Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-13

Rscsuntu : very Interestins Elsphant
story.
Charley Davis, special agent Of the
famous Forepaugh-Sells Brothers Cir
Gus Federation, which scored such q
sensational triumph at Madison Square
Garden, New York, in April, is as full
of "reminiscences as a yellow canine is
full of feaS. The other night at a pop
ular resort he RECALLED a party of con-
genial spirits with a variegated collec-
ton of circus stories. Among them was
the tale of the fierce struggle between
cation of Phineas T. Barnum and
James A. Bailey, during the season of
81. This campaign has been dubbed
the White Elephant War by the cir
Gus people. To quote the veteran Davis:
1T will be remembered each show
possessed a sacred white elephant of
Siam. Not content with its possession
each endeavored with tiger-like ferocity
to discredit the genuineness of the ele-
plant of une other. All the other at
fractions were lost sight of in the adj
yertisementS calling attention TO the
sacred elephant, attended by retinue
of Siamese priests Each management
expended thousands of dollars in efforts
to establish the genuineness of his ami
NAL and to disprove the claims of the
other. 1t was without doubt the hot
test circus fight that ever came off in
this country. No agent who partici-
pated in it will ever forget it. II was a
case .Of work night and day for six
months. At the close of the season of
'S4, the public had become fatigued
with the fight, and the up-to-date man
ayers Immediately suppressed their
more or less sacred pachyderms, and a
number of prayer-chanting Siamese
priests were minus their jobs.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
story of the death. by the pneumonia
route, OF the F'orepaugh white elephant
in November, "a, was telegraphed all
over the country, and generally be-
lieyed, that very volatile and versatile
animal is still with the troupe. The
winter following his extinguishment as
a sacred elephantine diety, he was
taught to do boxing act with his
trainer, big black 'Eph' Thompson
very remarkable negro, by the way, who
is now running circus OF his own in
Germany. Thompson renamed the ele-
plant John l.. Sullivan. in honor of
the Boston boy, and by that name he
was known for several seasons until
the novelty of the thing wore off with
him anS he began landing Knockout
blows in place of te gentle taps he was
supposed to deliver. This led to his
second retirement as a feature but it
was not for long. An elephant is not
worth much to sawdust impressario
unless he can be utilized for other than
exhibition purposes.
Transformation number three found
John l.. Sullivan answering to the
name of Othello, and the Jealous Moor
he is to-day, being one of the Shakes
peare-named elephantine cavaliers in
the group of eight big pachyderms that
form a quadrille set and tread the
measures of the oldfashioned country
barn dance. Othello is still the star
elephant Of the country Patsy
Meagher and other experts pronounce
him the wisest of all elephants He is
only twenty-five years old now, and
has time for many more careers. Bar
mum and Baileys Albino pachyderm
was burned to death in the Bridgeport
fire OF ST."
The dancing elephants createo a fur
ore Wherever Forepaugh and Sells ex-
hibit. The big dual show is scheduled
for exploitation in Wheeling next Sat
urdsY.