Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-04-11

Here's Babe" going up to a huge
beast standing like a buttress at one
end of the long line. Babes the
oldest elephant here. She's about 60
and that's pretty well along in years
for an elephant in captivity. When
ty old, 1 tell you. When they're in
the jungle they keep themselves in
good condition and live longer. They
get the exercise they need, and If they
are sick they hunt around for some
herb that cures them up.
"DOctOring an elephant is a big job
when it comes. We try to keep them
well by regulating their diet. It's
harder to give medicine to an elephant
than to any other animal l know Of.
You can make a horse open its mouth
and then you can put the medicine
down it's throat and it has to swallow
it. You can get an elephant to open
it's mouth too and then with a syringe
you can pump the liquid in, but that's
all the good it does you. For IL the
animal doesn't like it he just puts the
end of his trunk into his mouth,
sucks up the liquid and calmly puts
it on the ground.
They're very fond of apples and
we've tried cutting an apple in two
and putting the medicine inside. But
an elephants sense of smell Is so
keen that when he takes the apple
and passes the end of his trunk over
it he knows whether there's anything
in it he doesn't like, and If there Is
there's nothing doing!
But they keep pretty WELL Babes
a pretty fine figure Of a sixty-year- old
elephant. isn't she? She weighs over
four tons. And by the way, she's got
a figure that's different from any other
elephant here. See how tall she
stands at her shoulders and how the
line of her back runs in straight
slope down to her hind quarters. All
the rest have humps along their back.
They say that's because she Is thor
oughbred.
"You see this elephant down here? !?
Her names Hattie. Did you ever see
two women that couldn't get togeth-
er without a quarrel? Well, that's
Babe and Hattie. They've been with
the show for thirty or forty years, I
guess. and they've got on each others
nerves.
Il couldn't put those two elephants
side by side in this row for minute
without there being trouble If
tied them up together for day. we'll,
there'd be a bargain sale the next day
of two damaged elephants. Hattie
isn't as old as Babe, but they're both
old enough to know their own minds,
and on the subject Of each other they're
firm. They're ag'in each other first,
last and all the time.
And here's Bessie. You'd like Bes-
sic. That elephant wants to play as
much as Mary wants to talk. She's
one of our trick elephants and Is a
good worker if she knows she has to.
But if I'd let her she'd do nothing but
play with me from the time we went
into the arena until we came out.
Il have to speak to her about 1t ev-
cry day before we start upstairs.
What do l say? Why, l say very
sternly. Now, Bessie! You've got to
work! Do you hear me? You've got
to tend to business or I'll tend to you!'
Oh. yes, that's all that's necessary.
People look at the stick with an
iron hook with which we manage the
elephants and they have an idea it's a
very cruel instrument. That's a mis-
take. Suppose an elephant wants to
back out of line or to go some way
you don't want him to. You might
beat him cruelty without really fore
ing him to do the right thing. But II
you put the hook against his skin in
such a way that If he does the wrong
the right thing it won't he Is pretty
apt to do the right thing quietly Of his
own accord. He hurts himself, you
see, if he does wrong. He can stop the
hurt at any minute by doing right.
Did you ever watch circus pa
rade with a score of great elephants in
ii and wonder what would happen II
they took 1t into their heads to stam-
pede? They could mess up things al
most as much as full grown cyclone.
But we know just how to handle them.
For instance, I've been out with my
elephants when a fire engine came
tearing down the street with a siren
whistle shrieking and sparks flying
like fireworks. Nothing happened.
But this is why: l always keep far
enough ahead to see whether there's
danger of any sort.
distance I passed the word back from
one of my men to another. A keeper
walks beside each animal. These men
quickly turned the elephants and lin
ed them up at the side of the street
with their backs to the curb. The
engine tore by at full speed, but the
elephants stood firm.
IF we had turned their heads to the
curb. though, and let the engine go
behind them there would have been
the devil to pay. An elephant always
wants to face whatever Is coming to
him. If he's out in a storm and you
turn him with his back to the wind
and rain he won't stand for 1t. Turn
him around and he'll put his head
down and take the brunt Of the fiercest
tempest.
Here in the Garden they don't
mind storms much anyway because
they're not very conscious of them.
But under canvas they're uneasy. We
were showing in South Dakota a few
years ago when a cyclone struck us.
We had got all the elephants but four
out of the tent when it blew over on
them. Those outside crowded togeth-
er, facing the storm, and behaved
wonderfully well. But 1t was lucky
for us that the four under the tent
were very good, quiet elephants. They
were frightened almost to death, but
they simply stood and trembled. If
ii had been some of the others they
would have torn the tent to pieces
trying to escape.
It's a queer thing that when we
open here in the Garden the elephants
are very nervous for a few perform
ances, whereas if we open under can
vas they take it as calmly as if they
had been doing it right along without
a pause. OF course they do their acts
in our winter quarters up at Bridge
port. They go through them every
single day. You see it isn't simply
that they would forget, but they've got
to keep their muscles in condition.
Take that little stunt Koko did of
balancing himself on his forefeet. That
uses muscles that are never brought
into play i'm any ordinary action. and
he's got to keep on doing it regularly
to be able to do it at all. So we put
them through their tricks all winter
long.
Generally we teach them something
new Of course, but ii may be just a
new use Of motion they have already
learned. Here, Queenie, take this!"
holding out a folded paper. The ele-
phant took it with the end Of her trunk
Shake it," The order was obeyed i'm
mediately. "Queenie used To wave the
white flag in an act we gave a few
years ago. You see don't let her for
get the motion, even though we no
longer give that particular act.