The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-24
How EIephants Are Taught.

s'Scores of people ask me every day"
so stupid looking and thick skinned as an
elephant can be taught anything. 1 tell
them all that elephants are not unlike
children Some are too dull to learn any
thing and others can catch an idea quick
ly. Tom" he went on, pointing to the
large elephant who was bustly engaged
in throwing hay on his back, al Though
The first trick [ taught him was to lie
plish as it might seem, for it took block
and fall at front and rear with a gang
a one side and as I said Get down.! his
feet We're drawn out from under him
This had to be repeated only a few times
before he learned what Get down meant
ITO teach him to stand on his hind legs
and on his head a block and fall on
beam over his heaq snatch Plq }3a ana
vices of another elephant We're all re
in harness walked forward ana rom
front feet went up, While his hind feet
stand on your head? his front feet,
which had been previously chained, re-
manned on the floor, while his hind feet
We're drawn up until they almost literally
kicked the BEAM
learned to drill to right about face and
left about face, I stood on one side Of
we each had a prod. AS [ commanded
Right about faceH he was pushed over
to the right, and left about face he was
prodded IN that direction. taught MN
TO waltz in much the same way, only as
him go clear around and now he is one
of the best walters in the country. He
one lesson. Both required the same motion
and they are really the same trick, al
he knews which is which and never picks
up the fan or napkin when tell him to
one at a time, in his trunk, and with the
fan and bell 1 shook it and with the nap
kin wiped first one side OF his mouth and
then the other. He took to hand organ
grinding like a Mulberry street italian.
I t. L. f n fayr f,V-ifa trio
The elephant is the only animal whose
! legs all bend the same way. His hind
| creeping is not very comforta BILE, but he
does it as well as a baby. His perform
/ anceS on the harmOnica are the most sur
| ali the intelligence REQUIRED Tor that is
| holding the Instrument. AS he must
moves it back and forth | 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
/ er up than the sound ceases until they are
His tub is 215 feet high and it took me
] about an hour to get him to mount 1t the
! first time and as long to get him down
from it once he was up. I had finally
to improvise a step from it before he
| again. however, and came down and re
! peated the movement several times il
/ stands on his hind feet, his front feet
his side feet and waltzes and changes or
People all seem to think that ele-
plant has no sense of feeling because his
skin is thick and coarse The fact is
that his skin is as sensitive as a baby's
and if you tickle him witt. a straw yol
| have TO be repaired frequently, for they
are. as susceptible to cornS and stone
| bruises as the feet OF people, and they
| have to be cut and trimmed. You wouldn
think it, would you. that twice arounc
Toms foot. when he is standing with his
full weight upon it. is equal to his hight
It is true and it is a rule that seldom
The African elephants have only foul
toes and their ears are very large. The
Asiatic elephants have five toes and then
ears are smaller. There are few African
elephants in this cOuntry-not more thar
three or four. Not long ago at an exhi
bition in this city, there was a skin O.
| 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
| elephant People don't know anything
| about them