The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-08
FAMOUS ELEPHANT IS A CENTENARIAN Long and Honorable Career
 Led by Empress PET OF MELVILLE FAMILY Has Travelled With Great Many Cir cuses and Has Had Many Adven-
 lures, But Is Still Good
 Tempered.
PET OF MELVILLE FAMILY


 tance in the United States, Mexico and Canada, serving both sides in the civil war and entertaining old and young for more than 100 years, Empress, the oldest elephant in America, has been committed to the old elephants home. The commit ment papers have all been signed and to- day or tomorrow, it is expected, Empress will be on her way from Coney Island to Florida, where the home is situated
 A private car is to be fitted up for the old elephant and she Is to be taken down to Florida in a manner beftting the dign- ty of a eentenarian. Down on Frank Melvlle's farm in Florida she will be allowed to bask in the sun, eat all the hay she wants and await a natural end as no elephant out of the jungle has ever been allowed to do in this country. No- body knows how long from now this will be- As Empress now is known to be more than 100 years old the naturaIists will probably await her demise with interest as establishing the rather mooted point of the elephants natural span of life Ac- eording to the rather imperfect records of the species it is supposed to be from 100 to 30 years. But no other elephant in captivity has lived much more than half that time
 The reason why Empress has been or dered to Florida is because her days as an entertainer are over and. as a family pet she has been taking up a lot of room She is undoubtedly the oldest animal fam fly pet in this or any other country. She was family pet in the Melville family back in the thirtes, and when James Melville died and left her to his son Frank it was with the solemn injunction that unless there was a radical change in the old elephants temper she should never be killed no matter how useless she be- came for shop purposes
 Like Pet Dog.
 Ever since Empress was left to Frank Melville, whom Empress picked up in her trunk when he was years old, handling him as gently as a woman, he has been taking Empress around just as a man would take around his pet dog. He had her at the Hippodrome when he bossed the show there. and when he was shifted to Luna park Empress was taken along with the Melville trunks, just as a pet canary bird would have been. They found q place for her under the scenic railroad and there she has stayed. Her show days were over. She has 1nunched hay and watched the other elephants, big ones, but babies beside her, go out and do their turns and entertain the great-grandchil- dren perhaps of some of those whom she had amused back when elephants were rarity.
 But her quarters were small, and her state excited pity. Even Melville was forced to admit that it wasn't quite right to subject the mainstay of his forebears to the constant rattle of a scenic railway, so he decided the other day that Empress ga,o in, where he owns farm. If Empress Is still alive when Melville dies she will be hand ed down to the Melvllles who remain un- der the agreement made when the older Melviles died
 "It's pertty hard to part with her." said Melville yesterday because she has been handed down from my great grandfather but l shall go down to the farm when I can and stay with her as long as l can t1 see that she is treated right"
 Is Very Old.
 Few if any elephants in captivity have ever attained the age of Empress. She has been studied by elephant doctors and naturalists, and for years has been more of a curiosity than anything else. It has been years since she performed in public because as age has erept over her her joints have stiffened. and she hasn't been able to do the tricks she once did. Any one could tell Empress was very old elephant by looking at her Her hide besides being covered with curious in- orustations, has a peculiar graying look and her eyes seem dim. All other ele- phants brought over here for show pur- poses, with one or two exceptions, have had to be killed when they attained half the age of this one because of their tenn per, which increased with their age. But to the wonder of all Empress has never shown any sign of a dangerous temper She is as docle today as when she en- tertained soldiers in the civil war
 It was in 1887 that Empress was brought over to this country. She was imported from Ceylon for Cooks circus She was the second elephant to come here the first being Bolivar who arrived soms some time before her and died shortly afterward. For years Empress had the stage all to herself. Her first driver was the great grandfather of Frank Melville She was taken back to Europe for a short tour and then started in touring this country. For years she was chief at traction of the show outside of the band She was the first elephant ever taken into Mexico and the first that ever was seen in Havana.
 She went on a tour through the south while the war was on. and while at Nash vile the Union soldiers attacked the place. Thea Confederates commandeered Empress and she was made to haul am- munition and guns. Then the Union sol dlers chased the Confederates away. A'rlie Melvlles promptly reclaimed their ele- phant and charged the northerners $l apiece to see her do tricks Few of them had ever seen an elephant and she en- tertained the army.
 In Many Circuses.
 At one time or another Empress was. a part of every large circus that ever toured the country She was for years with the Forepaughs and just as long with the Barnum & Bailey show. But she has all ways been with one of the Melviles. for she belonged to them and she never left the family
 Travelling circuses did not have easy roads in the days when Empress was in her prime The roads were bad and the bridges were worse. Once at Independence. Ind. in 16S. the Melvilles came near los ing her. The circus they were with was crossing bridge. when 1t broke and the elephant fell thirty feet into shallow river She landed sitting fashion, and when they got to her she couldn't move Her legs were paralyzed.
 ''I remember it we'll said Frank Mel vile yesterday although l was pretty young then. My father did everything he could to save her, and she remained just where she had fallen for four days. They finally gave her a mixture Of some herb, sn,ne ouiuina ubiSkv and sour mola sses