The Somerset reporter., 1896-05-14

nfss OF Animal Training, and or
Awhile Everything Ran smoothly. bat
Now lie Sticks to Ithinoceroses.
Did you eyer fondle an elephant u
geological gardcn.7 asked TIE naa
with tho Up shoulder as he looked
around ON lie group which lad b..I
smoking aud talking
No ono eyer had, and lac was invited
TO give his experience
Up to about ten years ago -" h sml
as he settled down, Il had an IDEA that
| Was born for an animal trainer. with
elephants as my particular specially.
never went II New York Philadelphia
or Cincinnati without going 10 the 700
and fondling the elephants Many and
many time | have astanshed the keep
ers and raised a great row by walking
right up 10 an elephant and shaking
hands with INN, as II were. And thcy
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 Jet me 60.
well, what next" asked the man
with the cat S eye ring on his little fin
ger.
4 got stuck on myself as a matter Of
course. ! wanted to be an elephant
trainer and do with the big beasts
what no other trainer had eyer 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 20
within ten feet Of him, while man
stood III front of the cage and warned
the public IL keep at a safe distance. I'd
seen the beast ii 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 We're determined to fondle
nm Jh0N III NtAllh- i4'IIt l Alit NtAt
eye man i'll Il yinegary voice.
"Of course - replied the narrator
1T was an occasion | had been longing
for years | wanted to show a prOfcs-
sional trainer what | could do in the
way Of pacifying and humbling 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 | 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-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 baldheadcd man in the
big rocking chair.
At the recollection OF what occurred
then and there / hadn't fondled that
miserable eritter over three fondlcs and
hadn't time to feel conccitcd over my
smartness when he picked me mp and
waved me aloft and threw me slam bang
against the planks of his cage But for
the quiclness of some of the zoo folks
III coming Ia my rescue I'd have been
dead man III another minute They
handled me out % that with hooks, and
the beast WIS SO mad at my escape that
he broke one of his tusks of in banging
around. People mile away could hear
him scream III his rage. Everybody said
it Was Il wonder how | escaped with my
life. My left leg and left arm were
broken, my spine injured, a kneecap
loosencd and | didn't get over splitting
blood for year. | was III a hospital IN
Philadelphia for 207 days before | could
walk out Gentlemen, here are two
more tears May | depend ON your gen
crosby to excuse them as before2''
.'What you sniyeling about now"
shouted the baldheaded man as he turn
ed on him.
more recollcctions, 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 me $50 and costs. Tie whole
affair cost me $42S, saying nothing Of
my su1ferings and list time. "
And after that you left the elephant
training business alone
Yes, after that, replied the lop
shouldered man in broken tones, Il Let
up on elephants and gave my whole mt
tention to rhinuceroses. Excuse my
seeming conceit, gentlemen, but ] am
the only man in the world who can
make Il rhinoccros stand on his head
and spin about like a top. He also plays
Home, Sweet Home on the accordion
at my bidding and will sit cross legged
with pair of spcctacles ON and pretend
to read the good book which our moth
ers taught Us to respect
There was silence for long minute
after he HAD finished Then very man
rose up and called him lop -houldcrcd
liar and horse thief and LETT him
enjoy his own miserable society. De
troit Free Press