The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-11-13
TEACHING ELEPHANTS.
The Tall. Fat Legged. Small Eyed Kind
the Best Pupils.


the Best Pupils.
On Il number of points all elephant
trainers agree. says Appletou's Mag
zine. These are. first, that the tall,
fat legged, small eyed elephant of big
girth is not only the haudSomeSt, but
also the most docile and intelligent of
his kind second, that an elephant Is
fully aware of his prodigious strength,
compared with mans and that the rea-
Ron an elephant obcys his master Is
not because lie is afraid of him, but
because he has an affection for him,
third. You may beat Il bad elephant
10 death or kill him 10y ramming red
hot irons down his throat in an effort
10 press the "squcal of surrender" out
of him, but the Que and only way TO
train an elephant to perform ticks is
through kindness and patience unend
ing; last, but not least, without eX
ception the intelligence of the elephant
far exceeds that of any other animal
Elephant trainers maintain that train
ing IN elephant 10 perform is like
teaching Il boy circus riding, only less
diilicult
A number of The simpler tricks with
which an elephant entertains his att
dienee come as natural to him as the
tapping Of milk COMES to eat for
instance. the blowing of the mouth
harmonica
Twenty feet to the right or To the
left of the candidate to be taught 10
lie down four heavy stakes are driven
into the ground. and from each Of
these runs Il block and tackle con
Meeting With each leg and manned by
ten or Il dozen men. When MI Is
ready the trainer stands in front of
the animal, raises his hook and Down.
Down lie orders. The elephant pays
no attention. He stands waving
his trunk and swaying his body from
side 10 side "pown! Down. shouts
the trainer again. and upon n signal
some forty men begin 10 heayc and
tag. the blocks squeak. the ropes
creak, and while the trainer continues
shouting his command the pachy
dern's legs begin 10 he drawn from
under him Nth II scalp raisiug trum-
pet, the startled creature begins 10
struggle lashing with his trunk from
side te side and cropping With Its tip
against the floor. frunteally seeking
for a hold 10 steady himself, but the
relentless ropes continue Ia draw his
legs The huge beast leans at II far
bidding angie, believing like Il herd
Of steers and drowning the Down!
Down" Of the trainer The great body
begins 10 tetter For an instant II re
gains lis balance. then 1t falls. crash
ing with n dun thud ON to the bed of
straw. TrHnPetlng like the scrcech
out Of II cracked steam calliope, the
brute tries vainly 10 struggle To his
feet, untIl Il the end of three or four
minutes he begins to realize that moth
ing so very startling has happened aud
| that really he ought to feel very com
! Portable indeed
10 teach him to stand on his head
| the trainer again Uses the block and
tackle 10 fnrcstall the effects of Il
bad fall the floor of the training stable
Is tlIielIy Uttered with straw Then
the candidate is harnessed with chains
and the bpllyhand and block and tackle
MS he was when learning To rear the
| difference being that the chains from
under the belly lead between the hind
| instead of between the forclegs, SO
that the headquarters instead of the
forequartcrs may be raised.