Year: 1871

In July, 1910, the largest elephant ever


seen in England was advertised as 'iust


arrived" As soon as Henry Harris, the


manager IF the Covent Garden Theate1


had heard of it, he determined, if possible


to obtain it; for it struck him that if il


were TO be introduced in the new panto-


mime of Harlequin Posmenata," which


he was about to produce at great cost, il


would add greatly to the attractions.


Under this impression, and before the pro-


prietor of Exeter Change had seen it, he


purchased it for the sum of 900 guineas.


Mrs. Henry Johnston was to ride it, and


Miss Parker the Columbine, was to play


up to it. Young happened to be onemorn-


ing at the box Office adjoining Covent Gar


den Theater, where his ears were assailed


by strange and unusual uproar within


the walls. On asking one of the carpen-


tiers the cause of it, he was told it was


something wrong with the elephant, he


could not exactly tell what 1 am not


aware what may be the usage nowadays;


but then, whenever new piece has been


announced for presentation on given


night, and there was but scarce time for


its preparation, rehersal would take


place after the nights regular performance
was over, and the audience mad been dis
missed. One such there had been the
night before my fathers curiosity had been
aroused. As it had been arranged that
Mrs. Henry Johnston, seated in howdah
on the elephants back, should pass over a
bridge in the center of a numerous group
of followers, it was thought expedient that
the unwieldy monsters tractability should
be tested. On stepping up to the bridge,
which was slight and temporary, the saga
cious brute threw back his forefeet and
refused to bulge. 1t is well known as
fact in natural history that the elephant,
because of its unusual bulk, will never
trust its weigh, upon any object which is
unequal to its support. The stage man.
ager, seeing how resolutely the animal re-
sisted every attempt made to compel or
induce it to go over the bridgein question,
proposed that they should stay proceed
ings till next day, when he might be in a
better mood. 1t was during the repetition
of the experiment that my father, having
heard the extraordinary sounds, determined
to go upon the stage, and see if he could
ascertain the cause of them


The first sight that met his eyes kindled
his Indignation. There stood the huge
animal with downcast eyes and tapping
ears, meekly submitting to blow after blow
from sharp iron goad, which his keeper,
was driving ferociously into the feshy
part of his neck at the root of the ear.
The floor on which he stood was convert
ed into pool of blood. One of the pro-
prietors, impatient at what he regarded as
senseless obstinacy, kept urging the driV-
er to still severer extremities, when
Charles Young, who was a great lover of
animals, expostulated with him; went up
to the poor, patient sufferer, and patted
and caressed him; and when the driver
was about to weld his instrument again
with even still more vigor, he caught him
by the wrist as in vice, and stayed him
from further violence. While an angry
alteration was going on between Young
and the man of color, who was his driver,
Captain Hay, of the "Ashel," who had
brought over Chung in his ship, and had
petted him greatly on the voyage, came In
and begged TO know what was the matter.
Before word of explanation could be
given, the much-wronged creature spoke
for himself; for, as soon as he perceived
the entrance of his patron, he waddled up
to him, and, with lock of gentle appeal,
caught hold of his hand with his probos-
els, plunged it into his bleeding wound,
and then thrust it before his eyes. The
gesture seemed to say, as plainly as if it
had been enforced by speech, "See how
these cruel men treat Chung. Can
you approve of it?" The hearts of
the hardest present were sensibly touched
by what they saw, and among them that of
the gentleman who had been so energetic
in promoting its harsh treatment 1t was
under a far better impulse that he ran out
into the street, purchased few apples at
a sail, and offered them to him. Chung
eyed him askance, took them, threw them
beneath his feet, and, when he had crushed
them to pulp, spurned them from him.
Young, who had gone into Coyent Garden
with the same crowd as the gentleman
who had preceded him, shortly after re-
entered and also held out to him some
fruit, when, to the astOnishment of the
bystanders, the elephant ate every morsel,
and, after, twiued his trunk with studied
gentleness around Young's waist, marking
by this action that, though he had resent
ed wrong, he did not forget kindness.


1t was in the year 1914 that Harris
parted with Chung to Cross, the proprietor
of.the menagerie at Exeter
Change. One of the purchasers first acts
was TO send to Charles Young life ticket
Of admission to his exhibition; and it was
one of his innocent little vanities, when
passing through the Strand with any
friend, to drop in on Chung, pay him
visit in his den, and show the intimate re-
ations that existed between them. The
tragic end of the poor creature must be
within the recollection of many of your
readers From some cause unknown, he
went mad, and it took 152 shots discharged
by detachment Of the Guards, to dis
patch him.-From the Memoir Of Charles
AGyne Young.


The Nashua Qows) Post says: "Here
s a now wheat item for 1871. The wheat