Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-03

xA&SFESf the subject were
sz shattered by the re-
markable statement
~ of Head Keeper
Blackburn ian old
Barnum man. who knows a thing or two
about beasts) that the hugest of animals
the elephant. contrives to exc out an exist
ence OF a hundred years or more on a
smaller diet of sleep than is required by
the tlniest creatures for the preservation
OF Infinitely shorter terms of life,
The wide-awake sprightliness of the two
elephants. Dunk and Gold Dust" when
Inc Star man made this prowling visit dt
was after midnighD. in company with Mr..
Blackburn, seemed to bear out the head
Keepers assertion. Even before the rays
OF the bulls-eye lanterns were flashed in
the elephant house the restless heaving of
the enormous brutes' bodies and the shut
fling OF their feet. could be plainly heard
Far from resenting a midnight intrusion of
Two n-bearing pigmies to their den.
.hey manifested actual pleasure, and they
by the attention exhibited in a visit from
the head keeper at so unusual an hour.
ihey became wider awake than ever, and
me neady little eyes OF the mammoth Gold
Dust appeared to glitter with happiness
as he protruded his trunk caressinply to-
ward The Star man. But Mr.. Blackburn.
VINO afterward said that Gold Dust Is a
more mo vicious brute even than Tip" who,
Tor his crimes. was last year officially not
soned. by order Of the municipality of New
YORK, did not see the necessity for such af-
fectionateness. and drew the newspaper
m his ro naek soms et Hell get to the end of
referring to Gold Dust land meet the
same fate Tip"
I've been handling elephants for more
than twenty years." the head keeper went
NJ hot r;ax3
suppose I've caught an elephant asleep
more than half dozen times. 1 have yery
rarely seen them even doing. 1 could
never make out how elephants stand the
crush and wearisomeness and bedeyilment
OF circus existence. especially in one-night
stand districts, on practically no sleep at
all but they do 1t, and thrive on 1t, for
1t is we'll known that, unlike all other ami
mails, elephants are healthier in captivity
than in their wild state. What sleep an
elephant does get he picks up along toward
dawn, when as he has brainly figured out,
there Is least likelihood of his being caught
in the act.
For some reason other elephants
seem to be actually ashamed of their in
diligence in what they perhaps consiier
such coddling weakness as sleep, and on
the few occasions during my circus days.
when managed to catch one of them red
handedly siumbering, and snoring, to boot,
the fellow would look positively sheepisn
and cheap upon awakening-the concen-
trated gaze of a keeper will awaken al
most any animal within sixty seconds-and
try to square himself by affecting all kinds
Of risky liveliness Elephants almost in
var.ably sleep standing, and their eyes are
never entirely closed in sleep. They wave
their trunks to and fro, no matter how deep
in slumber they may be-
The members of the cat family are pretty
good sleepers, although the big cats DO rot
need any more than half the amount of
brain rest that the ordinary house cat con-
sders right and essential "Lobensula,"
Soi6 To ho tbo
captivity. was found sitting in statuesque
attitude in the rear of his cage, blinking
lazily, but not sleepily, in the lanterns
rays. He walked to the bars quite alertly
at a word from the head keeper, and ex-
hibited strong desire to be petted. But
while Lobengula" was a nice, cheerful
kitten. fond Of being fondled and free
from splitting and treachery, the sway of
sayagery has of late been betokened
throughout every ounce of his 1,OOO pounds
of sinew, SO that 1t is only safe to pet him
with the smaller end Of a stout rawhide.
There is mellow CLEAN in his iridescent
eyes that does not tell of the lurking devil
within, and he does not look as II he could
be easily taken unawares.
They Are Light sleepers.
In the cage next to "Lobengula'' "Ben."
the kingly tiger from Bengal, was stretch
ed out to his full length. his head between
his paws. frankly sleeping. That is. he
had been sleeping until the lantern light
f1ickercd over him. but. after that, though
he did not shift his position nor raise his
head from his paws, there was no sleep in
the translucent depths of his clear gray
eyes. He lay perfectly still, seeming to
scorn the curiosity which prompted the ami
mails in the other cages to peer wondering
iy through the bars at the visitors. 1t was
not until the lantern-bearers had passed to
the farther end Of the cage house that
Ben" was heard to emit a low growl CT
disgust. and dimly seen to roll over on his
right side.
THE big felines get all the sleep they re-
quire in short cat-naps." said Mr.. Black
burn. They never seep steadily for any
length of time. Panthers and wildcats are
the lightest sleepers of the tribe although
Ion or tiger. If you have ever tried to
creep up on a sleeping house cat you will
understand the difficulty Of catching a
big cat with his eyes shut.
"a curious thing about the sleeping
habits of the members of the cat family
is that they can accustcm themselves to
doing amid the most tremendous din made
by other animals. while they instantly be-
come wide awake at the slightest sound Of
human origin. I used to notice this I'D in
Bridgeport, Barnum's winter animal quar-
ters.
''The other animals used to have hyste.i-
cal streaks. and set up the most frizhtful
roaring in the middle Of the night, while
the eats-lions, tigers. pumas panthers,
wildcats. mountain lions and so on-would
continue their doing. perfectly unconcern-
ed. But when the cats had their nocturnal
bowling spells the other animals could Lot
keep quiet, and Joined in the roar from
sympathy. While there is not much lave
lost between the different species Of the
cat family, they are united on the strongest
tenet in their creed-an intensely earnest
contempt and hatred for all animals that
are not cats. and for this reason have Of
ten thought that they act deliberately in
declining to acknowledge by their actions
that the brutes Of other tribes arc able to
disturb their rest"
Prefers Maps In tho Daytime.
The 'loathly hyena" belongs to a day.
sleeping tribe. The three vicious hyenas in
the lion house were all wide awake and in