Evening journal., 1905-05-15
BABY BOO" THE PET
OF RINGLING CIRCUS
Keeper Of the Herd Tells of
Pachyderm's Wonderful
Sagacity

"Baby Boo" is his name and he is the
pettei mchydorm m Ringing Brothers
herd of forty elephants. which viii be
seen in Wilmington, Friday May 18Th.
Tho Riuglinss have determined that
"Baby Boo must be disciplined ana her
frivolous spirit chastenod, for Of late he
has cvinccd d disposition to make merry
with patrons of the mcnagcrio, that So.
some of them. no put 1t plainly this dime
inutlve elephant has conceived a hntred
for silk hats and woe bctido the lucSlcsa
wight who happens within roach wearing
one. lor "Baby Boo" will stretch his baby
trunk like India rubber to snatch IL from
tho head and crush it beneath foot. it
Is all done in the most playful spirit
inasinablc. but The Mcssrs. Ringing are
getting tired of such prauldncss and have
informed Pearl souder their chief ele-
phmt trainer, To- take corrective meas
ures.
only the other day in Louisville Boo
succeeded in sweeping from the head of
"a TOO inauisltivn onlookor one of the ha-
tired hoad-coternss and trampling IL un-
dor foot What matters that nn inspec-
ton of the ruined htadgear disclosed the
uroduct of am ancient vntnse2 Tho hat
was ruined the owner thereof, 10 am irate
mood. ana the Ruelug Brothers paid the
freieht So 81 is that "hahy Boo is un-
dsr close surveillance nnU has promised
in IA way understood by his keeper To be
! lrood. aud look not upon tho time-honored
pot hat with ioathng and disdain.
one of the elephant trainers with the
SHOW ln speaking of the huge creatures
the other day said'
"Bceause the elephant IS such a huge
Icneature most people think he must ne
nu of danger That ia an nonsense. DID
YOU ever notice how fond they are OF
chndrenq Whoever heard of an elephant
Ehurtlng a childl
.'rhc elephant Is really of loving dis
position and invariably gentle and obe-
dient Apart from their trained per-
formanccs given m the show there are
times in the movement of bis circus
like Rmglings when IL would be im-
posshle to get on without Them The
immense. heavy cages used IN the me-
nagerie never could bo sct in place on
time without their powerful help. I have
secn heavy wagons weighing many tons
stalled in mud up TO the hub where horses
could not bulge them. The elephant be-
ing used his trunk and tusks az once be-
come lever screw-jack, dog-hooks and
crane. With his aid the wagons were
rlehted and order restored from chaos III
mighty short order. The elephants head
protected with a pad is a ram of immense
force. These things show what mighty
useful fellow he is in our world.
A lot of the stories about elephants
are fakes. The real clenhant-the one
KNOWS the best natured Wild animal IN
the world. lie is anectionate, loyal, obe
ldient. and as ready and eager TO learn
las "a bright child. Tie looks on the cheer.
fal side of things, and win play with his
lneghbor. even when SO old that his bone.
lare stimencd by rheumatism. They have
la family feeling, and when one Is sick i
would do your heart good 20 see Tho
others give It attention. They Will brinl
bundles of straw 20 make its bed, viii tos
wisDs OF hay over its back and body q
practice elephants love- and save tn
choicest OF the food for the ailing ele
,phant
''Their foudness for q baby elephant q
almost human. Baby Boo Is a wonder
ful comfort to the big herd. This young
ster. now over n year old, is as fun o
mischief as a young colt. He gets the bes
of everything that Is fed to his elder
: and is a perfect gluttou.
It's 6ne 20 see him try to hide thing
D that De doesn't want just for the mer
sake of keeping them. I ann at a loss &
/ figure this out because his mother wa
am msclnsh beast and his father was
Jolly. good-naturod fellow who wouh
let any of his mates lick up his bra
without any kick
"Al in an, there's much to admire i
the elephant and the forty head here wit
p the Ringlings Menagorio and they an
e each and an splendid types Of thei
Z species"