The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-10
is QwGEREST Pilgrimage
OLD BET. THE FIRST ELEPHANT TINT EVER SET FOOT IN
AMERICA. WILL RECEIVE UNIQUE HONOR.

Bet followed on behind. In one OF
the towns along the road a farmer
traded II two-gallon jug of New Eng
land rum for admission tickets for
himself, his wife and their half dozen
children. When they took to the road
that night the jug was placed i'm tho
trudg"d Old bet. She was a knowing
animal. and hlinkcd her eyes when
she saw her keepers lift the jug to
their lips and drink deep from it. A
heavy rain storm came up during the
nights march NJ chilled every one.
The only warmth was i'm the Jug.
Apparently Old Bet reasoned the
sion that she was entitled to n share
of tn" days earnings. for. as she
swaNrd along behind the wagon. she
took TIL" first opportunity to- pull the
cork out of the jug and drink cvcry
drop that was left. Suddenly Bailey
md his assistants We're frightened out
of their wits by loud roars from old
Bet. She was Eighth = drunk. The
horses started to run away. Bailey
and his men worked the rest of that
night trying to sober up their ole
phant. II dashed about so wildly
with her trunk that they barely cs-
capped being killed. h wrecked the
wagon. and. had it not hccn for the
heavy chains on her feet and the stout
tree that they succeeded in tying her
to, she would nave escaped. by day
light the effects of the liquor had
passed away. and old Bet followed as
~poAccahly as before.
She was exhibited hv BAILEY several
months on his farm and was viewed
by hundreds of persons. who passed
through Somers to the county seat.
which WAS then at Bedford. BAILEY
then decided to send her out and cX-
hihit her i'm the surrounding country.
He could not travel with her himself
and sold a half intcrcs, in her to IA
man who agreed to take her out on
your. ballrN made an agreement with
nj; partner that the latter WAS to re-
NIT his share of tho receipts each
week. Old Rct and her new man
aEcr departed. a month passed and
nothing WAS heard from them. Bailey
concluded his partner was keeping
all tn money the venture took i'm and
started out on horseback i'm search of
them. He found the show" at New
Bedford, Mass. Bailey could get no
money from his partner and threat
ened to kill Old Bet. The next morn
ing he went out to the barn with his
musket. and when his partner called
out for him not to shoot. that he
owned half the animal. Bailey retort-
ed that h" vas only going to kill his
half. This brought his partner to
terms. and they continued to show
their elephant throughout the coun-
try for many Years thereafter.
Bailey made a good deal of money
for those days out of old Bet and
built the Elephant hotel at somers.
which he ran for many years. 1t is
still standing. Old Bet was such Il
success that Bailey orzanizcd Il stock
company to conduct what he called
IA geological institute" Old Bet was
To be the star attraction. and there
We're to be other wild beasts. Farm
ers in that region We're enthusiastic
about the project, n many of them
mortgaged their farms and sold their
cattle in order to buy stock. But they
never received a dollars return on
their Investments. Old Bet became
troublesome and killed several of her
keepers. Finally she broke loose one
night. and after being pursued sew
eral miles Was shct to death.
=. T. Earnum just then had opened
his museum in New York. and. hear
ing of Old Bets death. purchased hcl
skin h;h, had it stu S5uffsd arg placed j, on
were buried at Somers. When Bar
nuns museum was burned shortly
af,crward the stuffed elephant van
ished in the flames. Bailey thought
so much of Old Bet that he spent sew
eral hundred dollars in putting up /;
monument to her memory n tC
mark her last resting place. 1t is still
standing on the triangular bit OF
~srecnsward in Somers village. il front
of the Elephant hotel. The image OF
Old Bet is carved in wood. 1t is three
feet high and four feet long. and
stands on a single shaft of desscI
granite fifteen feet high, resting on &
double base. To which it is securely
fastened hy bolts.
When the cttigy of Old Bet was put
up it was gildcd. Years went by anC
Bailey died. His Successors concluded
it would be more lifclike il the gildin.
was replaced by a o a of mouse col
orcd paint. SO Old Bet has been {