Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-02
GAME OF BASE BALL AS
PLAYED BY ELEPHANTS
Wonderful Result of Skill, Pa
thence and Perseverance
to Be Seen at Circus.

No animal is so intimately and af-
fectionately associated In the popular
mind with the circus as the elephant and
probably none is more sagacious. Thus,
appropriately. the managers of the Bar
mum & Bailey circus, here next Monday
and Tuesday. turned to Harry L. Mooney,
trainer of the circus herd of the beasts,
to provide something out of the familiar
routine as a feature Of this seasons
show.
The result is the only base ball game
of its kind ever played and the most con-
vulsingly ludicrous one. Three elephants
neutrality-suspicious.. batter and gloved
and masked catcher. They enter into the
contestants.
Out Sliding for Home.
Pilot hits foul, starts for first base
and returns reluctantly at the umpire's
command. He strikes ineffectively and
allows three bad balls to pass. Then
pitcher and catcher hold a whispered
conference over the critical situation.
Pilot swatS the next ball pitched, drops
his bat and Is off. First, second and
third base are successfully negotiated,
ball in trunk. Pilot makes a brave Slide
is called out, and is led off the field,
trumpeting his rage at the decision.
It's the most convincing demonstration
in the annals Of animal training. veter-
ans declare, of the wonderful results Of
skill. patience and perseverance. Mooney
worked tirelessly with his ponderous
pupils for four months.
Forty Elephants in Troupe.
Forty elephants will come here with
the circus and all of them have been
trained in most kinds Of performances.
Their value to the circus rests not mere
ly upon the attraction Of their arenic ex
hibitions. Their great strength makes
them useful when heavy wagons defy
the straining efforts of the circus draft
horses. Their training for the ordinary
exploits Is accomplished by block and
tackle and harness, so arranged as to
force them into required positions.
Visitors to the show grounds. at 14th
witness the keepers giving their huge
charges the weekly bath and scrubbing.
Two barrels each of green soap and
neat's-foot oil are required for the opera
broom and brush and have their toe
nails manicured with knife and file.
Giraffe Three Months Old.
A baby giraffe is the pride Of the no
cage menagerie of the circus. The ami
NAL was born in the circus winter quar-
tiers January 81. No less an authority
than Col. Theodore Roosevelt predicted
that she would not thrive, citing the
cases of giraffes born in geological gar
dens abroad, and which survived only a
few days.
But the undaunted circus infant has
been one Of tn elustiest inmates of the
travelling zoo since the day she opened
her eyes and toddled about the cage. Ad-
vance agents promise that she will be
the cynosure OF wondering crowds here.
The Women's Political Union of New
York city formally christened her Miss
Suffrage during the circus engagements in
that city.
There are several adult CRATES in the
Barnum & Bailey menagerie. Aside from
the circus beasts, the municipal ZOOS in
New York and Cincinnati Ohio, contain
the only CRATES in the United States.
and under q recent ruling of tn egovern-
ment none may now enter the country.
The Barnum & Bailey management has
refused q formal offer of $4,000 from the
London Geographical Society for the sale
Of its herd. ~