Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-01-04
TEACHING ELEPHANTS.
The Tall, Fat Legged, Small Eyed N'"'
the Best Pupils.

the bcSt FeF'~
IN number of points all elephant
trainers agree, says Appleton's Mag
zinc These are, first, that the tal'
fat legged small eyed elephant OF DIG
pirth is not only the handsomest pu.
oIeo the most docile and intelligent OF
his kind; second, that an elephant is
fully aware of his prodigious strength
oomnared with mans and that the rea-
uon an elephant obeys his master Is
NOT because he is afraid OF MIN, Dut
bacause he has an affection Tor him'
third Won may beat a bad elephant
10 death or kill him by rammlhs Ieu
hot irons down his throat in an enort
4 ,o nress the "saueal Of surrender out
of him but the one and only way 10
train an elephant to perform tricks ID
through kindness and patience uneho-
ing. last. but not least without ex-
ceDtion the intelligence OF the eiepnan'
far exceeds that of any other animal
Elephant trainers maintain that tram
ing an elephant to perform Is IKE
teaching a boy circus riding, only less
difficult. ,.,.
number of the simpler tricks with
which an elephant entertains MS au-
dience come as natural to him as lhe
lapping Of milk comes to cat-lor
instance the blowing Of the mouth
= harmCnica.
Twenty feet to the right or to tne
r left of the candidate to be taught 10
, lie down four heavy stakes are driven
e into the ground, and from eacn Oh
these runs a block and tackle con-
( Meeting with each leg and manned py
r ron or dozen men. When all Is
e ready the trainer stands In front OIL
e the animal. raises his hook and "Do"n!
Down. he orders. The elephant pays
no attention. He stands waving
his trunk and swaying his body from
, side 10 side. Down! Down. SHOUTS
- the trainer again, and upon signal
- some forty men begin to heave anu
- tug the blocks squeak, the ropes
creak and while the trainer continues
- shouting his command the pacny-
derm's legs begin to be drawn from
q, under him. With a scalp raising trum-
:. net the startled creature begins 10
>. struggle. lashing with his trunk from
~ side TO side and cropping with It's UP
- against the floor, frantically seeking
- for a hold to steady himself, but tne
~ relentless ropes continue to draw DIE
- legs. The huge beast leans at lor
=, bidding angle, believing ike nero
of steers and drowning the Down
ds Down. of the trainer. The great pod!
hegins to totter. For an instant IL re
~ gains its balance; then 1t falls, crash
ing with q dull thud on to the peo
straw. Trumpeting like the screec
40 ' out of a cracked steam calliope, IN
a. brute tries vainly to struggle 10 ni
ne feet until at the end of three or fou
'ne minutes he begins to realize that nott
III III ing so very startling has happened an
that really he ought to feel very con
a., Portable indeed.
Tue To teach him to stand on his hea
len the trainer again uses the block an
sue tackle To forestall the effects Oh
'A bad fall the floor Of the training staD
VI Is thickly Uttered with straw. Inc
'"H the candidate is harnessed with cnaii
lali and the bellyband and block and tack
'Se' as he was when learning to rear,
lse difference being that the chains fro
'ne under the belly lead between the nii
was instead of between the forelegs,
'ne that the hindquarters instead OF I
oui foreduarters may be raised.