Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-03

the elephants than with other children.
= They take as good care of him as any
nurse could. Every morning they are
restless till he comes. And as for him.
he is always in here He plays among
/ their feet and lets them swing him UP
on their backs all day long. They
wouldn't step on him, no indeed. They
take more care not to hurt him than
human being would. See hera."
He lifted the boy up to Babes left
ear and commanded: Listen, Babe.
Something to say to you"
Babe stuck her ear out and inclined
her head toward the boy, while he
1 talked into her ear Then she nodded
her head wisely and grunted.
Healey dropped the boy. Evan
stepped alongside of Babe aid slapped
her on the leg as high up as he could
reach, which wasn't higher than a
short mans knee. Down. Babe, down."
he said. Babe looked at rim with
funny look of appeal in her eye She
wiggled her tail and flirted her trunk
and turned her head away, saying
plainly. Let's talk of something else"
But the baby trainer was insistent.
And Babe sighed-a rumbling, roaring
sigh, as if a steam engine were to
whisper: "Oh, my!"
Then, with a weary grunt. she held
her trunk out to him coaxingly But
Evan only patted it and cried shrilly:
Down, Babe, | say" So Babe, look
ing as if she had no friend on earth,
grunted once more and dropped labor
lonely To hpr
er plunge that shook the elephant
house she let herself fall cumbrously
on her side, AMI stuck her four feet
into the air. Then she held out her
trunk and wiggled her upturned ear
Evan scrambled with hands and knees
up her massive. throbbing side and
perched himself. a little bright spot.
on top of the great tonnage of black
flesh
Then Basilhad TO go through the per-
Torrance and she, too, begged Evan to
let her off. but finally did what she was
hidden like a lamb. Each elephant at
once searched his clothes for sugar
when he let her get up.
Basil" said Mr.. Healey, els one of
the biggest elephants in America now
She is little more than nine feet high,
and Babe is almost as big, but 80 years
younger. Basil and Evan have been
friends almost since Evan was born.
He was born in Willis avenue, New
York, and when he was only a few
months old we came to Glen island and
ever since then Evan and the elephants
have played together. When we first
came here Basil learned to wheel Evan
around in the baby carriage, and il
soon got so that we could turn her
loose with the little one and feel that
he was safer in the protection of his
great nurse than he would have been
under the care of any human attend
ant.
While the trainer was speaking the
big brutes were jostling each other &c
reach Evan and tap him with theiI
trunks He stood between their legs
leaning against them, and the ele
, plants never moved a limb without
looking and feeling to make sure tha
they would not step on him. 1t WASH
| possible to see bit of him when h,
| got we'll behind one of the huge legs
but he was the master of the elephant
( for all that-Kipling' Toomaii in rea
: life.
He gets his love for animals legiti
: mately, for his father has made man!
: trips to Asia and Africa to get wil'
Z animals for American shows, beside
D having been a collector of snakes an,
e big reptiles in Cuba and South Amer
J, lea. He has been an unusually sue
4 cessful animal trainer almost all hi
life, and Evan has made up his min
{ that he will become one, too.-N. Y
b Letter in Kansas City Star.