Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-05-31
PICKING UP a LOAD


ton of their days work the animals
are brought to camp. Invested of then
gear. hobbIcd and turned out into the
Jungle Toward evening the riders
nav them another visit to make sure
that their charges have not slipped
their hobbies. as they occasionally
manage to do, or been walked off by
gang of thieves. who till lately IL
tested some parts of Siam, and even
now are not unknown. The elephants
are inspected by the foreman IN
charge of the camp. bathed and left
to browse in peace until the toilo"-
ing morning. After five days work
they receive two days complete rest.
or three days II the spell has been an
arduous one. In January, or carry
February. they are removed to ever
green forests, where they will. even
during the ensuing hot months. be
able to find abundant food and water.
and. being called upon to do no WORK
whatever. they soon become fat ano
ready for a new seasons labors.
Work Is Heavy.
The foregoing account of the ele
plants working pro ram makes us
lot appear a remarkably easy one An
average of four or five hours day
for FIVE days of the week. complete
rest on the other two. and during nVe
months of the year no work at all
at first sight the elephant seems to De
in clover II must. however. be borne
in mind. first, that the work IL per
forms is the heaviest done by any AMI
NAL In the world: secondly. as already
stated. that 1t is nocturnal animal
unaccustomed in its wild state even
to travel. much less to work. In the
heat of the day Easy as Its hours
, NAV sound. experience shows thai
! they cannot be safely increased. For
, II the elephant is the most powerful
: animal in the world, 1t Is also one o.
/. the most delicate. Not only Is 1t terri
y bly liable to surra and anthrax. dis
= eases prevalent among all the cattle
I OF the country. but heart failure an'
: exhaustion are also common. while &C
q cidents. such as snake bites. are Otter
fatal Owners naturally do not carr
/ to risk unnecessary exposure to INT
n sun to the already lengthy list
g causes which produce death. cause
d from which. despite all their precau
8 tions. the teak companies OF Sian
9 must reckon annually to lose between
1. FIVE and ten per cent. OF their STOCK
o The increasing scarcity, and const
o auently increasing value. OF elephant
q is indeed already a matter OF grav
s concern to all interested In the tea
l.. business. Whereas ten or fiftee
|. wears ago a good "tusker" might b
d purchased for 1000 rupees. thre
Z times that sum Is now sometimes az
n manded. while cows and hines. e
d tuskless males-vary. in price froi
IL 1000 to 5000 rupees. These price
r sneak for themselves and need n
-e comment
N The majority of the elephants no
n working timber have been caught
n the wild state and tanned But the an
IS mails also breed fairly well In ca
tivity, and. needless to say. great cal
a. ia taken of the calves. From the az
he of four to six they are usually place
is with a native trainer. who accuston
is them to dragging small logs or carr
D. ing light loads. The animal Is. as
h. rule. kept for transport purposes Z
IN between it's fifteenth or twenue
ce year. by which time it is beginning
er attain something like its full grow
st end strength. From this time onwar
nd should IL be docile and tractabie.
rs will become regular worker.
a. Should it succeed in evading the u
III merous causes of death to which IL
he liable. an elephant will be able
to work up to its fiftieth or sixtieth yet
re- after which it gradually begins to
rr- cline. The natural term OF It's II
,ly cannot be exactly determined.