The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-20
IDEAS OF THEIR OWN.
ELEPHANTS Frequently EXHIBIT
AARvELoUs INTELLrGENCE.
Little Pefe's Theft of Oats. Showfnr
Thereby . Trne Conceptfon Of the
difference Between Right and
Wrong-Baldy Argues q Case
with Remarkable Abifity-The
stake Fuller.

AHcie Is a oe.tee among the negroes %
the south 70 the eject that elephants are
TIE reiccarnstion OF departed African
Haonarchs, and that their wisdom. saga
city. instinct. or whatever II is that gives
an elephant 50 wise q look. comes TO
tnem from the spirit that has taken I'D
rs oweuirg place within the huge pachy-
aerm- Il il only another phase OF the
,heory or transnigratton OF souls believed
IN oy various tribes OF people the world
over, but 1t seems worthy o. some con-
sideration when the wonderful things that
eiephan;s sometimes do are borne in mind.
Denver. Thursday and Friday Of last
week. had the largest herd OF elephants
ever brought together under one owner
snip anc some OF the wise things they
nave been seen to do during the winter
IN winter quarters are interesting
Elephants may not have reasoning
powers developed TO as high degree as
or own. says Mr.. Souder. who is super
.ntendent in charge OF the big herds. but
they must have some means OF cornmunl-
eating. one with another. and Of develop
ing plan OF action in which concerted
work IS necessary. Rather a high idea
o. an elephants thinking apparatus. isn't
IL But I'll illustrate
There is a baby elephant in the herd
that We call Pete. II isn't different. TO
any extent. in our elephant house. from
=,
ana or course there is always feed around
We keep it away from the elephants I'm
III the proper hours, bat they seem TO pos
sess an Unsuitable appetite or are pos
sessed OF spirit Of thieyery that is diff
cult to overcome.
Oats His Failing.
Now, Pete is tiny little fellow. and
doesn't weigh more than six or eight
hundred pounds, but I actually believe he
would eat as many pounds OF oats IL he
had access TO them. The elephant house
was dark one night. and l supposed every
one OF the animals was sound asleep.
when my attention was attracted by
sapdled rasping noise. apparently coming
from the further end OF the big herd In
stead OF walking down in front of them
all, / went around and came in at the
other end. Hiding behind some bales Of
straw. / peered cautiously over to where
the little rascal was chained and there
he WAS carefully lifting his stake out OF
the ground. / saw in an instant that he
had had the stake out before that time.
for all he had TO do was to lift il up and
ii came out. He slipped his foot chain
down over the tapering end or the stake
and was free. I wondered what was TO
come next | wasn't afraid that he would
do any mischief for knowing elephants as
I do. I knew he had been loose many
stake. As he was always found chained
properly in the mornings. determined TO
see the thing out and let him do whatever
he wanted TO.
Across the room. distant perhaps TWEEN
~ feet or more from his place, were piled
some sacks OF grain. containing about one
hundreds pounds each. Picking up me
foot chain very carefully with his trunk.
SO that It would not rattle or jangle upon
the floor, he began the most delicate.
sinuous. gliding motion across the space
that separated him from the grain ever
saw. and I never imagined an elephant
could go so quietly. / crouched behind
the bales OF straw. afraid 10 move for
fear he would hear me and stop.
ION he went cautiously. slowly. but
steadily. until he was within reaching dis
tance OF the sacked grain. Then he laid
the chain down and picked UP a bag of
oats with his trunk. His Journey back
TO the herd. twenty feet away. was per-
formed even more cautiously than hal
been his advance. for he had to drag the
chain without making a noise. All the
time he held the sack of grain tightly in
his trunk and his mouth must have wa
tered when he thought OF the feast he
was going to have. He reached the herd
al last and went up TO great big Baby
Ion, who stood like bronze statue her
massive sides looming up like the sides OF
a house in the gloom. Pete stopped, and
Babylon whom l had imagined fast
asleep took the oats. They got into the
bag in a jify. and then began a feast
Pete filled his mouth and munched away
like a man eating dry crackers on a wa
ger. He knew that his big companion in
crime would get most OF ,he oats II he
lost any time. Babylon put way almost
half of the oats at the first jump out OF
the box and poor little Pete. with his
mouth so fun he couldn't speak, looked at
her with his watery little eyes. as much
as to say oh what hog" and gulped
the oats down his little throat at the risk
OF choking to death.
Playing 'Po~Sum.
II thought IL was a bout time to make
,4te~ 10