New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-05-06
FONDLED III ERCUJLES.

-EVJNlyllE,ly@ IlElhJCJIES.
THE GIFTED ELEPHANT TRAINER RE
LkTES HIS EXPERIENCE.
Had an Idea He Was Born For the Bust.
ness Of Animal Training, and Fo,
Awhile Everything Ran Smoothly. hui
Now He Sticks to Rhinoceroses.
Did you ever fondle an elephant in
. 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, he said
as he settled down, 81 had an idea that
1 was born for an animal trainer, with
elephants as my particular specially. 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; itwere. 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, entered his den and
pulled his ears and patted his trunk and
got up such a friendship between us
that he couldn't bear to let me go.''
'Well, what next?'' asked the man
with the cats eye ring on his little fin
ger.
II got stuck on myself as a matter of
course. 1 wanted to be an elephant
trainer and do with the big beasts
what no other trainer had ever dared
try, but somehow could never strike a
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-
delphia 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 20
within ten feet Of him, while a. man
stood in front of the cage and warned
the public to keep at a safe distance I'd
seen the beast q dozen times before, and
on two occasions he had lifted me up on
his back with his trunk. I am sure he
knew me on this occasion, but he gave
me no greeting,''
But you We're determined to fondle
him just the same?'' queried the cat s
eye man in vinegary voice..
"Of course, - replied the narrator
1T was an occasion had been longing
for years. I wanted to show profess
sional trainer what I could do in the
way Of pacifying and humbling an ugly
elephant, but for half an hour they
watched me so closely that 1 had nc
show to get at old Hercules. The time
came, however, and I slipped into his
cage and walked right up to him and
began to speak loving words and caress
his trunk. Gentlemen, excuse these two
tears-the first have shed for years.
but my emotions always overcome me-
! at this stage Of the game. -
'What are you crying about?' stern
~ demanded the baldheaded man in the
big rocking chair.
''At the recollection of what occurred
then and there. I hadn't fondled tina
miserable critter over three fondles anC
hadn't time to feel conceited over my
smartness when he picked me up anc
waved me aloft and threw me slam bang
against the planks Of his cage But fo]
the quickness of some Of the ZOO folk!
in coming to my rescue I'd have been ;
dead man in another minute. They
handled me out O. that with hooks, anC
the beast was SO mad at my escape tina
he broke one Of his tusks off in bangin{
around. People a mile away could hea:
him scream in his rage. Everybody saie
it was a wonder how escaped with m,
life. My left leg and left arm were
broken, my spine injured, a l1neeca]
loosened, and I didn't get over splitting
blood for q year: I was in a hospital il
Philadelphia for S07 days before coult
walk out Gentlemen, here are tw,
more tears. May depend Oh your gen
erosity to excuse them as before?'
"What you sniveling about now?'
shouted the baldheaded man as he turn
ed on him.
moro recolleccions, sir | was II
sooner able to be out than was arrest
ed, tried and convicted on the charge O
fondling an elephant, and the judg
socked me $25 and costs The who'll
affair cost me $42S, saying nothing O
my suTerings and lost time -
"And after that you left the elephan
training business alone?''
eyes, after that" replied the lol
shouldered man in broken tones, II lie
up on elephants and gave my whole at
tention to rhinoceroses. Excuse m,
seeming conceit, gentlemen, but I an
the only man in the world who ca
} make a rhinoceros stand on his hea
and spin about like a top. He also play
, Home, Sweet Home on the accordion
: at my bidding and will sit CROSS legge
! with a pair of spectacles Oh and preten
to read the good book which our moth
ers taught us to respect.''
There was silence for a long minut
} after he had finished. Then every ma
rose up and called him lop shoulders
| liar and horse thief and left him t
enjoy his own miserable society.-De
tro;+ F,roo Droco