Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-06-04
ELEPHANT ON HIS HANDS,.
Sad Fate OF Washington Kotelkeep
er Who Attached One.

Sad Fate OF Washington ROtelkeep
er Who Attached One.
The trite old saying. you have an
elephant on your hands," found veri-
fication in this city several years ago,
according to il retired man about town
who has been acquainted with the do
ings here since Washington was a town
| Of many building lots but few build
| ings, away back in the misty past, says
the Washington Star. The principal
in the episode was a man who conduct
| ed a second-rate hotel in this city.
It appears that a circus company be-
came stranded here, and was forced to
disband because Of a financial collapse.
The butchers. bakers and others to
whom the circus managers owned
money sued out writs and had the con-
stables seize whatever OF the circus
property they could get their hands
on to l%iquidate in part their debts.
A meat dealer got a lot Of costumes,
one hotel nan seized some pet animals
and birds and so on. The principal Of
this story, however, being good-natured
and somewhat optimistic, did not act
as quickly as the others, and when
he finally sued out his writ Of attach
ment he found that the only piece Of
property he could seize was a big ele-
plant, which had been advertised as
1.-THE great white sacred elephant Of
SIAM" BY a liberal use Of paint the
animals hide had been made a dusty
white.
After the constable had seized the
sacred brute to liquidate a board bill
Of about $50 at the plaintiffs motel,
he was instructed by the hotel man to
find a boarding place for the colossal
creature until he could arrange to sell
it. That was before the days of the
washington zoo. The law officer placed
the elephant as q boarder at a livery
stable on 9th street and the hotel man
opened up correspondence to bring
about it's sale.
Ten days rolled around and no sale
had been made. On the eleventh day
the livery stablekeeper sent an indig-
nant note to the hotel man. It ran
something like this:
"You must take that Internal India
rubber brute away from my stable at
once. He has already devoured all my.
bales of hay that I had stored away
for my winter supply and besides oc-
cupying one-quarter Of my establish
ment he has broken down partitions
and walls and done otter damage.
Your bill to me Is already over $50,
and you have got a white elephant on
your hands, sure enough. Take him
away from my place, and do It quick"
The hotel man found he Gould not
sell the animal at any price and he,
too, realized that he indeed had an
elephant on his hands in more ways
than one. He finally wired the former
manager Of the circus to come to Wash
ington and get 'the sacred thing and
he would call the board bill square.
Then he wrote this to the livery stable
man
II have notified the owner Of the
Give him three days grace and make
him pay for the animals board and
lodgings. II he does not do so take
the BANKED mountain OF flesh out on
some lot and knock him In the head"
A Business Secret.
Mr.. Isaacs-I sells you dot coat at
n gread sacrifice.
Customer-But you say that Of all
your goods. How do you make a nv-
ing?
Mr.. Isaacs-Mein freint, I makes q
schmall profit on de paper and string
New York Weekly.
The easiest and safest way to de-
stroy ordinary black gunpowder u to