Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-30
ELEPHANT ON HIS HANDS.
Deputy Found Debt Collection From a
 Circus Isn't Jocular Occupation.


 Deputy Found Debt Collection From a
 Circus Isn't Jocular Occupation.
 No more circuses in mine, when it is a question of debt collection" ob- served the rural deputy sheriff pen sively. q tried it with little one ring circus that was in our town re- gently, and I found that the expres- sion of having an elephant on your hands isn't half as jocular as people suspect.
 This particular circus stayed in our place three days and as it didn't play to much business, it owed quite a lit tie bill for feed for the animals and rent of the fair. grounds So the cred- ttors pooled their interests and got out a claim on the property of the show. A Judgment was obtained and the sheriff gave it to me to collect.
 'I thought I would show myself a real crafty man, so I strolled over to the show grounds careless like and asked one of the men what was their most avluable animal. He allowed the elephant was. So I flashed my pa pers on the boss of the circus and pro- ceeded to take possession of the ele- phant.
 'tHe was big, meek-Eooking beast, and I didn't think he would give me any trouble. He didn't at first. Fol lowed me over to Farmer Browns barn as quiet and gentle as a COW. l sort of wondered at the circus people not making any protest, for the ele phant was certainly worth good deal more than the judgment against the show.
 ''Everything went lovely until the next morning, Then it seemed to oc-- cur to the big elephant that he had as he cared to stay. So he went out. The barn doors were shut, but the ele- phant didn't mind that, just put his big shoulder against them and they ripped not only open, but off their hinges, Out in the yard the elephant met Farmer Browns prize bulldog. People say that elephants are afraid of dogs, especially little ones. Maybe, the prize bulldog had heard this. At any rate he began to bark and snarl and made rushes at the elephant. Evi- dently this particular elephant hadn't heard the tale about his race being afraid of dogs. Instead. he looked at the dog in a placid, questioning man ner, as if he was wondering if it wouldn't look better up in the air than on the ground It didn't take him long to make up his mind. He reached out his big trunk. grabbed the bulldog around the neck, gave his trunk a sort of half swing and the next second the bulldog flew through the air and over the barn, che most surprised dog in that part of the state. He was a plucky enough dog, but when he reached the ground he realized that he had gone out of his class. He gave just one yelp and piked down the road as fast as his chubby legs could carry him.
 EAThe elephant put in the rest of the morning inspecting things on the farm, Anything he didn't like he pulled down. Farmer Brown and his men came out with pitchforlzs and made q bluff of driving him back into the barn. The elephant looked at them out of his wicked little eye. gave a snort and started toward them. He. didn't seem to be in hurry, but they were. Every man of them discov- cred he was needed at the other end of the farm. and needed right away.
 About noon one of the circus men showed up but he said he couldn't take charge of the elephant. for it was under the Jurisdiction of the county until the judgment was settled I nev-a CT saw a circus man who seemed so afraid that he might infringe on the majesty of the law Finally, after dis posing of a liberal supply of Farmer Browns best cider. obtaining can ceilation of the judgment against the show. and ttlclzing away a ten-doNar bill for his own private use in his pocket, the circus man said he would try what he could do. He did HeI gave one whistle. Up came the eIe- phant, swung the circus man on his back, and off they trotted down the road. as peaceful and good-natured as if that elephant had never done any thing worse than eat peanuts.
 As they went the circus man looked back and gave LIS the laugh It was plain that wasn't the first time the eIe- phant had been seized for debt. The whole performance was evidently an old one. no first rehearsal
 "Rut the next time I have to make levy on circus animals intend to take lions or tigers or grizzly bears some harmless pets of that descrfp- tion No more elephants for me- New York Press.
 A Miss Calculation.