The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-13

rial, and the people of the Orient are very
slow to renounce any practice custom
that age has honored. 1t probably mas
never occurred to them TO count the. cost
in the transaction Menageries and 20
illogical gardens are the only establish
mentS in America that can afford to MAIN
tain the creature.
'Reverting to the decisions of science
concerning the elephant I am reminded
that work upon natural history of a date
much less than forty years ago declared
that the African species could not be pos.
the fact that Hannibal tanned them, for
it was the big-eared African brute that
pore such terrier to the Roman soldlery.
Jumbo, once the pet of the London zoo,
later the property of Mr.. Barnum, and
lastly the victim of a railroad wreck. was
African monster of great size. Latterly
q number of the beasts have been brought
out of the Dark Continent and distributed
in various gardens throughout Europe, and
one is not able to discover that they are
in any sense less tractable or docile than
their Asiatic cousins
incidentally it may be said there are
but two species of varieties of the elephant,
and it may be we'll to correct the errone-
Gus impression that the African beast is
the larger. Neither has advantage IN TINS
particular Jumbo was exceptionally tail,
a sort of giant elephant. and his like Is
not soon to be found in either continent
Asia Africa. The chief differentiatons
between the animals are these: The ASiatc,
which Americans are chiefly familiar with,
has an elongated head a concave forehead,
ears of ordinary size, and the male oniy
has tusks. The African has shorter mead,
ID COINeA IOTeHedO, ears Ol ellOIIiouS SlHC,
and both sexes have tusks, although those
of the male are larger than those of the
female.
Whether Asiatic African, no wild ami
NAL upon earth is more easily or quickly
domesticated, and but for the sudden and
terrible outbursts of passion to which the
creature is subject, none would. probably.
gain a stronger hold upon man affection
and confidence. The great size of the brute,
its marvellous trunk with its tens of thou-
sands of interlacing muscles and the many
curious uses to which it is put, the readl,
ness with which it adapts itself to changed
conditions and the patience with when II
goes to and continues its task, combine 10
make it most desirable and companonapIe
as neighbor and friend. But 1t may not
be trusted at all times, and hence must De
loved and praised with qualifications
In its native state the elephant is strict
ly herbivcrous, eating grasses or browsing
on leaves but. like many other vegetarlans
in the wild state, it becomes omnlVorouS
in captivity Young people and older ones,
too, know with what aVidlty 1t VIII eat
nuts, candy and bread etc, and drink lem
onade and pop.
The great Mr. Darw in has clearly point
ed out how animals and plants undergo
variation under changed conditions. These
mutations may be restricted to special Or
ganS or functions, they may be system
attic and general. Bears, which with the
exception of the polar member of the fam
lily, are vegetarians, may readily be con-
verted into flesh eaters, and 1t is known
that the polar bear, which in its icy home
is strictly carnivorous, just as readily when
in captivity becomes q confirmed vege-
tartan AT given stations in the British
possessions Where nay, IOQQer ana grass dr.
not to be had, the horses have been adapt
ed to the changed conditions, their stom-
achs contracting until they could readily
digest oats alone.
$50 the elephant in captivity gets a
sweet tooth, sour tooth, in fact, any
sort of tooth. 1t has been known to de-
YOUR meat even with the greatest enjoy
ment. No less than three authentic cases
have come to our notice in which they
were decided tipplerS. Indeed, one of
these enjoyed nothing on earth SO much
as getting hilariously and then maudlin
drunk. 1t was not his fault that he did not
remain in state of constant inebriety
circus, whose daily receipts were some
what uncertain, and as it took something
more than a gallon of whisky to make
him drunk the man plainly could not af-
ford to indulge Jims appetite except upon
state occasions. When in this condition he
would stagger like a drunken man. look
foolish and act foolishly, and finally pass
into state of coma in all things pre-
cisely like man who has INDUCED to
drunkenness. One day while travelling
through portion of Virginia he passed
near a moonshinn distillery. The owners
of the plant literally loaded Jim to the
brim. with the result that when he was
crossing a bridge a mile so away he
reeled, stumbled, fell and plunged plump
into the river, which was deep and wide.
He quickly swan ashore, but the sudden
cold bath sobered him completely and
declined during the next fortnight to par
take OF anything intoxicating. But the rul-
ing passion was mighty in him, and two
days after that fortnight he was drunk
as ever. l have not seen nor heard from
him now for twenty Nsars, but as he was
only about fifty years old then, he should
now be living, unless overindulgence took
him off untimely.'