The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
ELEPHANT NUMBERING IN BURMAH.
The Great Beast Sometimes Works
without Immediate Oversight.

Leslie Harrison, In Forestry and Irrigation
America presents varied scenes and contrast
while modern invention makes use of endless
cables and improved log tramways. there can
primitive power Of skids and steers. Even more
than most persons realize. the use Of these slow
is in requisition from the Maine woods to the
redwood forests Of California. The sole use OF
the OK in lumber camp however. is that OF
In Burmah the animal generally used In lum-
bering operations is the elephant. While my
transportation problem-always q vexatious one
Ia numbering operations-he does more than that.
from one place to another, but the load has to
be made ready for him in the first place, and
after ss eas Ts. az s it
these operations. Not emily Is he q draught an
imal, but in some instances. at a word from
designated point, and then not only deposits il
where IT belongs. but does SO with precision and
impossible by hand labor. and with less ex-
psnditure of time than would be required by a
or mahout. is required for each elephant bu;;
human labor Is so cheap as not to be a factor in
which is paid for. and the driver is looked upon
necessary, though not altogether desirable.
coneomitant; as the native helper Is not so much
and the strong brews Of native roots work on
human fraiity. but the elephant has no desire
the elephants are seemingly ''told'' what they
are to do in the morning and In some degree lef,
to carry the work during the day according
stories told of their sagacity. One OF these
stories, vouched for true, concerns lumber
ing and tells Of elephant that was about tc
pick up log just the great gong which
signaled the close OF the days work was sounded
To the surprise of the mahout, the log. only 9
little larger than others which had been car
ried, proved too heavy for the elephant to lift
from the ground. Another elephant was requisi-
toned. but the two together failed TO make an,
Roadway with the heavy timber, and the attenp
was given up In the morning the nrst elephant
went Immediately TO the timber, lifted II with
apparent ease, and carried IL to the required
The lumber handled by these beasts is how.
ever exceedingly heavy Most OF IL is teak IA
miliar TO Americans in the form of black. quaint
" carved furniture, of a weight and hardness
which suggest ebony. Much of IT, when handled
by the elephants is thoroughly water soaked
In Rudyard Kiplings poem. "Msndalay," which
exploits some OF the charms OF the capital OF
upper Burmah. he speaks of
Elephants a-pllin' teak
In the sludgy, squdgy creek
In story, 'Moti-Guji," he tells how an eIe
plant OF that name ordered to work for :
period OF several days. during which time tn.
mahout was 70 be away. Before leaving IN.
driver tapped the big elephants foot numbe,
OF times. agreeing with the specified number o
DAYS which the beast was TO work while he wa
gone True TO these Instructions Moti-Cu
worked peaceably and with ardor until the Sc
time was up. At the expiration OF the driver,
leave the elephant refused to work and threat.
force and cajolery ulavailing TO CONNIE
him TO keep at his task until the recaIcItran
plant were at last reunited. however ali trac
OF stubbornness and bad temper disappear re,
from Noti-Guj. and he resumed his task witt
an evident willingness There are many othe
sagacity OF the elephant. for whose inteIlgenc
the novelist has respect.