The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-17
wAronEp Az ELErnANr rIAlNG nuMpEn.

elephants which keep the others up 10
their work and pound them with their
trunks when they lag. In some yards
each elephant has its own job, one
class being used TO carry hay for the
stables and to mix the bran. molasses
and other food which form the daily
rattons of the beasts in that estab-
lishment.
Beasts Which Watch the Clock.
These elephants at Rangoon are par
ticular as to their working hours. They
seem TO almost watch the clock, for
they get restless as the noon hour APP
proaches, and stop now and then to
wait for the bell When the whistle
sounds and the bell rings at 10 o'clock
they will drop whatever they have on
their tusks and bolt for the feeding
sheds. 1t Is the same at night.
am told they have to be carefully
ted, and that each must have his bath
twice a day. At one of the yards !
saw them washing the beasts. The
elephants sat down while buckets of
water We're thrown over them. After
that their masters scrubbed them with
rough brushes and curried them, as
It We're, all over. AS the water was
dashed upon them they wagged their
tails and tapped their ears and grunt-
ed IN Joy.
l asked one of the men if the beasts
were hard to handle. He replied: mo;
but we must be always on guard. and
II tiey grow angry they make no bones
of killing US"
The elephan, is touchy and If any
thing creeps under the blanket on his
back he grows restless and cannot
work we'll. lie will tremble like a
Woman at the sight of a mouse, for
fear. perhaps, that the animal may
run up his trunk. AS | left one of
the sawmills | threw a piece OF silver
TO the man on the biggest elephant.
He rubbed the beasts head with his
heel and thereupon the elephant threW
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 are Buddhists, and they believe
That the souls of human beings. when
they pass away, go into the bodies
of animals. Moreover they think that
the spirits of the good and noble go
into the bodies of white animals, and
as the elephant is one of the largest
OF beasts, every white elephant con
tains the soul of a hero. King Thibaw.
the last native ruler of Burma. had
Ia palace for his white elephants. and
they were treated like kings. When
They went out umbrellas Of white and
had golden tassels in their ears and
golden plates on their foreheads. They
We're bathed daily in scented waters
and they drank out Of vessels decor,
ated with gold. Each beast had his
own attendants. who did nothing but
wait upon him. and the man who
found white elephant and brought
II TO the palace was ennobled and
paid no taxes for the rest Of his life
When the British took the country
to-day If one Were to be found he
would be given a job at the hauling
Of logs.
The ROYAL beast OF Siam.
!, In fact about the only place where
The white elephant has any semblance
of royalty left is Siam. The common
people there worship him, and the
King now and then rides out upon
one in great state, The national coat
OF arms is picture of this royal
and also upon tN~ principal coins.
With the awakening of the country
and the new movements, however, su.
perstitions are passing away. Tho bet
His Majesty the King keeps his White
elephants only out OF sentiment and
respect for the beliefs of his people.
He has elephant stables connected
with his palaces. and there are several
of these so-called white animals In
the stalls. l visited them during my
last stay in Bangkok. They We're
chained to stone nosts and Were
wa tched BY keepers, who chewcd the
betel and spat on the ground as they
made the elephants perform for me,
These beasts We're of an ashy gray
color and thoy looked dirty rather
than white. / am told that their color
comes from a disease somewhat like
leprosy, and that this sometimes
causes the animal affected to go crazy
Indeed, a white elephant is usually
O. rogue elephant, or one which should
always be watched and never allowed
TO go loose
The elephants now in the stables al
Bangkok are from the northern part
of Siam. All those of the country be-
long 10 the King, bur the man who
rewarded, and the advent Of new
one causes general rejoicing, for 1t l.
looked upon rs sign OF good lucl
and prosperity
The Gateway to South Asia.
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