The record-union., 1897-06-17
PECULIARITIES OF ELEPHANTS.
His AnimOsity Dangerous to Arouse
and Never Forgotten.

ana never fOrXOtten.
l like the elephant chiefly for the in
telligent exercise of its anger It's VEN
geance is calculated, we'll directed and
usually most effective. While it is not
easily stirred to wrath, if its animosity
is once aroused its memory is tenacious,
us purpose inf1eXible. The poor fellow
VINO was killed in Sanger's stable a
few weeks ago had laid the foundation
OF MS own destruction by some previous
act OF unkindness or Impotence, and,
as 1t appeared before the Coroner's
jury, although the elephant had not
seen him for many months, the moment
it did its anger burst forth and it in
stantly took a terrible revenge. An
elephants anger, then, is a calculable
quantity, a factor in it's organization
TO be counted upon and avoided AS
a matter of fact, the brain of the ele-
phant IS very little larger than that of
a manor let US say, of some men: for.
Judging by the comparative display of
intelligence, one would infer that in
some cases the elephants brain was
as much greater than it's keeper as it's
oody is more ponderous. It's brain is,
however, highly convoluted, and its in
tellectuaI powers are of a very high
grade, indeed, as compared with the
brute creation generally It's powers
or perception, its memory and it's emo
tons are all very keen and very much
On the alert. 1 have known elephants
IN India to sulk and go 'off their feed,
for several days when separated from
a favorite driver, and if they worked
at all it was only in a morose and I'M
satisfactory manner, while upon the
return of their favorite they have man.
ifested every sign of joy
In Europe we do not, 1 think. see the
elephant at his best The bun-fed
beast of the Zoo or the weary trick
trained animal of the circus, is but a
poor relation, indeed, of the noble brute
Of the Indian jungle or the African for
est. In confinement the elephant does
not lose it's intelligence or it's affection.
| but it does lose its sportiveness. In a
word, it is less lively. And why not?
In Europe we know the elephant chiefly
| perhaps exclusively-as part of a
| show" Indeed in almost every circus
the mammoth creature is the principal
star taking precedence Of the beard
ed LADY, and the most startling bare
/
ed, in spite of bowling protests, in car
| rying off Jumbo to his American cir
Gus he executed a clever bit of bust
ness indeed, and one which returned
him many times over the $4,000 he
paid for the genial monster.
In the Orient the elephant is chiefly
valued for his utility; and the uses to
| which he has been put in the past, and
for which he is still employed, have
been various and important. Strange
| ly enough, one of the most ancient
uses of the elephant was for the pur-
pose of warfare, and in the English
army he still forms part of 1.-The pomp
and circ lmstance of glorious war" In
early days the elephant was ridden into
| battle, and when the Romans went into
Carthage they at first fed in dismay
at the sight of the mighty beasts. They
soon learned to brighten them, however,
| by waving torches in their faces; and
| ii is recorded that among other spoils
of war they took back to Rome sew
| eral elephants, which they ignorantly
styled 'Lucanian oxen In the Brit
| ish army the elephant is still used for
war purposes; and know of no more
novel or interesting sight than that of
| an elephant battery on the march.
| The elephants employed are all SPLEEN
did animals. and they can walk away
with a gun upon their backs and trav-