The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-08
CIRCUS ELEPHANTS.
They Have 10 BE Carefully Watched
All Through the Ni.ht,

The elephant men have to mind their
| charges every hour Of the day and night.
! The bull" TO use circus .ang, sleeps on
81 about two hours, and o--en does that
IN his feet. One foot African elephant
hey can't be taught 70 do anything, and
he commOnest saying about a show Is
hat they are not worth the hay they eat
has been known 10 90 three weeks with
lut lying down NJ all. The elephant Is
always hdgeung about always swaying
that ridiculous hulk Of his, which seems
to be clad I'm his big brothers east-on
Jreech. always stirring up strife. and al
ways picking up something with his
runk. He must have something 10 oc-
eupy his mind. and so bales Of hay are
always at hand to be doled out 10 him.
lie must be always scolded and talked TO,
and told TO keep out Of that. or get back
there, or come out where he can be seen
When he isn't being talked to, he Is be-
ing raped on the nose with a bull hook
An elephant has hide about an inch
thick. "a temper that is as uncertain as
the toss OF 4 coin, the cruelty Of an
Apache and the destructiveness OF a
tornado Some wise and kind-hearted
men in New York, who couldn't bear 20
see a poor dumb brute suffer decreed that
the "bH'l hook must not be used They
didn't have to be with the elephants al
the time. The men who did. either hid
the hook part IN their hands while tho
agents Of the 5. r. G. a. were around. or
displayed bicCmsiicks that wOuli bring
an elephant 20 time about as soon as
a feather duster would stop a cyclone.
The bull hook Is shaped Ike a boot hook.
II has a straight point, This is 10 iab
"a where the skin Is ten3erest. near the
root Of the tail. IL Is a sight we'll worth
seeing 70 witness Patsy Forepaugh (his
name o. Mears, but be was with Addie
Forepaugh 50 long that people hardly
know what his right name isl get the
elephants 10 bunt the wagons up from the
basement OF the Madison Square garden.
He is the boss OF all the herd, a short,
stock little man with a quick eye-he
needs il in his business-and something
about his looks which says that II you
want TO get into a fight with him. you
had better make your arrangements 20
spend about six weeks In the hospital. The
wOrkmcn get the wagon slowed around,
50 that II VIII go up the incline plane.
Then they scatter like trash before 4
broom. Here comes Patsy walking along
with two elephants their attitude seem-
ing TO say: I'VE don't won't to-. while
Patsy seems 10 say:"Thls one right here.
All together now" They make curious
noises. They sometimes whine 50 that
YOU can locate the very spot II comes
from, and other times not so unlike the
last pedal key OF a church organ. Often
est II IS like an amateur trying TO blow
a cornet FOR the first time. They shuttle
up to a wagon. put their foreheads
against IL. and up IL goes. Patsy trots
behind them making vicious downward
tabs with his hook. while he shouts:
''Hooyah. hooyanv' They scul their way
along the inclined plane and troidle down
again for rnn-e. Once I saw a wagon half
up come rolling down. while the elephant
turned tail ani ran. A lion inside. angry
at having his sleep broken. roared. That
was all Rooney and John wanted TO hear.
They fed Patsy after them with his