Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-12-21
ELEPHANTS TRICKS.
HOW THE AWKWARD ANIMALS ARE
TAUGHT TO PERFORM.


Some ~. Too Dull to Learn Any
thing, While Others Are Quick TO
Catch an Idea - ForcibIe Methods
Used In Their Training.
"Scores Of people ask me every day."
said Keeper Snyder of the elephant
house in Central park recently, chow
anything so stupid looking and thick
skinned as an elephant can be taught
anything. tell them all that elephants
are not unlike children. Some are too
dull to learn anything, and others can
catch an idea quickly. Tom" he went
on, pointing to the large elephant who
was busily engaged in throwing hay on
his back, "although irascible in DISPOSE
ton, is quite intelligent The first trick
l taught him was to lie down. This
was not so easy to accomplish as it
might seem, for it took block and fall
at front and rear, with gang of Is or
90 men at each end. / stood at one
side, and as / said Get DOWN. his feet
were drawn out from under him. This
had to be repeated only few times be-
fore he learned what Get down meant
for him.
"To teach him to stand on his hind
feet and on his head block and fall on
a beam over his head, snatch block
and two dead men in the floor and the
services of another elephant were all
required. As l said Get up!' the ele-
plant in harness walked forward, and
Toms front feet went up, while his
hind feet were chained together. When
| said Stand on your head his front
feet, which had been previously chain
ed, remained on the floor, while his
hind feet were drawn up until they al
most literally kicked the beam.
"These were his first lessons. When
he learned to drill to right about, face,
and left about, face, l stood on one
side of him and another man on the
other. and VIC each had a prod. As l
commanded Right about, facet he was
pushed over to the right, and Left
about, facet he was prOdded in that
direction. | taught him to waltz in
much the same way, only as we pushed
him back and forth we made him go
clear around and now he is one of the
best walters in the country. He learn
ed to ring the bell and fan himself in
one lesson. Both require the same mo-
tioI, and they are really the same trick,
although people never think of that.
Yes he knows which is which and
never picks up the fan or napkin when
tell Lin to ring tho bell l only had
to pat each, one at time, in his trunk,
and with the fan and bell l shook it
AMI with the napkin wiped first one
side Of his mouth and then the other.
He took to hand organ grinding like
Mulberry street Italian. 1t is one of his
faVOrite tricks.
THE elephant is the only animal
whose legs all bend the same way. His
hind legs bend in. and the position re-
Quired for creeping is not very comfort
able, br7t h. does it as well as a baby.
lis performances on the harmCniCa
are the most surprising to OnlOokcrs,
but tA3 fao5 is that all The intelligence
required for that is holding the instru-
~ 1T. A" he must breathe through his
.'rL.., every breath moves it back and
@or,,l. | discovered that he holds his
breath when he stands on his hind legs
y ting l. get him to Go th,t and
ny = h%srDI.icl al TIE e2mo tine,
,r5 ! fTcu, { q go no CGoQer up tam
he socnG ceases until thy are down
t;;ain.
''Eis t1b ia about 21s feet high, and
{ tcoG Il3 abort N hour to got him to
mOcLt it the fit time ard 2a l"ng to
It Linn down lrOT1 it cnC9 h. WAS up.
| had finally to ilnprov.5o step from it
before he would come down. lie went
RI. 1T up a,.a:n, however and came
down and repeated the movement SOW
eral times in the first lesson. Now he
mounts it and stands on his hind feet
his front foct, Lis side feet and Haitzcs
ana changes on it.
"Peop,o ali seem to think that an Gle
phar5 has no sense of feeling because
his Sin is thick and coarse. The fact is
that his skin il as sensitive as a baby's,
AID II you tickle him with a straw you
viii fal it ont. The feet of the ele-
plant have to be repaired frequently,
for they are as susceptible to corns and
s+0,,o IrriSC.. "a the feet Of DeOn1a and