Evening star., 1924-03-09

bushel as it is for a human being.
L Jumbo did it, for instance, and
when they lifted the four-peck meas
ure from Jumbo's calcium he became
the beacon light Of all elephantdom
Before that he had been merely a
16.0o0-pound hulk that played with
the children each Saturday at the
London geological garden. Opportu-
nifty, in the shape of Mr.. Barnum's
press agents, had to batter down
Jumbo's door before the big consign-
ment of elephant flesh became worth
his weight in notoriety. Likewise
Beelgie.
When the biggest show in the world
says 1t has the biggest elephant in
the world the public is going to be-
lieve II. When the smallest show
tries to spring something Of the kind
it simply doesn't get over Which
explains the fact that while for
twenty-odd years Beelgie had formed
the greater bulk of the menagerie OF
the Hame & Howard Twice Renowned
Wagon Shows. the only dent the ele-
phant had been able to make had
been in the country roads which he
traversed for twenty or thirty miles
each night. Yet Beelgie was even
bigger than Jumbo.
Bill Hame had purchased him as
"punk," or youngster, when he gave
no other promise than that of having
an extraordinary appetite. Hame &:
Howard had fed him we'll. and Beel-
gie's physique had responded, until
at last he townered, lihe some ami
mated freight car, in the small,
patch menagerie Of the twice re-
nowned, a formidable figure and a
more formidable feeder.
Beelgie led an active life. He put
the show on the lot in the morning,
he helped tear DOWN at night. His
big hulk Topped here and there to
the completion of the hundred and
ones chores which can bob up about
q short-handed, element-handicappe
circus.
1t all had resulted in a sort OF
endless cycle. The long walks Of the
night and the almost constant work
of the show lot gave him q wonder
full appetite. The appetite gave him
flesh, the flesh demanded food, the
food meant more poundage. And so
1t went-a pachydermic ring around
the-rosey which had a tremendous
effect on the hay and brand appro-
priation, but little elsewhere. Reel-
gle was fat and bulging and we'll fed
and happy. He Snoozed most of the
time during the performance. He
was built for duty, not pleasure. AT
this point of joyous contentment
there enters Mr.. Greer.
* = :: 4
MIR. GREER was a press agent for
A'A the Worlds Greatest-ninety- five
full-length cars, 1000 people. 75O
horses, five heards Of ponderous pachy-
derms and three-mile spectacle OF
glittering street pageantry each
morning at 1880 sharp, rain or shine
Which announcements were not Mr.
Greer's, but merely a courtesy on his
part to the traditions OF circusdom
Mr.. Greer, rather, was Of the new
school of press agents-quiet cloth
ing, horn-rimmed glasses, excellent
education and connections-the kind
Of man who could wear tuxedo on
opening night at the Coliseum and
still retain the friendship of the boss
of the elephant herd.
1t was by accident that Mr.. Greer
found Beelgie--a chance visit to see
what a wagon show was like. Once
having seen, the astute brain of Mr..
Greer Seethed with activity. Could
Beelgie be purchased? He could.
The Hame & Howard show immedi-
ately had an attachment in the shape
OF young man in horn trimmed
glasses, who trailed the aggregation
for the next four days, meanwhile
telegraphing frantically, comforting
with his banker over the long-dis-
tance telephone, disappearing to ar
que with the old man of the World S
Greatest, to sign contract, disap-
pear again, borrow money, sign notes,
rush once more to the Hame e. How
ard show, and then. at last, to put in
a $3.50 long-distance call. Finally
the connection.
"Hello-h hello, Margery::"
Yes. Oh, Larry, what's the mat
ter? Why are you-"
Matter" Mr.. Larry Greer smiled
happily into the phone. Nothing S
the matter. We're fixed for life"'
"Oh! Really? Then they gave you
the raiser"
Better than that. We don't need
any raise. We can fax the date any
time we want to now. I've fallen
into an investment that pays SO per
cent a year-a hundred dollars a
week, every week. How's that
honey?'
"Oh" There was a note of vague
uncertainty about the voice. I'll
don't quite understand. Larry, you
haven't bought oil stock?'@
"Oil stock nothingw 1t was the
big moment. "I've bought an ele-
phant!"
"A-what
Observation-Disclosures. You know
elephant! Biggest elephant in the
world. Stands eleven feet four inches
at the ridge of the backbone-a third
of a foot higher than Jumbo. Get
that? Weighs nearly eight and a
half tons. Got Jumbo licked to a
standstill. I've leased him out to
the Worlds Greatest hundred dol
lars a week"
But, Lawrence-where on earth
did you get the money!"
Money? Why, I had it,. That and
couple of thousand dollars bor-
rowed.'
You mean-our money? That we
We're going to put into the house?"
''Well-"
'Lawrence. You didn't take tina,
house money? Oh, you couldn't have
done that"
''Why-why note
But we were going to buy, the
house with that! We can't live in an
elephant!'
mo; but we can live on him, can,
we? Now"-Mr.~ Greer dropped a
,alR In, tho Lot Al l,1