Arizona republican., 1912-09-20
ELEPHANT STARS AT
 NATIONAL PAS1|ME
Baby Pachyderm of Ten Years Aqo Baseball Star of Today With
 Barnum and Bailey.

There is only one elephant in the world that ever has learned to toss a ball. Harry L. Mooney. boss of the pachydermal department of Barnum X Bailey'S circus, taught the elephant to perform the feat
 Everybody who went to the circus ten years ago will remember the baby elephant and it's mother-"the only el- ephant born in captivity" They were feature of the circus. That baby elephant of ten years ago is Koko, the baseball player and circus star of today. and she certainly is class" in the big show today As Christy Mathewson, with Chief Meyers catch. ing and Home Run" Baker at the bat, Koko is one of the big hits of the circus.
 T don't believe that the ordinary man understands what a remarkable feat has been accomplished in train ing an elephant to throw a ball." Head Trainer Mooney tells. and, after all; the credit is not so much for the trainer as the elephant. did not teach Koko to throw d ball She just naturally learned it herself It took two winters to do it. working four or five hours day.
 ''In learning to pitch, the great thing KokO had to learn was a quick, jerky motion of the wrist You can hardly imagine an elephant snapping it's trunk. but that is just what Koko does when she throws that ball
 'I began with her winter before last, but did not get very far Last winter l took up the job determined to make a go of the ball game if pos sibe Koko and I spent four or five hours day together. We would work half hour, rest a few minutes, and then go at it again.
 Tt was impossible for me to take hold of her trunk and show her how to toss the ball. It couldn't have been done that way. What I did was talk to her I urged her and explained what I wanted just as I would to a child. When she would make some little progress I would praise her and encourage her, and she would try harder the next time.
 Could she understand what l said ? Why, of course. Elephants actually learn to understand what we say to them. The other evening in the ring koko was playful and tried to have fun with me. She wouldn't throw the ball, just dropped it down in front or her I knew she was fooling, but of course the public did not Finally I said to her in a low tone: You big stiff. don't you try to kid me. or I'll beat you when I get you outside She got busy at once and went 1 through her act in great shape. After I had trained Koko to pitch | the rest of the baseball act was a
 matter of a few weeks Bessie. the catcher Jennie. the batter. and Koko 1 enjoy playing baseball better than anything else they do. The ap- l plause they get and the fact that the whole attention of the audience is l centered on them has a great deal tO
 do with it. Elephants love applause as much as a chorus girl does" Thirty elephants compose the herd | of the Barnum X Bailey circus and l they'll all be here on Monday, Septem- | Der 23. The circus comes in a new dress and presents for the greater | part acts and features new to Ameri- l ca. The superb spectacle of Cleo 1 patra'' is an inspiration. and through out the program. new and unusual | features in all departments of ath- l letic endeavor will be presented.