The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-09

anErily yesterday and beat the doors with
her trunk as she felt the first of spring.
Keeper Snyder watched her anxiously.
From time TO time ne drew diagrams OF i'm
genlous tackles made OF cables by which
| ne hopes TO hold her when at last he
cuts at those ponderous feet, one step
or which would crush the fearless keep
| er into a shapeiess mass
/ but it's got 10 be done" he said with
sigh. Her feet are I'm awful shape and
she knows 1t. She knows what is the mat
ter with her. But her feet are terribly
sensitive. IL isn't that she is bad tenn
: pered, like old Tom, who would kill me
Just for fun. But she Is nervous and
/ there isn't any telling what she will do
! 10 the fellow who pares little too fine. q"
When he opened the back door 10 the
pen the massive beast surged forward
J toward the open az far as her chain would
! allow She trumpeted and strained at her
( fastening, longing TO get out.
Look out for her, sir, said the keep
er. See those hangnails on her feet.
/ There's inches of them that got TO be
cut away. and she is going to be scared
almost to death at the first nip. You see
elephants have five toes OF hard horn
"A horse has TO have his feet trimmed
when he goes 10 the smith. and an ele-
phant gets into the same trouble In cap
tivity. When wild. an elephant wears
down his toes. hut they don't get enough
tremendous corns, and We just have TO
pare them.
The sole of elephants foot is as tough
as the frog Of horses hoof Since these
elephants have been shut up here these
soles have grown so thick that we have
to pare off the corns and bunions.
Some time this week shall tackle the
lab, though I have not vet decided how
TO hold Jewel down Tom has beastly
temper and Is dangerous, but he has been
through the operation before. and. with
an elephants Intelligence. understands
that II " for hts good.
"lIe will lie down when ItelI him. and
one by one will put his feet on a block.
First ! take a big pair OF shears and clip
the hangnails. Then 20 TO work on his
toes with a rasp made especially for the
purpose. ~ will take me an hour or two
on each foot.
CoRNS OF ...AMMoTH PROPORTIONS
Then comes the ticklish part With
large drawknife | must cut a couple OF
Inches on the sole OF each foot. When
II gets dow pretty fine III take a .rasp
Every little while III press hard with my
thumb as | get to the quick When ne
winces and tells me in elephant that IL
hurts | stop right there. single rasp
on the quick and he'll kill me, too sud
den.
Jewel Is a worse proposition. because |
she Is so nervous and her feet are so ten
der. A while ago l tried It, but she trum- !
peted shrilly the first rasp and so near !
ly killed me that | had 90 give 10 up \
She's got ten pounds Of corns on each I
foot and she doesn't appreciate the fine \
points ot pendicure She Just thinks it IL I
up 10 her to XIII the chiropodists
Sc won't lie down yhen ] tell her. and l
she won't stay down when she's put
there. She utterly refuses to- put her foot
on the block and she gets frightened To-
death when We try To tie her. You might
Just as we'll try 10 tie town a locomotive
when she gets frightened.
''l'll take her I'm the morning. when we !
can lock all the doors and there won't be
any spectators around 20 get killed. Wen
get all the keepers around 10 manage her
and use all the rope in the park if neces.
sory.
People will bear her down TO the Bat