Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-05-31

nondcut on the services of an
animal than Is the teak indus
try on those of the elephant
In lava. it Is true. the timber, pe'hs
smaller and the conditions different
hand labor and implements are EN-
ployed. and in parts even oil burma
and Siam the country Is suinciehuS
fiat to hermit the carting by bufaloes
being used as a method of extraction.
But these parts are comparatively ie"
and far between, and the obstacles IN
the way of introducing heavy plants
into a country deficient in good ROADS,
bridges or facilities for transport must
be at once apparent. writes CORE
spondent of the London Times. Even
without these obstacles 1t Is doubttui
whether teak. being so scattered as
II is. could ever be profitably worked
I'D and down steep hillsides by rna'
chinery, while II Is as certain as any
thing can be that no machinery could
ever devised to perform the part
played by elephants In the water
/ Apart from the enormous bodily
strength which enables II to drag. an
elephant can. with its forehead. trunk
or tusks. push and roll enormous logs
about as IL they were playthings. nor
does It mind working in water i've
feet. and even more. in depth.
Asiatic Differs From African.
The Asiatic elephant. which belongs
to an entirely different species from
the African and resembles the latter
hardly more closely than the buffalo
does the OK. Is, like the teak tree. con
fined mainly to India, Farther India
and the Malay peninsula. Wild herds
are still found in Burma and Siam
where they are carefully protected,
special license being required to shoot
them in the former country and the
law forbdding their destruction ex
cept In cases of necessity. or for self
defenes in the latter. Every few
years the Siamese government holds
"keddah" operations or catches a
Ayuthia, and by their agency the dc
mesticated are recruited from the FREE
herds.
That apart from its work. the condi
lions under which the elephant Is 4
, live In captivity should as closely a
possible resemble those Of its will
state will naturally be the owner
, first care II Is a purely herbivorou
, animal. and thrives well on the ord
, nary jungle plants and creepers. tn
: Juicy "kaing" grass. young bambo
, shoots and wild plantain being anon
its favorite foods. In Siam. 1t
hardly ever stall fed rs 1t is in India
: in the neighborhood of town or vi
I lage when It has to be tied up, foo
s must. of course, be brought to II. Blu
as a general rule, the animal Ia sin
ply turned out int othe jungle TO FIN
I its food for itself, the forefeet bein
h hobbled to prevent its straying too Ia
r Among its primary requisites al
shade and abundance of water. Give
these and good grazing. an elephai
[ has n fair chance of keeping its CO
r dition throughout the seven month
e which constitute its working season.
The latter begins. as already state
In June. From that time onward. II
" animals daily and weekly routine
" something as follows; Directly 1t
n daylight the rider leaves his cam
goes out to track his charge. whic
despite his hobbled condition. W
IT often succeed in straying distan
10 OF several miles; bathes him all ov
10 in the creek-this Is one of the mo
,e important OF the mahout's duties-ai
brings him to the scene OF the day
work. Operations begin at seven
ne m. or a little before, and go on
ct IL. by which time the power OF
10. sun generally renders 1t imprudent
IT. continue further. For ii must be
membered that the elephant is natl
ally a nocturnal animal and extreme