New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-14
THE RAT AND THE ELEPHANTS.
A TRAGIC TALE FROM BARNCMS WlNlEn
QUARTERS-LOOK OUT FOR
THE BIG SHOW.

Spring. gentle spring. having been sadly lntim'
dated by the faint-hearted conduct OF the srounu
hog the prospect Of a war with spain anu oea'
demonstrations from the Weather Bureau mas
held back this year till the managers OF pai
mum & Baleys show took matters into their o""
hands Yesterday and definitely marked the progress
OF the seasons by scheduling the annua! Trip u
the winter quarters at Bridgeport FOR that oas'
Promptly the icy grasp Of winter was relaNeu' 'ie
blusterngs of March gave way to warmth anu sun
shine, and the buds of Bridgeport ioHase 'oo'
heart of grace and swelled with delight ana Inc
promise of a summer of circus and Wine
The Greatest Show on Earth. the most stupcn-
dous OF moral aggregations on the road mas az
WAYS been as advertised, first OF all an educationai
agency. Think of the millions OF youngsters WHO
might never have mingled with their earliest I'M
pressions the information that the elephant ives
on peanuts If the circus had not circulated "luey'
This year Mr. Bailey has evidently set out TO teach
the American public that there is nothing in the
superstition about Fridays and the nuihper 10. o
New-York office of the show was changed 10 NJ ID
West Twenty-seventh-st. last month"; ana inc NOV
ing day was Friday. Although it was nearly Tort
night later than the usual date, the trip OF news
paper men to Bridgeport was delayed TIL YESTERDAY
FRIDAY the 18th The show will open in New-h ofk'
at Madison Square Garden. on THURSDAY APin -
This Is next door Friday, and the IhNr'eeh Siuo
is expected to attend in force
In order 10 prove that this combination OF un-
Baiey has determined to make the show more at
,ractv. and e-defyng than ever TINS year.
so that prosperity may bury the last remnant OF pie
circus superstition. On good Old April foo' D''
the street parade Of linked gorgeousness long ui"",
out will trail through the streets OF Ne"-io any
for a short but joyous season OF thiee anu -,
weeks the clown in motley garb and the shi'''hs
young woman in pink tights VIII RUE 'ne ''''
mentioning public OF the metropolis
Thrusng at antiouated superstition Is not the Only
feature on the educational side or thls PEI
ing 'aggregation," however 1t sun mas '"e So
tifc leanings OF the days when MT. p"i mum ~
tributed so much TO the common fund OF knowiedse
on woolly horses. mermaids and kindred suoJeot''
True to this glorious history. the FIRST act Oh inc
manarem.nt this season was graceful cour'es! !"
Science" with the biggest kind Oh an ..
In tho special car that went up from Ne"-ioiA
Yesterday evening were DR.. Workman, OF 'he Nu-
scum of Natural History In Central PARK; froies-
sor H. F. Osborne, OF Columbia College; u ~
p,rrs o- the Central Park "Zoo' ana others
learned in the ways OF animals. These were 1oi'ea
a, the station by Professor .. {. Marsh OF iaie
College; DR.. Downs and DR.. Porter, OF briosepo,.
and this learned syndicate was Loaded 'h'o 'o
band-wagon and driven out TO the "'h'ei q
to see a conflict between an elephant ana Ia"
The scientific point to be Determined WIS ~
would be scared the most .,or. mara
In The eephant-hous at the winter quarters more
e thah to tn. oor To these George COnk
i'm elephan, trainer with rat tied by string
20 ms ,iu When the rat was introduced TO Mad
Hattie" a hysterical baby elephant IN inc l''H ,h
S al irs promptly rS developer into corbst ana FIX
simmons match. Hattie kicked ike bI'hde SIT IN
She shrieked In elephantne tones. ana uanced Ia
nervous agony After driving Hattie TO the verge
of emotional insanity. the expermeht was aeu u
Don and Dick, two huge hulks whose mascu1 The
nerves were no more able to stand the STRAIN me
result o from hf snne &
and the dance was kept up TIL we!I-direc'ea Si'
from the hysterIcal Hattie natiened out cach Es
the interlopers Through IL all the trumpet shrleks
Of the female elephants split the air. while me
thunderous accompaniment of the @ eenbaoIs
shook the building. The jury of scientist. agree
that the sePhans h the hot r nea ana 10 the rest Of the
day was devoted to inspecting the immense planii
Of circus material which MIR. Bailey mas coi'ec'ea
In the ridingschoo John oBTen the director 21
apex e q which around ,S on his r2e
circles of s ns some h @
Shetland ponies battered along Fifty kor9es in all
e DHre ana s'a'''"S at '"' worn u e s
William Newman, the veteran trainer put The
Beatty n S SG Sor nat Of ba oSs
the quadriiie Johanna. that charming convales
cent from pneumonia. the terror OF her apiah rec
the 'I pTesence Of the spectators The seven little
lion cubs bora in Central PARK last HAL fall were ere XII h.
hppopotamus opened her Jaws so that all might see
her teeth were her own -. ,.. o,a
varnsh and the many lines of rails that gridlron
the yards were covered with cleaning , new cars bs
rural eye this summer
Mayor dn n. Of r int cry of his OF to- the
monies winter quarters and presided WIN grace
City " Wv