a
| year. l was in a hospital in Philadel-
phia for 2O7 days before L could walk
out. Gentlemen, here are two more
tears! May depend on your generos-
ity to excuse them as before?"
What you sniveling about now?"
shouted the bald-headed man as he
turned on him.
More recollections, sir! 1 was nc
sooner able to be out than 1 was ar
rested, tried and convicted on the
charge of foudling an elephant, and the
judge socked me $25 and costs! The
whole affair cost me $42S, saying moth.
ing of my sufferings and lost time"
sand after that you left the elephant
training business alone?" - -
Yes, after that" replied the lop;
shouldered man in broken tones, 81 lei
up on elephants and gave my whole at
tention to rhinoceroses. Excuse my
seeming conceit, gentlemen, but an
the only man in the world who car
make a rhinoceros stand on his heat
and spin about like a top. He ais
plays Home, Sweet Home on the ac
Gordon at my bidding, and will ST
cross-legged with a pair of spectaclei
} on and pretend to read the good bool
: which our mothers taught us to re
, spect."
} There was silence for long minut