New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
T~LEpHANTs are easily trained and,
when they once. get the idea of what is
- expected of them they will do it over


OF a certain kind of work Immediately becomes
a habit with them. In fact, they lean form
habits more rapidly than any other animal l
have ever seen.
In Burma there are large lumber mills, and
elephants are used for rolling the longs into
position for the saws. Pushing with their heads,
they run the logs up two inclined skids to
the platform. Two elephants do the pushing
and third elephant acts as boss. The boss
need not be an especially Intelligent animal;
he is simply taught that the log must go up
the skids in q certain way and that the two
pushers must be kept even. In his trunk he
carries few links of anchor chain, which he
uses as whip If one elephant falls behind,
the boss gives him rap with the chain. When
the log is on the platform, the pushers turn
and plod back for another. The boss elephant
is quite .unimpressed by his authority, and the
others show no resentment when he swings the
chain on them.
When the whistle blows, the elephants know
that it is time to stop work and eat. 1t makes
no difference if they have log within frac-
tion of an inch of the platforms the boss drops
his anchor chain and gets out of the way, and
the pushers step to side, letting the log
crash down again. Then, without the least
expression of interest, they turn for the stalls.
Because they obey signals so mechanically. the
engineer steps out, when feeding time comes
and looks up and down the runway to see if an
elephant crew has log on the skids If so,
he waits until it reaches the platform before
he pulls the whistle cord.
The great weight and bulk Of elephants
sometimes makes difficult the problem of han
ding and especially of shipping them. They
are usually hoisted over the side of the ship in
sings, but that method takes much time and
labor, not to speak of very strong tackle l
did not evolve d new one, however, until the
refusal of the captain of one of the British
India Steam Navigation Company's boats to
take consignment of elephants for me put
my ingenuity to the test.
| was under contract to send fifteen large
elephants to Madras, and had arranged with
the company's agent at Singapore for three
shipments of five each. The animals were the
remainder of the Trengganu herd ard I was
anxious to see them shipped for l was still
sick with the fever. The doctors had told me
that the best thing could do was to leave the
country and reeuperate, and any delay in dis
posing Of the animals meant great sacrifice
of either money or health nFa sF
The first five elephants, together with at
tendants and food were waiting back of the
sheds at Tanjong- -Pagar, the docks at Singa-
pore, to be put on board. At the asst moment
the chief officer came with the message that the
captain refused to take them.
| went to the captains cabin and found
stout, red faced and apparently good natured
Englishman He just out Of his bath,
wearing pajamas and idling about in his cabin
until the ship was ready to get under way. l
thought it good time to approach him, and l
took care to be quite calm and cool about it,
although was raging inside.
| showed him my receipt and the bill Of
that the agent was not captain of the ship;
he didn't care what agreement the agent had
made. So long as he was captain he'd run
his ship to suit himself, and all agents could
go to the devil, for all he cared. And, more
over, he'd not carry elephants-not for any
one. ! explained my position and told him
that it would mean a great financial loss to
me if I failed on my contract to deliver the
elephants.
''Look here Mayer" he said, 'I've handled
elephants at Calcutta and I've always had lot
of trouble with them. If l load these ele-
plants it means that I have to rig up extra
gear, and I won't do it,
Captain l replied, ''Ill load those ele-
plants without using foot of rope I'll put
them anywhere you say, and you won't have
to rig up bit of gear. And III unload them
at Madras in the same way Will you say
the word?"
i don't think you can do it," he answered.
but I'm enough Of a sportsman to give YOU
chance