Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-12-01
THE ELEPHANTS REVENGE.
Settled Grudse Against Dog After Five
Years.


"Tody" Hamilton, the famous press
agent of the one-and- only greatest
show on earth, was in Washington re-
Gently on his way to arrange for the
turn of the circus to the winter quar-
ters, and. as might have been expect
ed. he was there with story.
Before we took the show to Europe
five years ago." he said wed been
visiting Memphis every year for four
years. On the route from the railroad
station to the circus grounds In Mem
phis there's a we'll situated next to q
fence in yard alongside little gro
Gerry store, at which we always water
the big animals on our way to the
grounds from the train, paying the
owner Of the well for the privilege.
When we used to use the we'll for this
purpose. the keepers Of the big ami
mails we're annoyed by miserable lit
tie tike Of Il spaniel, dog beloging to
the groceryman-one Of the kind OF dogs
that runs. barking. after passing horses
and tries to nibble at their hooks.
The fool dog used to persist in edging
up behind the animals when they were
being watered at the we'll, and barking
at their rears, and taking exasperating
fool bites OF their hind feet.
Thine and again the keepers lifted
the ki-yi on the toes Of their boots. but
ne ALWAYS returned to keep up his ir-
rtation Of the big animals, especially
the elephants. in spite Of all efforts
to shoe him off.
1.-The dogs game made one Of the
elephants, big Asian, with tender
feet, particularly sore. All elephants
are fnical about having their feet
touched, but when a circus elephants
feet become cobble-sore he gets to be
as cranky about having them touched
or even menaced as a pretty girl with
Il soft corn after returning from a tea
party to which she's worn a tight
boot.
This old tusker from the Himalaya
country began to try and kick the
spaniel to death the first year we visit
ed Memphis, but the dog always got
away from him. During those last
three years before We went to Europe
the elephant, every time we approach
ed that we'll, recognized 1t instantly, and
absolutely refused to 60 up to it or to
drink on account Of the annoying ac-
tions Of the poodle. He'd stand In the
middle Of the road and swish his trunk
and bestow malevolent glares upon the
little devil Of q prancing, barking, nib
bling dog, which would be busily en-
gagged in biting at the thirsty animals.
But the elephant never managed to land
him. much to the regret Of the exas-
perated animal keepers.
well, when We got to Memphis this
year. after the absence Of five years,
we had the same old elephant, the head
Of the herd by this time, along with US,
and he was very 'musth,' as the ele-
phant men say when the pachyderms
are out Of tune with themselves and the
world Remembering that imbecile dog
at the WE'LL the head elephant man sent
word ahead to the groceryman to re-
quest him to get the dog under cover,
for fear that the elephant would get on
the rampage and do some damage.
The boss elephant man wasn't, OF
course, sure that the spaniel was still
alive, but he wanted to make sure.
Well, the fool dog was still alive, all
right, but the groceryman only laughed
at the request as was found when the
we'll was reached with the pack of ele-
phants camels, bison. and so on. The
log, looking pretty old and gray-muz-
zled. but still fool, for all Of his hav-
ing reached the years Of discretion. was
prancing around in the middle OF the
road. waiting to begin his old tricks.
In spite Of all the efforts Of the keepers
to hoist the mutt, he ran In and out be-
tween the legs Of the herd Of elephants
when they went up to the we'll, gnaw-
ing on their legs and then hopping
away and barking furiously.
Then the old Asiatic elephant show
ed the kind of memory he had. He
stood In the middle of the road, trum-
peting and watching the dogs perform
ance for few minutes. Then he sud-
denly piped down his trumpeting and
began to nudge himself in the direction
Of the we'll so stealthily and quietly that
he was going on his tip toes. When he
had got to the rear Of the elephant that
was being watered at the we'll he sud-
denly shot out his trur' and grabbed
the yelping dog around the middle.
He raised the ki-yi his trunks
length in the air and then dashed him
to the ground with thud. Then the
old elephant jumped forward and dane
ed the life out Of the spaniel.
Not content with this, he picked up
the dead dog, with his trunk, and,
jumping over the we'll, threw the dead
log down into it. After pulling cou-
pie of boards off the we'll frame and
ihrOwing them down into the well on
TOD of the dead dog. the elephant heav-
ed sort of happy, Tve-got-hunk sigh,
and looked perfectly satisfied.
He got over being 'musth' very soon
after that, as if the killing Of that fool
dog had placated him and brought him
around We dug up ten spot to the
grocer to square him for the loss OF the
dog. and one Of the acrobats slid down
into the we'll and brought the dog out.
"Tve known for thirty years, or
course, what kind Of memories ele-
phants have. but that old Asian tusk-
er's feat of carrying the memory Of that
foolish Memphis spaniel in his mind for
the five years that we'd been away
from Memphis and batting around two
continents was abo tuas remarkable a
thing Of the kind as ever met up with
In the circus business" Washington