Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-14


his heels gently strike huge inverted tub, he
learns to sit down.
A small volume might be written telling how
the expert teaches other tricks of this sort:
how he mounts platform and simply by press
ing a stick across his big spine makes the animal
understand that he is to lie down; how, once
he has taught big fellow to leave himself down
on his knees, the trainer gently prods hind legs
upward until the elephant understands that he
is to stand his head, learning by lnfinitesimal
degrees to raise his hind legs clear of the ground
and throw his weight forward until at last up
come the ponderous hind quarters and the
stump legs are high in the air, while for few
seconds he stands upside down. pivoted on
tripod consisting of the root of his trunk and
the knees of his fore legs
Walking Over a PROSTATE Man
UNDOUBTEDLY one of the most striking
~ spectacles seen in trained elephant per-
Torrance is when trainer lies down and one of
his four or five-ton beasts comes numbering
along and carefully, tenderly, as an old hen
stepping among her chicks, picks his way
across him. In one sense this is no trick at all,
being merely display OF that marvellous dis
elimination and sagacity for which the elephant
is famous; for the act does not consist at all in
teaching this animated steam roller how not to
tread upon the man, but simply in inducing
beast to attempt the feat at all; the elephant
being only too conscious OF his enormous size
and strength to risk injuring a beloved trainer.
To overcome these scruples by degrees, the
expert must first make use of dummy consist
ing of coat and pair of trousers stuffed with
straw. Only when the elephant has learned to
cross this upon receiving his cue does the
trainer himself lie down to take the dummys
place At first the elephant hesitates nosing
the man. fearful of taking the chance of bring
ing down on him a dread foot. BObblng his
head up and down like balky horse that re-
fuses to bulge, the elephant turns abruptly, de-
clning to take the risk until at last, after try
md he &c a a
where he sets first and then the other
fore foot across the body of his master, hind
feet following, cropping carefully before they are
brought never gently down.
Instances are on record where green trainers
became suddenly nervous upon seeing the enor-
nous mass of flesh move across them and
shifted themselves beneath foot on its way
down: but of an elephant laundering through
his own fault on trainer there IS no record.
Some of the lesser tricks with which trainers
are wont to fill in performance need not be
taught elephants at all. they come so naturally
for in the gigantic skulls there is child mind
that revolts at monotony and takes infantlle
delight in being amused.
Give an elephant dinner bell, and he grasps
it in the end of his trunk and swings it in a
mighty arc up and down, pricking his ears
gleefully and Swaylng from foot to foot. while
trainers only concern IS to recover the bell
without having his head knocked in. Similarly.
an elephant will grasp mouth harmonlca,
natural breathing through trunk drawing forth
the musical sounds, which tickle the overgrown
baby unto death; and similarly, again. he will
apply his trunk to gigantic brass horn enclr-
cling his neck or will grasp big knobbed stick
and knock the stuffing out of bass drum
The trainer takes advantage of these natural
tendencies when he shows group OF musical
elephants-orchestra members with horns,
bells. cymbals. bass drums, and harmonica-
playing their instruments; while SAGE with
huge spectacles stands in front of an enormous
music stand, opens the leader score. and beats
time with a baton-in his face the disgust OF
ages, because of all the performers to him alone
las fallen the hard lot to work without pro-
ducing sound.
Fashion Ii. elephant performances changes as
does the fashion in mems clothes No soC.ie-
do trainers show acrobatlo tricks like Waiting,
standing on heads, forming pyramids, etc,
than along comes trainer VINO, IN the secrecy
of his training barn, has stewed out some new
and striking stunt that sets audiences to talk
ing and at once trainers are busy the country
over teaching their beasts the new trick. Just
now, tricks like musical elephants. barber
shop elephants" telephone elephants" and
bowling elephants are in demand.
A Tonsorial Artist
IN the elephant barber shop scene, for exam
pie, an elephant enters the supposed shop to
get shaved, taking seat on big inverted tub
The barber elephant reaches for huge apron.
A. re hnn n