Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-06
COL. CHILCOTT CAN'T SELL
Interesting Link in the Tale Of the Abys-
siniGn Ground Hsg,
TURNS OUT ToBE GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
Travel Knocks the stuhlnE out of
the Abyssinian wOnder and the
Colonel Hns aEisEivings
aa to Journey.

It has developed, as another link in the
tale OF the Abyssinian grounding. that
Colonel Chilcott has been waited on by four
Omaha men representing four different
cliques of capitalists, with a view to pur-
chasing the animal. The colonel refused
them all under circumstances somewhat
embarrassing.
Late Saturday afternoon the distinguished
Britisher was called upon at the Omaha
club by George West Of the Northwestern's
passenger department and a principal pro-
motor Of Ak-Sar-Ben functions. Scarcely
was west seated before E. ]. Cornish Of
the Park board dropped in. Later DR.. w.
H. Hanchett Of the Philosophical society
was shown up, and finally Pony" Moore,
amusement dealer. appeared with a fresh
cigar and the air Of a man who has many
thing to do in the next few minutes.
The colonel knew them all and received
them cordially and unexpectedly. But
conversation Jagged. Each Of the four was
waiting for the other three to move out and
give him a chance to talk business. Finally
the colonel CHANGED to remark that he
sometimes thought Of selling out. mmedi-
ately there came, in chorus, the query:
How much is the hog worth?
Chilcott of England was amazed. Rising
to his feet he said: do you wish me to un-
derstand, gentlemen, that you came here to
negotiate for the Abyssinian wonder?"
Exactly" said Moore, with great prompt
ness. Since it has come to a showdown,
l may as we'll say that that's my business,
and I'm ready to close the deal right now,
IL you name a figure l can touch. I've got
some show money back OF me and well
play the brute in vaudeville II we can get
him"
without M~ercenary Motive.
Permit me to be considered as having
the same object in calling, colonel, but
with a better purpose in view" interrupted
DR.. Hanchett. laboring under some embar-
rassment. THE Philosophical socity would
like to purchase, but not with a mercenary
motive. The animal would have only scien-
tihc value for us. Such a specimen Of
sepiens luder / have never seen and in view
Of the rich fossil finds made in Abyssinia
recently it's presence now would be a great
help. Several of us belonging to the So
ciety are willing to contribute to a pur-
chase fund. Now if"
We'll, l am not posing as an authority
on fossils or foreign discoveries" chimed
in Mr.. Cornish, but we have been looking
for some absolute novelty for Riverview
park and this hog would answer splendidly.
though fully appreciate the hazard of
keeping it in our climate"
BY this time the colonel was prepared
for almost anything and looked Westward.
George came to the mark. II don't want
it myself. but / want it for some Chicago
men who are interested in our road and
who, / may say. are amply able to pay any
thing like a reasonable price. What they
intend to do with it. l don't know. All
I am told is that they want it, and want
me to buy It,"
Gentlemen" the colonel is reported to
have said, very deliberately, "you have all
misunderstood my remark. What was
intending to say was that 1 thought of
selling my estate in England in order that
when l visit America again l may stay as
long as l like with no business cares. My
agent there has Just written that the house
at my country place has burned. AS for
the grounding, 1t is the property OF the
British government and l could 10 more
sell 1t than 1 could sell the rosetta stone.
II negotiations would do any good at all,
the proper channel would be through the
British consul here, Mr.. M. A. Hall, and
not through me-"
Colonel ChiIcOtt Talks.
The four callers left shortly afterward
and when seen yesterday by a reporter tried
to have the story suppressed-all except
Moore, who, as he expressed it, stood
pat"
The colonel said: 81 had four callers
and each purposed buying the hog, but
1 do not care to say anything more than
this, as they are pleasant gentlemen and a
newspaper report might be offensive to
them. 1t is a mincing matter, at best, and
not to be strung out.
"If you wish to quote me at all, let me
give you the more agreeable statement
that I am very glad l stopped here with
'Ek-afyl-lub,' which is the name the ma
tive A~byssinian attendants have given the
grounding. 1t means, as nearly as l can
explain, son of the sword or more liter
bally, son Of the chopping blade presum-
ably suggested by the form OF the beast
and his lash-like temper. / felt some mis-
givings as to his enduring the climatic
conditions prevailing here, because some
one east told me that a Mr.. Cudahy Of his
acquaintance had had thousands of hogs
of the common barnyard species die right
before his eyes in South Omaha. l learned
upon my arrival last Wednesday that Mr.,
Cudahy is a packer and 1t has just oc'
CURED TO me today that perhaps my eastern
friend meant his remark as a joke. How
ever. my fears have not been totally un'
grounded, and / do not feel certain nov
that ! shall ever get the animal through
TO Australia alive. People have no idea
what a weight Of responsibility is on me
during this trip, nor what a help II is tc
stop and rest in good quarters awhile
Travel knocks the stuf1ng out Of any SEN
sitive creature. and OF course II 'Ek-afyl'
lub' ever gets to feeling like the stuhinl
was being knocked out Of him, his career
will end In a hurry.
asv.,, nao,la bara hava takan an Immans,