The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-06
CHARLES A. DAVIS STORY
or why Elephant John L. Sullivan Is
q Jealous Moor.


Charley" Davis, special agent Of the
famous Forepaugh-sells Brothers Circus
Federation, which scored such a sensa-
tional triumph at Madison Square Gar
den, New York, in April, Is as full OF
"reminiscences as a yellow canine is full
of ieas. Last night at popular down.
town resort he RECALLED party Of con-
genial spirits with a variegated collec-
ton Of circus stories. Among them was
the tale of the fierce struggle between
the old Forepaugh show and the aggRe-
cation of PhIneas T. Barnum and James
A Bailey, during the season Of 'S4. This
campaign has been dubbed the White
Elephant War by the circus people To
quote the veteran Davis:
at will be remembered each show
possessed a sacred white eleshant of
SIAM Not content with its possession
each endeavored with tiger-like ferocdty
to discredit the genuineness Of the ele-
plant Of the other. All the other at
fractions were lost sight OF in the adver-
tisements calling attention to the sacred
elephant, attended by a retinue of Siam
csc priests Each management expended
S-NSNSN--NeS
sish the geuineness Of his animal and to
diSprove the claims Of the other. It was
without doubt the hottest circus fight
that ever came off in this country. No
agent who participated in 1t will ever for
get It It was a case of work night and
day for SIX months. At the close of the
season OF "a. the public had become
fatigued with the fight, and the up-to-
date managers Immediately suppressed
their more or less sacred pachyderms,
and number of prayer-chanting Siam
csc priests were minus their Jobs.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
story Of the death, by the pneumonia
roC.e. OF the Forepaugh white elephant
In November, "a, was telegraDhed all
over the country, and generally believed.
that very volatile and versatile animal
Is still with the troupe. The winter fol-
lowing his extinguishment as a sacred
elephantine diety, he was taught to do a
boxing act with his trainer, big, black
'Eph' Thompson, a very remarkable
negro. by the way, who is now running
circus Of his own in Germany Thomp-
son renamed the elephant John L. Sui
iivan. in honor of the Boston boy, and
oy that name he was known for several
seasons until the novelty of the thing
wore of with him and he began landing
Knockout blows in place of the gentle
taps he was supposed to deliver This
aed to his second retirement as a feature
but 1t was not for long. An elephant Is
not worth much to a sawdust impress
sar1o unless he can be utilized for other
than exhibition purposes.
Transformation number three found
John L. Sullivan answering to the mama
OF othelio. and the jealous Moor ne IS
today, being one of the Shakespearian-
named elephantine cavaliers in the Rroun
OF eight big pachyderms that form a
quadrille set and tread the measures of
the oId-fsshioned country barn dance.
othello Is still the star elephant of the
country. Patsy Meagher and other ex-
perts pronounce him the wisest of all
elephants. He is only % years old now.
and has time for many. more careers
Barnum and Bailey's Albino pachyderm
was burned to death in the Bridrenort
fire OF 81"
Inc dancing elephants create a furora
wherever Forepaugh and Sells exhibit |
The big dual show is scheduled for ex-
ploitaton in this city next Thursday.