Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-06

It is Usually When He is in a Blind
Rage.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer
Perhaps the most dangerous, constantly
dangerous business In the world is the one
into which have been tossed-the bust
ness OF elephant man with a circus" said
menagerie employe
There Is a constant demand for bull
men,. but few will accept the position.
and most of us fell into the business by
accident. and. showing talent or reckless
disregard for consequences made a success
In handling the animals. and have since
been classed as bull men, and offered that
job and no other
Despite the perils. the constant watch
iuiness. the half-conscious realization that
death Is near. probably not an elephant
man In the world today would leave his
calling II has fascination OF strange
Kind, and the keeper becomes attached to
the great brutes that tremble at his word
one instant and the next may turn upon
him and trample him.
Good elephant men command good pay.
Most or them live In state OF constant
watchfulness. realizing the treacherous ma
ture OF the brutes. and those who do not
realize this sooner or later are tIampIed or
hurled to death
THE elephant Is the most treacherous
moody. changeable animal in menagerie.
They are twice dangerous as tigers
lions or bears. The men who handle the
big cats in their cages are forced to watch
the cages with them, but that lasts only a
short time
I'VE bull men live with our gigantic
pets. sleep near them, ride them. order
them around, enter with them into closed
cars for long rides We are not afraid of
them Before many years we become IA
talsts. We expect them to kill us some
day. but hope 1t may not be soon just as
the ordinary citizen expects death some
day.
Trainers testify that the elephant brain
works nearer like that of a human being
than the brain of any other animal The
moods and tempers of the big brutes
change suddenly. The weather. hard
night ride on the cars bruised foot may
turn the best natured elephant into a peev-
fsh brute. ready to strike and murder in
instant. But these moods pass quickly. The
great danger is when an elephant Is just
turning into rogue Every elephant turns
rogue sooner or later. and they never re-
cover. They may be tractable for a time
after quieting down. but the attack will
return, and then probably a keeper will be
killed. The female elephants turn rogues
earlier and are more violent than the males,
and the females are more dangerous in or
binary times.
Elephants form great attachments for
certain men and bitter hatreds of others.
hatred that means murder when the OPP
portunity arrives. But the love or an ele-
plant for its keeper will not deter Ii from
killing him when the outbreak comes.
There was one notorious elephant who
Travelled with a score Oh ciTCuSeS
different names and was finally executed.
who loved one man. friend of mine, as
never maiden loved him. She would do
anything for him. He drank. She cared
for him and drove away every one who
tried to come near when he was drunk and
asleep under her feet. He was discharged
from several circuses. and each time TOOK
the elephant. No one else being able TO
handle her, the owners OF the shows
understood that to discharge him was to
lose the beast. and tacity she became his
proDerty But she in one rampage
tramped him until he Is a cripple for life.
and she killed one of the rescuers, defend
ing fiercely the man she had crushed.
Good elephant men. ones who can train
the animals, command big salaries. one
whom I know receiving $50 week, but
the ordinary bull man. recruited from
among the canvas hands or laborers who
have no fear, receive small salaries and ac-
cept the positions because the work is
easier. being willing to risk their lives to
escape hard work. These men, OF course.
are under competent trainers.