The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-10-19
ELEPHANTS TRICKS.
HOW THE AWKWARD ANIMALS R0G
TAUGHT TO PERFORM.

some arc TOO Iuli TO Learn any
thinr. While Othcrn Are Quicis 20
Catch nm Idcn Forcible Methods
Used In Their Trnining.
Scores Of people asl; 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 chat 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 tho large elephant who
was busily engaged in throwing hay on
his back, "ulthough irasciblo in disposi-
tion, is quite intelligent. The first trick
taught him was to lie down. This
was not so easy TO accomplish as it
might seem. for IL took block and fall
at front and rear VITA a gang of 10 or
20 men at each end. | stood mt one
side and as / said Get downH 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.
~ A'tANh hiii w FAtlAiNA VIZ iAAN iAAh
feet and on his head block and fall on
II beam over his head, snatch block
and two dead mem in the floor and the
services of another elephant were all
required. AZ | said Get upl the cle-
phant in harness walked forward, and
Toms front feet went mp, while his
hind feet were chained together. When
| said Stand on your head 1 his front
feet, which had been previously chain
ed, remained on the floor. while his
hind feet We're 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, stood on one
side of him and another man on tho
other. and we each had prod. AS |
commanded Right about, facet he was
pushed over to the right and Left
about, facol' he was prodded in that
direction. l taught him to waltz in
much the same way. only rs we pushed
him back and forth we made him 90
clear around, and now he is one of the
best walters in the country, He learn
cd to ring the bell and fan himself in
one lesson. Both require the same mo-
tion, 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 him TO ring the bell l only had
to put each. one at time in his trunk,
and with the fan and bell / shook il
and with the napkin wiped first one
side Of his mouth and then the other.
He took to hand organ grinding like II
Mulberry street Italian. 1t il one of his
favoritc tricks.
"Tho elephant IL the only animal
whose legs all bend the Same way. Lis
hind legs bend in, and the position re-
quired for creeping is not very comfort
able, but he does it as well as "a baby.
His performances on the harmonica
| are the most surprising to onlookcrs,
but the fact is that all the intelligence
required for that is holding the instru
mcnt As he must breathe through his
trunk, every breath moves it back and
forth. l discovered that he holds his
breath when he stands on his hind legs
by trying to get him TO do that and
| play the harmonica at the same time,
but his front feet are no sooner up than
the sound ceases until they arc down
again.
"IIis tub is about 2i5 feet high, and
it took me about an hour TO get him to
mount it the first time and as long TO
get him down from it once he was up.
| had finally 20 improvisc II step from it
before he would como down. He went
Il. 4
down and repeated the movement sev-
eral times in the first lesson Now he
mounts it and stands ON his hind feet
his front fcet his side feet and waltzos
and changes on it,
"Peoplo all seem 60 think that an cle-
phant has no sense of feeling because
his skin il thick and coarse. The fact Is
that his skin is rs sensitive as Il baby's,
and if you tickle him with IA straw you
will find it out Tho feet Of the ele-
plant have to bo repaired frequently
for they are as susceptible to corns and
stone bruises as the feet of people, and
they have to DO cut and trimmed. You
wouldn't think it, would you, that
twice around Tom front foot when he
il standing with his full weight upon
it, is equal to his hcight2 1t is true,
and it is rule that seldom varies an
inch in any elephant.
1.-The African elephants have only
four toes, and their ears are very large
Tho Asiatic elephants have five toes,
and their ears are smaller. There are
few African elephants in this country
not more than three on four Not
long ago, mt an exhibition in this city,
there was skin Of leather with small
ears and comparatively fine texture (the
hide from all elephants has too large
pores to make it of use), and it was
labeled, Hide from an African ole-
phant. People don't know anything
about them. New York Post.
Not His style.
"a musician out Of work, are your