Evening star., 1932-11-20

NUNS agents might propose, Jumbo could dis
pose, and in this instance he was still more
unwilling than on the previous evening to lend
himself to the transaction. AS soon as he got
into the road he saw that something unusual
was again about to take place and knelt down
to await the ISSUE The eleph ants inside the
gardens were also filled with misgivings and
beloved and trumpeted loudly, Jumbo responds
ing with sympathetic sounds At length he
had to be led back into the gardens, where,
with an unruffied mien, he resumed his wonted
occupation of carrying little children on his
back and eating buns"
But as foxy as Jumbo might have been, the
cunning of man is supreme and it was not
long before he was aboard the ship on his way
to America. Matthew Scott, his keeper, in
speaking of this trip across the Atlantic, many
years ago said:
In the dawn Of fine Spring morning we
started on our journey to the New World. The
box was drawn by 16 horses, and the weight
was as much as they could draw. Thousands
followed Jumbo to the river bank, expressing
their regrets at his departure The grief Of
the children was really sorrowful.
"At Gravesend Jumbo held levee, and a
very fashionable one, too, for a distinguished
company came on board the steamer to wish
him bon voyage. Among the party were Miss
Burdett-Coutts and her present husband; also
Mr.. Henry Irving, the great actor and several
other well known ladies ard gentlemen.
"One poor old lady gave me several cakes
and bottles Of soda water to be given to Jumbo
on the passage.
Jumbo was somewhat alarmed at first by
the noise of the machinery and the rolling Of
the steamship, but I was always at his side
and managed to calm him so that he became
quite sailor when he got his sea legs on
We arrived at last, and Jumbo seemed to be
delighted. He trumpeted out his Joy as much
as to say, 'Ah, Mr.. Scott, we are at last in the
land of the free and the home of the brave
When Junbo's house was hoisted on the dock
horses hifrhnd n ha Nar IIr,ov1 yuni NJ,
it was placed. Then two of his brother ele-
plants, called pushers,' put their immense
heads to the back of the house, and at signal
the horses commenced to draw and the ele-
phants to push, and after an hours work we
arrived at Madison Square Garden, where
Jumbo was released from his narrow quarters
and seemed SO joyful at his freedom that he
twined his trunk around me in an ecstacy of
delight"
JUMBO is said to have been IL feet inches
- in height though nearly II feet" is also
recorded. But the first dimensions are no
doubt nearer correct, since the box made to
bring him across the ocean was only IL feet
high
Though the elephant is known for his intelli-
gencc. yet Jumbo probably in a class by
himself, for he was always doing something
out of the ordinary. Upon one occasion ac-
cording to Mr.. Scott, while the show was in
Ottumwa, Iowa, 80 elephants in another tent
stampeded.
I'm moment they rushed into our tent" the
trainer tells us. eff death ever stared me in
the face" he says, "it did at this moment On
came the black mass of mad animals, and
thought there was no escape from being
crushed beneath their heavy feet, when Jumbo
came to the rescue
He twined his trunk about my body like
flash, and placed me out of harms way be-
tween his legs; then stood firmly and stretched
he limb, nf Inrc
tree, and permitted not an elephant to get
past it, Again and again the crowd OF
maddened creatures tried to force its way but
Jumbo remained firm and determined until the
keepers secured the entire lot. Had Jumbo
not prevented the elephants from going out
of the inclosure, the loss of life would no
doubt have been great"
Jumbo showed a great attachment for the
baby elephant that was with him when he was
killed and it was almost as great an attraction
as the mammoth elephant himself, for it was
probably the elephant born in Philadelphia ON
March 10, 1880-the first one born in this
country.
As big as Jumbo was, the writer doubts if he
was the biggest elephant brought to this
country, and in his conclusions he is fortified
by an account in the National Intelligencer of
May 26, 1865, which tells of the death Of
Hannibal" at Centreville Pa as follows:
''The world-renowned performing animal,
old Hannibal, who for almost half a century
has been the greatest wonder of the animal
kingdom, died in Centreville in this county, on
last Sunday the 7th instant, at 7:51 o'clock
am. Hannibal was attached to the combined
menagerie and circus which exhibited here on
last Friday. He displayed evidences of indis-
position and feebleness several days previously
at McConnellsburg, and it required great labor
and perseverance to get him the
tains to Bloody Run. On Friday he was very
i'll, having steadily refused food for several days.
He left here on Saturday morning, with a very
unsteady step. for Centreville, where he died
on the Sabbath morning
THE watchman who spent the last night
with the living Hannibal reports him as having