The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-05-14
FONDLED HERCULES.
THE GIFTED ELEPHANT TRAINER RE-
LATEs HIS EXPERIENCE.

mess Of Animal Training. and For
Awhile Everything Ran Smoothly. but
New Hs stIeks "a Rhinoeerosas.
ibid you ever fondle IN elephant IN
, geological gardeny' 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
20 give bis experience
"Up 20 about ten years ago, ho said
as ne settled down. II had an idea that
was b0rn for an animal trainer, with
elephants a. my particular speciality. !
never went 20 New York. Philadelphia
or Cincinnati without goipk 20 the roo
aud foBdling the eleph1nla danE and
many A time / have nsloniahed she keep
ers ana raised a rleat row p, liking
.,,,, 80 - IN ~ rlephant nn3 "a lsing
hands with him, - ;. y. 1. a. ~. by
,callv took 70 me- Wnsh -. ~. Nd
$500 49,. Tippo Said. o. the New ! ON,
y. - - tiiiine bis keepers and smash
- va" ,h,ngs. / entered his den and
ing ~ .i.ear. and pRfiei he trunk and
pu.'' - sreh : frieBdshlp between us
~, se conldnt bear 70 iet me q"
''. ..woll what ncxt'H asked the man
,,,sl, Ire cats eye ring On his little fin
II cot stuck ~ myself as amatter Of
cmra. wanted 70 b. an elephant
trainer and do with the big beasts
what no other trainer had ever dared
nv. but somehow could never strike
dob That didn't prevent me from see
ing the elephants NJ every opportunity.
however. and keeping In touch with
them One day got around % Phila-
delphia and was told that an elephant
called Hercules had been In bad humm
for a week or two They had him chain
od to the door and his keeper daren't 60
within ten feet Il hip. while a man
stood in front Of the e@go and warned
the public TO keep AZ . safe distance I'd
seen the bcast a dozen times before, and
on two occasions he had lifted me up on
his back with his trunk am sure be
knew mo on this occasion. but he gave
me no greeting. "
But you were determined ~ foudls
him Just the samcy' queried the eats
eye man IN q vinegary voice
cot courso,'' replied tha narraior
at was an occasion had been longinl
for wears wanted 20 show . pruies
siona Afrainer what could do In tbl
way acifying and humbling an ugl,
eiophaiis but for half an hour the.
watched me 30 closely that ] had y
show 10 get af old Hercules The tim
came however. and ! slipped into ID
cage and walked right up 70 him an
began % SPEAK loving words and cares
his trunk Gentlemen. excuse these tSF
iears--she first have she'd for years-
but my emptiona always overcome N
At this stage o. the game li
What are you crying ab0uti'' stem
" demanded the baldheadod man In n
big rocking chair.
hAt fhe recollection Of what occufre
thm and there / hadn't fondiol Che
miserable critter over thru fondles an
hadn't time 20 feel oopoeiiod oFer n
martneu when be picked me up an
waved me aioft and thruw me slam ban
against the planks Of his cage But g
the quickness Of somo Of the 400 folh
In coming 10 my rescue I'd have been
dead man In another minute The
, handled me out o. that with hooks an
the beast was 80 mad at my escape thi
he broke one Of his tusks of In hangin
around. People a mile away coulG hel
him scream in his rage Everybody sai
Il was a wonder how / escaped with m
,, life My left leg and left arm wei
broken, my spine injured. a kneeca
looscned. and didn't set over spitiin
blood for a year. l was in hospital
, Philadelphia for 2O7 days before ! coul
walk out Gentlemen, hero are ~
, more tears, May depend ON your gel
erosity 20 excuse them a. befrei'
! "what you niveling about nowi
shouted the baldhoaded man a. he turl
, cd on him,
More rccollcctions sir. ! was
sooner able % BE- out than was arrcs
cd, tried and convicted ON the charge
I, fondling an elephant aud the judi
! soclScd me eos and costa The who
4 affair cost me tt2S, saying nothing
my sufferings and lost Tina "
n "And after that you left the eiepha
trimming business alonef
Eyes. after that" replied the !
shouldored man in broken tones. II
up ON elephants and gave my whole
tention % rhinocerosoS Excuse y
y seeming conceit. gentlemen. but l q
, the only man in the world who G
n make a rhinoccros stand ON his he
q and spin about like atop He also pla
ie Home. Sweet Home On the accordi
= at my bidding and win ait cross legg
n with a pair Of spectacles on and rrcte
r 10 rcAd the good book which our mot
Is ers taught us 10 respect "
T. There was silence for a long mint
1t after he had finished Then every m
@. rose up and called him lop shoulder
q liar and horse ihiof and left him
W enjoy his own miserable society,"
a troit Free Press