The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-07-27
POWERS TRAINED ELEPHANTS
Hippodrome Animals Coming to Ben
nlnuton AUGUST 1.


Mature fakirs" said w. w. Powers
OF hippodrome elephant fame Friday,
ARE simply rewriters of fiction either
obtained orally from unreliable sourc.
es or CLEANED from the shelves of H.
braries out OF volumes OF magazines
which cater TO tales OF the wilderness
that are strong In descriptive protray-
al of Incidents, but are entirely devoid
of truth. Il am not inclined TO con
denim writer's of fiction when they adj
NIT that their tales OF animal life were
drawn out In imagination, heated be.
fore n log fire In comfortable library,
but no condemnation is too severe
when writer's OF fiction as these so.
called nature fakirs' are accused OF
doing, attempt TO pass on for truth the
most glaring untruths about the habits
OF wolves, cats and other carniyorous
animals.
TO understand nature you must live
with nature. and the fact that Presi
dent Roosevelt has been In the wilds
and has come In contact with the
mountain lion In his lair. and the wolf
In the timber, cOmpels not only our re-
spectful attention but also the warmest
praise of true animal lovers for expos.
ing these nature fakirs.'
Il might cite the animal Instincts OF
my quartet OF Powers Hippodrome el.
ephants' continued Mr.. Powers. Ito
demonstrate the fact the most unwield.
ly of all land mammals Is the most
savage In the wilds and the gentlest
when handled with gentleness when In
captivity. An idea OF the strength OF
an elephant can perhaps be best OBJ
tanned by a comparison Of an ele.
plants strength aud that OF horse
one elephant power dragging Us more
than 100 horse power, while an ele.
plants pushing strength. using his
enormous head Is equal TO 200 horse
power.
a demonstration OF the strength OF
the Powers llippodromc elephants
was given about two years ago when
one OF the heavy broadway ears was
ditched In one Of the Roadway tun
mel excavations. The wreck happened
during the rush hours OF the evening
aud was interfering seriously with IN,
running OF the cars. A wrocking out
tlt failed 10 liit the car out OF the OK
cayatiun aud the street railroad super
lntendents were In a dilemma until IN,
elephants were called for at the Hippo
drOmc aud nc the word of command
got their trunks under the trucks an,
lifted the car from out of the hole an,
placed Il back ON the tracks Thil
act was witnessed by thousands OF po,
pie and the New York papers devote,
N. a.. o.
sagncity OF these elephants.
In fact a large elephant does no
know its strength When treato,
with kindness" said Mr. Powers. "ole
plants are capable of being trained q,
do marvellous things. but when driver
10 fury they become not only uuman
ageable but. also uncertain boz tempe
and disposition The killing Of a bo!
in the streets OF Buffalo the other dal
by an elephant was attributed Ca thu
fact that the pachydcm had been treat
I'd az one time or another with Crueu,
and u took ofousc ut some act of ai
onlookor who was peltIng Il with pea
nuts and wrcakCd vengeance on thl
boy by lifting him in bis trunk AM
dashiug him to death uu the sidewalk
An elephant loves IT, trainer and M
keeper " be- b. kind. and viii do al
most anything desired 10 o,lucc a. ap
probation 81 the care bestowed upol
o. An elephant never fUrsptH au iu
jury and 10 the keeper o. cruel an,
careless sometime when b. least e.,
poets n sudden call Ca another worll
be- will rNcciyc 10 at the trunk aud for
feet of bis charge An elephants mor
Org b. prndIri9us aud once taught 4
do certain thiug viii never forget an
lesson
An instance 81 perfect training &
shown in the act called the "Wsddin
of i.onEworth. Roosevelt in which th
four elephants appeared with distinc
success at the New York liippodrom,
The elephants imporFunatcd Miss Alic
, Congressman Nick tnnEN urth. the oI
nclatlng clergyman and the best maj
respectively Alice covered with foW
era and Nick in his best coat of OH. sa
ON their launches aud in reply to IN
tfumpctcd questions Of the cleric tum
peted back their answers TO have an
90 hold" The elephant impsrFouailnI
the best man played bis part success.
fully evening 90 the carrying away q
the baggage of the newly welded pal
aud in the successful shuWcriug of rio
on the happy couple"
This act and many others viii b
; seen August 10 with the Great Fash
ion Plate shows which come to Bcr
uinrton