Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-28
ELEPHANTS PECULIAR
THEIR TRAITS DESCRIBED BY MR..
W. n. GARDNER.
influence of a Little Man Over Biggest
Animal Of It's Kind in
the World.

Elephants are very peculiar animals. NO
one can possibly tell who they will take a
notion to, or who they will turn against,
and there is mo telling in advance what
they Will do toward any one. They are
more than women past finding OUT
The speaker was Mr.. W. H. Gardner, gen.
eral agent of the Adam Forepaugh and
sells brothers shows, who was in the city
lew hours yesterday. Mr.. Gardner held
the same position with the Barnum AID
Bailey show for about twenty-five years in
this country and Europe. He has been
around the world repeatedly. Continuing,
he said
The general suppesition obtains that ele-
phants may be handled only by the severest
methods. In some respects that is true.
But there are some elephants that will not
stand any sort of punishment They know
thelr strength and will use it If provoked.
one or the most noted illustrations of this
fact was Jumbo. OF course, as is now well
known, Mr. Bailey was the real head Of the
firm of Barnum & Bailey. Mr.. Barnum
mad the reputation that was valuable but
Mr.. Bailey was the Snowman. His career
has proved that the world has never known
MS equal. When he purchased Jumbo from
the geological gardens Of London, he
brought with him Matthew Scott, who had
charge of him from the time he first came
from Siam to London.
Now, Scott was one OF the gentlest little
men ever seen. He has been working in
Mr.. Baiiey's menagerie since Jumbo's
death, taking care of small animals, and,
by the way, he is in Europe with Mr.. Bal
ley now doing the same thing. Jumbo was
the only elephant he ever handled. Mr..
Balley's Judgment In this matter was cor
rect, as 1t usually is in all things pertaining
to his business When Jumbo arrived we
all went down to the dock There had been
enormous diffculties in getting him aboard
the ship at London and like difficulties were
expected here in unloading him. Mr.. Bailey
sent Scott In to see Jumbo. The little man
went in and began to talk to the biggest
brute in the world since prehistoric times.
HIS SOFT, gentle voice could scarcely be
heard.
Objections Overcome.
with his hands empty Scott went up to
Jumbo In his room, which had been built
upon the upper deck of the ship, and
walked UP to him confidently and said:
Hello Jumbo! Nice old Jumbo! Won't
you come with me, Jumbo? Come on Jum-
DO! Come along!
And as he loosened the chains upon Jum-
Dos ankles the big fellow stepped out Of
the house and submitted quietly to the pro-
cess OF being hoisted off the ship by means
of an enormous crane. Scott remained with
Jumbo all the time. He paid no attention
to any OF the other elephants. Among them
was a very big and very bad elephant
called Pilot, who long since paid the death
penalty for his wckedness. 1t was plain
to see that Pilot was horribly jealous of
Jumbo. Before JumbO's arrival Pilot had
been the star monster Of the herd, and he
seemed to know that he had been super
seeded as well as we knew 1t.
"One evening at Lansing, Mich Pilot got
loose from his chains. and, without making
any noise, he worked his way around in
front of Jumbo's place ,of honor in the
menagerie. Suddenly Scott felt himself
seized and dragged backwards, and In the
next instant he saw before him the enor-
nous trunk Of Jumbo. Looking beyond the
protecting trunk he saw the maddened Pr
lot standing before him, shrieking his anger
at being prevented by Jumbo from wreak-
Ing his dislike upon Scott. But old Jumbo
stood just there. holding Scott between his
trunk and his fore legs,and Mr.. Pilot knew
1t would be bad work for him to come any
closer.
shrieks Attract Keepers -.
PILOTS shrieks were heard all around
the show, and in IA moment his keepers