Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-16
BEASTS WHICH WATCH THE
CLOCK.

CLOCK.
These elephants at Rangoon are mar
ticular as to their working hours They
seem to almost watch the clock. for
they get restless as the noon hour
approaches. and stop now and then 20
wait for the bell. when the whistle
sounds and the bell rings at ~ O'Clock,
they will drop whatever they have on
their tusks and bolt for the feeding
sheds II is the same at night
am told they have to be carefully
fed and that each must have his hath
twice day At one Of the yards /
saw them washing the beasts The olc-
plants sat down while buckets Of water
were thrown over them. After that
their masters scrubbed them with rough
brushes and curried them, as IL were.
all over. As the water was dashed
upon them they wagged their tails and
Mapped their ears and grunted in joy
l asked one OF the men III the beasts
were hard 70 handle. He replied. NO.
but We must be always on guard. and
II they grow angry they make no bones
Of killing us"
The elephant is touchy, and n any
thing crecpS under the blankets on his
back he grows restless and cannot work
well. lie will tremble like a woman al
the sight Of a mouse. for fear. perhaps.
that the animal may run up his trunk
As ! left one Of tho saw1nllls threw "a
piece Of silver to the man on the big
gest elephant. He rubbed the beasts
heal with his heel and thereupon the
elephant throw his great trunk high
into the air and gave me a royal salute.
THE WHITE ELEPHANT.
Burma ranks with Siam as the land
OF the white elephant The people here
arc Buddhists, and they believe that the
souls of human beings. when they pass
away, 40 into the bodies of animals.
Moreover they think that the spirits Of
the good and noble go into the bodies of
white animals. and MS the elephant IS
one of the largest of beasts. every white
elephant contains the soul Of a hero.
King Thibaw. tho last native ruler OF
Burma, had a palace for his white ele-
plants, and they we're treated like
kings. when they went out umbrellas
Of white and gold were held over them.
and they had golden tassels in their
ears and golden plates on their fore
heads They were bathed daily IN
scented waters and they drank out of
vessels decorated with gold Each beast
had his own attendants, who did moth
ing but wait upon him, and tho man
who found white elephant and
brought IL 20 the palace was cnnobled
and paid no taxes for the rest Of his
life When the British took the coun-
try they captured the white elephants
and today If one were To be found he
would be given a job az the hauling of
logs.
THE ROYAL BEAST OF SIAM.
In fact. about the only place where
the white elephant has any scmblunce
Of royalty left is siam The common
people there worship him. and the king
now and then rides out upon one On
great state. The national coat Of arms
is a picture of this royal beast IL has
It's place upon the flag and also upon
the principal coins. with the awaken
ing OF the country and the new move
ments. however. superstitons are pass
ing away The better classes think
much as we do, and his majesty the
king keeps his white elephants only
out OF sentiment and respect for tho
beliefs Of his people He has elephant
stables connected with his palaces. and
there are several OF these so-called
white animals i'm the stalls / visited
them during my last stay in Bangkok
They were chained 20 stone posts and
were watched by keepers. who cheWed
the betel and spat on the ground as
they made the elephants perform Tor
me.
These beasts were OF an ashy gray
color and they looked dirty rather than
white. ! am told that their color comes
from "A disease somewhat like lcprosy.
and that this sometimes causes the ami
mai affected TO go crazy Indeed. n
white elephant is usually a rogue cIc-
plant or one which should always be
watched and never allowed 10 20 loose
The elephants now ia the stables az
Bangkok ere from the northern part OF
Slam. All those OF the country belong
to the king, but the man who can send
In a white elephant ls still rewarded.
and the advent Of "a new one causes
general rejoicing, for 1t Is looked upon