The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-03-17
WHEN CIRCUS
ELEPHANTS GO BAD

| ELEf MANAo W Dali
In the circus menagerie wild ami
mails are always held to be danger
Gus. In the performing arena, this
assumption is the first rule of train
ing. No animal can be trusted. The
most tractable and obedient beast
will turn and attack at any time the
mood seizes it. Trainers know this
well, and the successful ones are al
ways prepared for a sudden spring
/ or a sweeping stroke of unsheathed
claws. But, until an animal has once
rebelled successfully-broken down
mans mastery temporarily-it is not
dad" in the sense that trainers use
the term. A bad elephant is
ever biding his time to kill. or watch
ing for a chance to lead other ele-
plants into a stampede. And moth
ing in circus life is so fraught with
terrifying possibilities as an ele-
plant stempede. y
Of all the bad elephants ever in
America, Snyder, the "tusker," came
nearest to dying Gin characte~," as
theatrical slang has it. For Snyder
died with "his boots on" 1t was at
Salina, Kan, Monday September IS,
1920. Snyder had done nothing UNI
usual since the engagement of the
circus at the Chicago Coliseum.
However, one of his trainers had
been left i'll in a hospital along the
route. The boss elephant man was
the day before called home on urgent
business. This left a trainer IN
charge who had not been with the
herd for three years. This change
made the herd restless, esnecially
Snyder. After parade that Monday
forenoon, the general manager of the
show ordered a rehearsal of the mid
dle-ring elephants, among which was
Snyder, the nre-eminent feature. No
sooner had Snyder reached the ring
than he turned and raced out, with
two attendants clinging to him with
bull hooks iabbed deep into his trunk
Out of the big top into the MENACE
RE loped the big tusker, the men
fighting him at every stride.
Through the wall of the menagerie
tend Snyder plunged and shook off
the attendants, striking at them with
his trunk. The tusker's small eyes
were red with blood lust, and circus
men, forming a line of skirmishers,
beaded the crowds on the lot into the
streets outside the fences. Others,
led by the elephant men, formed a
great circle about the elephant in order
that he might be headed if he turned
toward the townspeople. For three
hours the big elephant spent his
time in turning over immensely
heavy pole, seat and baggage
wagons. Once he picked up cage
of lions and hurled it 80 feet. He
started for a den of leopards, but the
snarling cats, rearing, ao9inst the
bars with their claws extended, scared
him off. All during the excite
nent. the elephant needed his name.
So, as he would start charge, the
circus men would divert him by call
ing to him. Thus. the field IF his
activities was restricted. Outside
the menagerie was small tent in
which the elenhant men were wont
to rest between shows. This the
elephant knocked over. stanning
upon every square foot of the flat
tened canvas il the apparent hope
that some one of the men was under
meath.
Once he rushed for the six-pole
top, in which 300 of the shows fin
est draft stock were stabbed. As
the elephant approached, "a quick
whistle from the boss hostler brought
so drivers and grooms with pitch
forks into line in front of the tent
There were men in that line who had
driven and nursed their six and
eight-horse teams for years. They
were there to die rather than see
their pets harmed. The sun glinted
on the thin line Of pronged steel.
Snyder, charging with long, lumber
ing strides, saw and understood. He
came to full stop, turned and went
back to the menagerie tent, where
he wrecked the candy stands.
Meanwhile, the general manager
had sent for rifles. He also had pre-
pared apples with cynaide Of potas-
sum. These were thrown to the ele-
plant. He ate one and then tossed
the others aside. 1t is likely he de-
tected the poison. That contained in
one apple had no effect on him. The
manager had managed to get "Tril-
by" Snyder's mate, chained at one
side of the show lot, where people
would not obstruct the line of fire
if he should decide to shoot the pad
brute. When the poisoned apples
failed to slow nm Snvdpr's PUSHES. he