The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-01-10
ELEPHANTS TRICKS.
HOW THE AWKWARD ANIMALS hRl
TAUGHT TO PERFORM.

Same Are Too Dull 10 Learn
thing. while Others Are Quick %
catch an Idea ForcibIe MetE2s-r
u.ed In Their Training.
ssscores Of people ask me every day
said Keeper Snyder OF the eiepnan'
house in Central park recently, now
ANYTHING so stupid looking and thick
skinned as an elephant can be taught
ANYTHING. / tell theIR all that elephants
are not unlike children. Some are TOO
duU to learn anything. and Others can
catch an idea quickly. Tom, he went
ON. pointing 10 the large elephant VINO
was busiIv engaged in throwing hay on
his hack ..although iraseible in disposl-
tion. is quite intelligent. The first trick
I tanoht him was to lie down This
was net so easy TO accomplish as u
roiobt seem. for it took block and teli
Mt front and rear. with gang OF ID OF
90 men at each end. I stood at one
side. and as I said Get down ms les
were drawn out from under him ms
had TO be repeated only few times be
fore he learned what Get down meant
for him
..To teach him TO stand on his hlnd
feet and on his head a block and tall on
= bean over his head. snatch block
and two dead men in the floor and the
services of another elephant were al
required. As / said Get up the ele-
nbant in harness walked forward. and
Toms front feet went up, while ms
hind feet were chained together. When
/ said Stand on your headl' his front
feet. which had been previously chain
ed remained on the floor. while his
hind feet were drawn up until they al
most literally kicked the beam
..These were his first lessons. When
he learned 10 drill to right about, face,
and left about. face. / stood on one
side of him and another man on the
other. and we each had a prod As
commanded Right about, facet he was
pushed over to the right and Left
about. facet he was prodded in that
direction. / taught him to waltz IN
much the same way. only as we pushed
him back and forth we made him go
clear around. end now ne is one Of the
best walters in the country. he learn
ed to ring the bell and fan himsSh IN
one lesson. Both require the saIse mo
ton. 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 / only had
to put each, one at a time, in his trunk.
and with the fan and bell | shook 1t
and with the napkin wiped first one
side Of his mouth and then the other.
He took to hand organ grinding Ike
Mulberry street Italian. 1t is one Of his
favOrite tricks.
"The elephant is the only animal
whose legs all bend the same way. his
hind legs bend in. and the position re-
uuired for creeping is not very comfort
able. but he does il as well as a baby.
His performances on the harmonica
are the most surprising to OnlOOl-ers,
but the fact is that all Ghe intelligence
required for that is holding the instru-
ment. As he must breathe through his
trunk. every breath moves 1t 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 are down
again.
"His tub Is about 21{ 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 TO inprOviso step from 1t
before he wo1ld come down. He went
right up Gsca. however. and came
down and repe...-! The movement sew /
eral times Ia the first lesson Now he
mounts it and stands on his hind feet
his front feet, his side feet and vaItzas
and changes on it.
people all seem to think that an ele-
plant has no sense of feeling because |
his skin is thick and coarse. The fact is |
that his skin is as sensitive as n baby's |
and if you tickle him with 4 straw yOu |
will find il ont The feet of the elo-
phart have TO be repaired frequently.
for they are as susceptible to corns and |
stone bruises as the feet Of people. ard |
they have to be cut and trimmed. You |
wouldn't think IT, would yOu. that |
twice around Toms front foot when he |
is standing with his full weight uron |
it. is equal to his heightl IL 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 la-Sc.
Tho Asiatic elephants have five toes.
and their cars are smaller. There G-e
few African elephants in this country
not more than three or foar. Not |
long ago. at an exhibition in this city /
there was a skin Of leather with small |
ears and comparatively fine texture (the
hide from all elephants has too large
pores 70 make it Of use). and 1t was
labeled. Hide from an African Gle
phant- People dent know anything
a'out them New York Post.