The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
NOSE RYAN'S ELEPHANT.
THE RAJAH OF THE MENAGERIE m
a TEXAS CoRNETELD.
Friendship Struck Up Between n RUNAWAY
Terror and nm Indian FiEhter-Cnpture
of the Beast and Ride of the Family
IN Tnrrn anrnrlnn Of Ahn shnn-.,ns

of the Beast and Ride of tho Family
to Town Surprise OF the
FROM TIE 81. LOU, G,obs. Democrat
CALDWELL, Tex. Sept. 25.-Mose Ryan OF the
Brazos bottoms says he Ia the hero OF 500
Indian battles, and he is the son OF Col, Bulger
Ryan. who led a com pany OF tigers to the field
Of San Jacinto. The cabin in which Nose lives
10 open to all corners. and he Is always ready
to tell q story. His favorite is that which res
counts his capture OF n circus elephant.
Thu elephant belonged TO Frank Lemons. tho
Snowman. Lemons's menagerie had Showed
the town OF CaIdwell Tex. and late IN ~ ..e-S
ing a very large elephant named Rajah began
to manifest his ugly temper. Just q little be-
fore dark Rajah snapped his chains. threw the
mahout forty feet away and walked out into the
street bellowing furiously and threatening to at
tack every living thing he saw. Before the show
people rallied and looscned another elephant
named Prince. Raiah had passed through the
town and crossed the Davidson Creek bridge.
There Is n great forest there which reaches
to the Drazos bottoms. Rajah walked into
these woods and disappeared. Darkness came
on and the show people abandoned the chase.
though Mr.. Lemons offered n handsome rec
ward for any information about the animal.
and sent runners along the roads warning the
people to keep out of the way OF the dangerous
beast. Rajah kent In the woods. and near
morning he struck the BraZos River within
sight Of Nose Ryan's house. Noticing the hay
stacks and corncrlbs he knocked the gate
down and walked into the horse lot and coolly
proceeded to All his capacious stomach with
hay and fodder.
Now. il Mr.. Lemons or the mahout had seen
Nose RYAN walking toward Rajah with a larint
neither Of them would have given five cents
Tor his llfe. As Ryan approached Rajah tho big
animal, began to sway his, body and trumpet in
tones that an elephant driver, would have in
tprDrptpu to mem thut the pleDbuDt wna In n
fine humor, and would be very much pleased to
% Sg n%@DG iriend fmoSME NOSE @r RYAN HXHn not d Sniy fo 1ed
his e%lenhant; but after feeding, him apples,
riSS ;nt ! e; Ia ana ID, e - Tt else that he could sIi
back. Later on he induced Betsy. his wife, and
souser, to Join him. and they rode RaJah. down
sandbars began to show above the falling
waters. and he acted at one. time as II he, had
half a mind to swim across to the other shore.
" ,TThi is i q good elep!hGSEnt' Betsy said Nose:
kinder skasc now. and 1 expect they sell pretty,
high; i Betsy BtSyt s,posH we take a dozen no chickens
qGIthinkin, "a 60 up there and whip old Billy
the elephant to town. and it was not long bes
people had been, badly puzzled They could
BOT hear a word 81 the runaway elephant;
eggs mounted on Rajah. came through the
s sB0a! mile mile fro rom 0'a caISGR%%olIA. n'G Their FG SS:
t EG3eAeh nott to a thf c Sity was Of h sbo 9 forty y
teams that we're running away from fright
ened and yelling drivers, The main thorough;
buGgies. Maddened mules and craTy, horses
We're houndering over each other; while hun
senses. we're Yelling that II" end Of the 'wS"Srrltdi
had come, Merchant and cler;s W 'ha
doors with axe handles and various
and wondering what on earth had happeneu..
Entering the town Rpiah took possession of0
the roof he devoured the bewiIdered Foreigners
whole stock before the man had time to entera
that the mad elephant was loose. in the streets
killing every living thing. This added a new
attempted to close their stores. but the fright
ened people crowded through the doors as IL
tops, were covered with people, who feared that
elephants were able to climb posts and brick
distu %4s ONE Nose H!a" T Ryan s %'9f u MSS on Nc" Ra g. e.
shoulders. and after calmly surveying the as
Betsy. DANCED i | don't believe there -
so%1s sI Hold d tiF tEh4" and sot don Fl ii dro 5T's x? nHFe es ga
and and WI I'll M 2IIppy rid them rIgb the int, 'Ar X. sgNw TIra ave
viii inc The people in the fun '''
h6 Just at sa th y %G %lfhin a = ff aw sta msn % On a., E calico aIso
plant and Shouted: Hare. what are yon do
Ing on that elephant? Perhaps you don'tknow
5snf y2 fou are fim nersn Dver ?" Fl! TSi sG man HT was a F m%fc
Lemons. the owner Of Raiah. and he was so
Et6S 6soy PEOPLE Ti's ser a = semted ON %h fhe be back sn y
that mad monster that he doubted his sanity.
in M1ss H3yf 9Ra sh he Would 61f ii maR e h hfs e die% ? a sSs
him up alive il he presumed 10 further inter-
fe 5TTEl,tth the m pIea s}sn6, Of the j s Ryan family snon.
and you cTsswl of Of him right there. or l will
"IyiN' exclaimed Nose, I'D like to catch
you at that. for it is a game l am very fond Of"
He cooked his old musket and the elephant
The mahout. mounted on a gentle, elephant.
debouched from. a cross street. and when di1
shot into the old terr'or's trunk. Rajiah wheeile%d
around 50 suddenly that the Ryan family rolled
rounded the furious animal. airing pistols and
ing flesh. The big. cowardly brute stuck his
head against z brick wal: and md G%dhnee The
ali his strength he moaned like a baby and
cepau raq rom omd f bs f egesIt n doS s1re a. he cb h9 y wsc
all the time manifesting the most piteous re-.
pentance.
in T wen sh9T sh RddG ams ,5sSsee9 e p Ss' t RESaS q aifG f6s
menagerie. the eyer treacherous and uncon:
a&S SeatPIiIss Ike S a iamb f By an Hes old ' Te1an w h9a e 'Ta
IDENTITY knew no more Of the traits OF such ami
m msIs shn ne e S Shlld, affair T2 M Mas i hsmoPs Sna tEc
Mo .o cleared ., b aw Hyo the 1mysteEy SGd.p rsve o1s
rs -" am 2 b born I'm fSh CfEgms ,s he he f laid; ' i1GSs an 2
a show in Texas. ] know all about varmints.
and especially elephants. Why, when was a
boy the bottoms was chuck full OF wild ella
plants. / have seen whole droyes OF 'em swim
ming the Brazos River. used to catch young
elephants and carry them to the house IN my
bosom and tame EN- and break them to ride"
There. that will do" exclaimed Mr.. Lemons
as he dropped a handful Of 500 gold pieces in
the amateur elephant trainers hat.
Nose Ryan still lives to tell the story, though
he is generally a smiling listener while some
C~aldwellian is reneating It to a stranger. and he
always says. II would do the same thing over
again for half the money" And so he would.
for he is a native Texan.