The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-08

mesticated animal
What would he become If educated from
! infancy according to the most scientific hu-
man methods? That is the question which
Mr.. Main has asked himself and which he
will endeavor to answer in the education Of
Dewey. 1t is a fascinating problem.
Mr.; Main is student and a philosopher.
All the leisure he can spare from the some
what gross, arduous and ostentatious bust
ness of conducting a circus he devotes to
the study of his animals, their moral natures
and mental characteristics The elephant in
particular has attracted him.
Mr.. Main has drawn UP an elaborate plan for
the education of Dewey. He will be happy
to receive any suggestions for the improve
ment Of it from persons familiar with ele-
plants or with the
SCIENCE OF TEACHING.
According to Mr.. Mains plan the education
of Dewey will be divided into three parts, as
follows:
1. The animal.
2. The social
8. The intellectual.
Theodore Ferris, who has long looked after
wants, such as washing him, feeding him
and exercising him. Dewey is extremely fond
of Mr.. Ferris.
The second part of Dewey's education-the
social-will be largely left to Mr. Mains son
Frank, a bright boy of g. He is fond of
a ami and has natural facility for teach,
. learn to be good-natured and to become
! thoroughly accustomed to human beings.
Frank will introduce him to other boys and
they will all play together. Dewey will prob
ably have to do all the hard work, but that
will only help to develop atruism and ami
ability In his nature. He will be vigorously
graded animals.
The third part Of Dewey's education-the
inteIIiectualEwill, of course. be the most elf
Main himself intends to take charge of this
He viii! have as an assistant a man who is
not not only a college graduate. but has the
Because I have chosen so deeply learned an
in Tyt., said Mr.. Main. ''it is not tc
teach Dewey mathematics, Latin and Greek
He has been chosen because, having studied
the latest developments of the science OF
teaching, he understands the best methods
| of arousing and holding the attention OF youth
and OF 1mpianting knowledge. whether much
Dewey's Development for his age. which |:
only one month. is marvellous. AS the ele.
plant natures at later age than man one
would expect him to be less developed at tn
at all. however. Dewey is active on his fest
BRIGHT AND INTELLIGENT.
| His measurements just now are: HEIGHT
| 20 inches; length, 80 inches; length from ii.
! OF trunk to tip of tail. 81 inches; breadth Of
head mead. II inches; length of head, 10 inches
length of trunk. 15A inches; weight. 24s
pounds. He is growing with startling rapid
ity;
schedule for Dewey's studies At a. m he
Will rise and take his shower bath, of which
he is extremely fond Then will come two
hours, from $50 to 1920: for breakfast. The
| elephant eats very slowly.
After this" said Mr.. Main. "the days
studies Will begin The first session will last
from 1890 to 1:3o. We hope to obtain the
best work from him at this time
I'm the beginning we shall concentrate our
eHorts on teaching him the alphabet simple
addition sums and the skillful use of the
trunk; An alphabet composed of large blocks
| with the letters printed plainly on them has
been made for his use. He will first learn to
| spell words which represent the things with
which he Is most familiar. such as hay and
| water Then he will be gradually led on
/ to the comprehension of abstract ideas
He will be early taught to distinguish be.
tween the primary colors This viii be nc
| great difficulty.
! HE will be treated very gently. No nj
tempt will be made to force him uudulv in
his studies. The instructor will hold some
! peanuts in his hand and say:
" These are peanuts, peanuts, PEANUTS
Dewey will look intently at the peanuts
Then the instructor will continue:
| DO you want some peanuts?
The instructor will make Dewey nod his
| head several times. and then he will give him
some peanuts. Later Dewey will learn to spell
| peanuts with the blocks when he wants
| them.
Dewey, from 1870 to $50. Children will will te e
| his companions. He will learn all sorts Of
tricks tricks Already he Is SO initiative that he
| forming elephants in the circus
From $3.50 to $50 will again be devoted tc
study After that he will play again. Al
!, $50 he will have light supper, and then he
will be free to go to sleep as soon as he
Dleases.
There are many unquestioned facts which
| encourage me in the hope that the elerhant
may attain degree of intellectual develop
meHt nearly approaching man and infinitely
| beyond that which any other animal has
reached. In many respects the elephant en-
! joys advantages over man.
HE does not attain maturity until he is &c
years old and therefore has a longer period
than man in which to develop. His brain is
LARGER THAN THAT OF MAN
''The elephant is very slow and del.b erate
in his eating. His digestion is excellent. In
this re: p ct he offers an admirable model t.
man. He is very calm and deliberate in all
his movements, and, strange as it may seem
very agile
'In his trunk he has a member aim ST
as skillful and sensitive as a human han!
With it he can pick up a needle, or a log
weighing ton He grows six or seven sets
of teeth in the course of his life He often
| lives to be 200 years DID,
| The marvellous mental powers of the ele-
phant have been known for ages to the wise
put lazy Orientals. In India he does the
hardest work in building and engineering
operations. He takes batteries of artillery
| Wnere no morse could go. His services arc
not economical, however, for he has a costly
appetite, easily becomes sick and rebels
/ against excessive work.
Sir Emmerson Tenant, the great British
authority on elephants, says:
| "Once was riding in the jungle near Hy-
derabad when my horse became FESTIVE, and
emily very much dissatisfied. In minute
I met. him in the narrow path. He was
| balancing enormous load on his tusks
| When he saw me he bowed and backed po-
tely into the bushes to let me pass. My
horse trembled and refused to go on. Then
the elephant grunted as if in Irritation aud
backed still further into the bushes AT
last my horse went on. AS I rode away l
heard the elephant going his way and grum-
bling fercely about his heavy load.
"At one place I watched an elephant lay
Ing m2sssnEy t When be AaS fnishsa course
spect it. Once he stopped obstinately in
front of certain spot. When the man COM
PEELED him to move away he found that the
work was defective there"
An animal of this race educated in the
most scientific manner must attain wonderful
heights of intelligence. Mr. Main has begun
with Dewey an experiment of tremendous in
forest to science and to the world at large.