The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-06-07
A WHITE ELEPHANT

Time flies and customs change, even in
the most conservative countries of the con-
sentative east, and the glory Of the white
elephant is fast waning. Before the inf1u-
ence of another white animal, the European.
he is passing slowly but surely into limbo.
! The greater part of Indo-China is now DOS.
sessed by England and France, whose rulers
lay no claim to Sekya Waday descent, and
who can usually find sufficient exercise for
! their diplomacy and their armies without
recourse to geological freaks, while in Siam
| long years of uninterrupted accumulation
produced collection which, necessarily I'M
rivaled in extent, reduced the once prmcely
white elephant to the level of common
object of the streets of Bangkok Siam is.
in fact, the last stronghold of the white ele-
| plant, and signs are not wanting that, even
there, he will ere long cease to exist ex-
cept as other elephants exist. The contrast
between the former splendor and the pres
ent forlorn condition of these royal beats
affords striking example of the mutability
| of things mundane
Sangermano, Brugniere, Van Schouten,
and others, have left accounts of the cap
! ture of white elephants in different parts of
Indo-Chna, all of which lay stress on the
magnificence of the ceremonies, and the
great delight of kings and people in well
coming the august pachyderm to the capt.
tai. The fortunate individual who dis
covered the whereabouts of the white ele-
plant was at once raised to the highest rank
of nobility, and very likely married to the
kings daughter, the latter honor being,
however, not so great as it sounds, as the
king probably had good many dozens of
daughters to dispose of. The capture hav-
ing been effected, reliefs of mobiles were told
off to mount guard over the animal, which
was bound with silSen ropes and detained
in the jungle where he was caught. A pal
ace was erected for it's reception close to
that of the king, and roads were made from
the place of capture to the principal high
way Installed in his palace, load
ed with honors, and with the highest-sound-
ing titles, surrounded by the golden umbrel-
las and other insignia of his greatness, the
white elephant led a life of luxurious ease
lulled to sleep by the choral chants of priests
and solaced in his waking hours by the songs
and dances of the ladies of the royal corps
de ballet" from which latter his excellency
doubtless derived much edifcation. Fed
on delicious fruits and the most succulent
vegetables especially washed and prepared
for him, bathed every day by obsequious at
tendants, all he had to do was to live and
thrive, thereby increasing the glory of the
king, and securing the prosperity and sta.
bility of the fortunate country which pos
sessed him.
Forty-five years ago his majesty King
Mongkut of Siam was the possessor of one
white elephant, which in spite of the high
education and good intellect of that SOW
ereign, was his chief delight and pride. AS
the greatest compliment he could think of
paying to the queen of England he sent her,
by the hands of her envoy, few hairs culled
expressly for her from the tail of his be-
loved animal; and when, little later, the
arbiter of his destiny departed this life, he
sent as present to his friend Sir John
Bowring, accompanied by touching letter
in English, a small piece of ''its beautiful
white skin" How changed are the present
conditions of existence of the white ele-
plants in Bangkok! The recent addition of
young specimen to the collection afforded
an opportunity of noting the miserable par
ody which is all that survives of the ancient
ceremonies connected with the capture and
installation of the white elephant The ami.
NAL in question was captured in the forests
near Lopburi, place once famous as the
summer palace and hunting lodge of the
kings of Siam. No patent of nobility or al
lance with royalty rewarded the finder Of
the animal; small pecuniary recompense
was thought quite sufficient to meet the
case. When it was announced
that the animal was sufficiently tame, his
transfer to Bangkok was ordered. There
upon he was marched down to Ayuthia,
where specially constructed railway truck
was in readiness to receive him. But where
were the gilded pillars, the silk and satin
hangings of the pavilion which should re-
ceive the august creature? Where the rev.
erent multtudes to do homage to the mas
cot of their king and country? Alas! these
things have departed, and are no more seen,
little red calico and group of stolid rail-
way porters and Chinese coolies alone rep.
resenting the gorgeous decorations and ador.
ing populace of the past.
In Bangkok, however, some preparation
had been made for the reception. The fact
of the impending arrival was notified to the
people, and had even been published in the
papers some days before. Consequently, a
considerable crowd assembled at the ter
minus to witness the Decentralization. The
streets were decorated here and there with
bunting, and procession, headed by the
four white elephants resident at the cap
ital, escorted the newcomer to the palace. A
crowd of bowmen and spearmen accom-
panied the elephants through the streets.
These men were dressed in what was ap-
parently intended to represent the mill
tary costumes of the brave old days, but if
the warriors of yore at all resembled these
miserable bundles of rags and pasteboard,
it is evident that all the accounts of Ralph
Fitch and other historians of the splendid
courts and armies of old Indo-C China must
have contained good deal more of romance
than of truth. The trappings of the white
elephants themselves were also most pitiful
to view. Tawdry, threadbare red cloth now
takes the place of jewel-studded velvet and
silk, diamond and ruby rings no longer or
nament the precious tusks, nor are gold
bangles to be seen upon the august limbs.
If, as honest Father Brugniere states, the
white elephants appreciate the honors paid
/ them, regarding such as no more than their
| due, and are unhappy if treated without
proper respect, how sad must be the lot of
the present incumbents, shorn of nearly all
the attributes which they feel should be
| theirs, and condemned to condition of ex.
istence hardly superior to that of the COM