The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12
HOW no TRAIN ELEPHANTS.
Stories Told by n Professional AMI
NAL Trainer.

who's papas good girl, sweetheart?
Who's been a good baby to-day?"
Sweetheart bumped her ten-foot back
and. leaning her two and one-half tons of
bulk over toward Lockhart, winked a vic
ious, iniquitous eye. She is 25 or 80 years
old. and is one of Samuel Lockhart's five
performing elephants. 1sockhart kissed
her, and she sang him a love song which
was like the preliminary howl OF a cy-
clone. Lockhart has his five beasts up at
Tattersalrs, where Ringland Brothers are
TO have their snow LOT three April wees.
With the exception of brief daily rehear-
sails, the elephants have nothing to do.
They mediate wagging their ponderous
heads as they think Of their sins,
Il never have any trouble with my ele-
phants,'' said Lockhart, in speaking OF the
man killed by Gypsy, alias Empress, last
Wednesday. 1T looks to me as if that man
committed suicide. The Idea OF a l50-pound
man trying TO drag a two-ton elephant
around-a mad elephant at that's absurd.
The only way to deal with one in the sulks
is to let II severely alone. It's good nature
will return in time. When 1t does round
to, then settle with It. That's the way I've
dealth with 'em for sixteen years. Haven't
1, sWeetness7" and he gave the big crea-
ture against which he was leaning an af-
fectionate wallop with his open hand. She
purred a hurricane.
MIR. Lockhart has his elephant corral in
the southeast corner Of the vast building.
Overhead and in every direction the hum
dreds of workmen are saving and ham
mering and overturning lumber piles with
out exciting an elephantine nerve or caus-
ing an extra flap OF an ear. The animals
blow the sawdust of their backs and let
their interest cease with that. Their pom
derous grotesque games with their owner
and master are joyous sight
Mr.. Lockhart was yesterday superin-
tending an operation not to be witnessed
daily, even in a metropolis. Ii was the
manicuring of the nails of the animals.
A strong, husky man, with blue woollen
shirt, overalls and beard which needed
SAND Papering, was seated on the right
hind leg OF Charlie, performing with
three-inch chisel and a two-inch rasp
on the bottom of the foot and the toes.
Charlie weighs a bit more than 600
pounds when he is Mt, and the sole of his
foot is the size and shape of a manhole
cover. 1t is no gladness to an elephant
to have his feet pared, and Charlie lay
on his massive ribs and groaned and sigh
ed like an ill-used engine. Another ele-
plant, the one Lockhart called Sweet
heart, blew consolation through her trunk
into the PROSTATE victims ear when she
was not talking with Lockhart
I'VE have to file their toe nails and
pare their hoofs three or four times
on Charles head, Their feet get In
bad condition from standing around on
boards and walking on all kinds of pave
ments, and require the closet attention.
Where did l get these? over in Burmah
l brought EN- here, after a tour through
every country in the world. Those three
We're court elephants and were born tame.
These TWO We're captured in the Jungle.
The natives build a sort of a maze of
heavy timber, Stockade fashion and nut A
tame elephant inside. He decoys the wild
ones in. When the whole herd is inside
the entrance is closed and beasts let out
one at a time and chained. Prof Mac
MILAN, who was sent out by the English
government few years ago to get ele.
plants for the British army in India.
captured 140 in one pen. 1t was the big
gest catch l ever heard Of They use
elephants out there for freighting and all
kinds of heavy engineering work They
are living derricks, that's what they are
They are of the greatest use in lumber
and logging camps. I've seen 600 at Worts
stack boards as handily as il they were
members of the lumber showers union.
They are even stronger in proportion to
their size than horses, and are great head
workers. A common little elephant can
bunt a derailed freight ear back on the
track"
Are they as wise as they are renutad
to be? Have they such marvellous memo
ries as they are said to possess %
With much earnestness the professor
replied: Elephants, sir, know as much
as folks. They can do anything but talk.
Their brains have been dissected and
found to be constructed the same as a
mans. Memory! Let me tell you il thew
could talk they could jog your recollec-
ton some. This one patting the trunk
of the sweetheart, who, by the way, re-
sembles in face the old caricatures of
Butler, this one is % years old. or bet
ter. and I'll gamble she can remember
everything that's happened since she was
a yearling. They live long past a hun-
dred years, and you bet they are onto
everything that's going on.
"They are not such troublesome crea-
lures to educate as you might suppose -
said Mr. Lockhart, answering a cues
ton touching his methods of treatment
u handle these the same as if they were
children. Patience and sugar will do
more to train an elephant than q pitch
| fork or an iron prod. As a matter of
fact, they are too big to bully. You have
to get at them through their affections
and their vanity. Jolly EN- up and give
| 'em candy and they are all right When
they are mad, keep away. The man
who was killed Wednesday is the victim
! of his own foOlishness. No man can
/ live who triios with a mad elephant Tho
/ final act of folly consisted in trying I'd
make the animal lie down. 1t takes a
! pile driver to do that when thev ore
sulky. They are suspicious, looking for
! trouble, and they want to be on their
! feet to meet the trouble when it comes -
/ AS Lockhart says, his elephants will 30
/ anything but talk. They stand on their
+ heads perform ponderous feats of lug
/ glery see-saw and dance. They have a
Toof-raising Wall-hularinpr eNercis 20 d
/ trainer calls singing. 1t is not that. how
1 ever. Any one aiming to enter the 81
! ephant equeaEng INDUSTRY may lind some
statistical information useful. The ami
mails are bought by the foot in Burmah
/ the present market price being 100 rupees
or S2S for every foot Of hight an tbe
! shoulder. This is but a. small part Of tbe
/ total expense. 1t costs 1880 to bring jan an
elephant 10 America For ten the
/ the FIVE brothers OF the name. has maid
| for bringing eighteen in all. and ne saws
/ there is no shading Of prices for job lots.
An elephant has robust appetite. Lock
/ harts I'VE eat eight bales OF
! hay. four barrels OF stale bread
4 and 200 ponds OF meal every
! Gay In the show season and out.
/ Whether they are performing clumy an
! tics IN the ring or making war medicine
/ IN the stable. their appetites and their ra-
/ lions know no diminutlon.
/ Elephants are great drawing cards for
( a show" said Alfred Ringiand. but they
/ gre heap OF trouble sometimes I don't
/ know anything about them except IN a
/ general way. but ! notice they keep their
] trainers guessing. One 81 ours, and a lit