Evening Star Newspaper, November 23, 1930, Page 100

THE SUNDAY STAR, When Elephants Cut Loose Under the Big Top »By Bob Sherwood, One of Barnum’s Famous Clowns. Amazing Adventures With Big Beasts of the . Circus—'‘The Most Human and the Most * Inconsistent of Animals.” EDITOR’S NOTE: For 26 years, jrom 1867 to 1893, Bob Sherwood amused millions of peo- ple with his antics as a clown with® the P. T. Barnum Circus. As a keen student of animals, Mr. Sher- wnod was especially fond of ele- phants, and his reminiscences re- produced here are but a few of the remarkable observations made dur- “ing his many years under the big the heart of a saint. - have known an elephant to kill his keeper wm.lnnnge. and later mourn for him, dis- playing every evidence of remorse that could possibly be exhibited by a human murderer. 1 have known elephants to work with their worst gnemies in a performance, to exert every pos- sible effort to put on a good show, to be friendly arid even helpful to those enemies in the ring, mmeeoumdetheblgwptomluutom them. A dog, tor example, is an object of dislike to an elephant, but he will go into with him and appear perfectly satisfied. et let that same dog come within reach on the line and he will ride in the head wagon makes up his mind. He walks softly and has a pnjghty wallop. He can knock down a house @nd pick up a pin with equal efficiency. He flives through a century and never gets too old $o learn new tricks. He is master of the jungle without tyranny. He is the servant of man Without slavishness. He has size without un- Wvieldiness. Two five-ton elephants executing faney steps on a stage will produce less vibration than a ballet of 60 expert stage beauties. He ” *go flighty” at the popping of a baby fire- tracker. He is the most sagacious animal in captivity, et when be becomes frightened he doesn’t know enough to turn out of the way of a brick building. His daily food consists of fully 200 pounds of roughage, a few pounds of coal which he munches greedily, a bushel or so of 80 or 20 pounds of pure dirt and & of water, yet he will quit it all fonely peanut or a piece of plephants are so inconsistent, human. AN interesting character who worked with £ me in the Barnum show was “Towbelly” ‘Towbelly was one of my best friends, time you go off on a bat I'm going to fine you a week’s pay.” Towbelly promised to be good, and for two weeks everything was grand. But on the third pay day Towbelly disappeared. He was finally found sleeping off a drinking bout. The spot he had chosen for his slumbers was directly under old Empress. To make matters worse the elephant refused to let any one appreach, so we had to leave her out of the parade and the elephant act for the day. When the next pay day came around Collins was promptly fined a week’s pay. He raved and swore to no avail—the fine stuck. He declared he would get even if it took him a lifetime. But weeks one day away up in the Siwash Indian country near the British Columbia line. For a week the weather had been sweltering hot and men and animals had suffered severely from the clouds of yellow dust while en route from town after the doors were opened performance lightning began west, followed by distant der from behind the dense uneasiness. dread blowdowns more than any disaster. It is not so much the of property that worries them as injury to patrons, who are likely and tread each other under- trouble with any of the animals except perhaps the elephants. The pachyderm is a most peculiar critter. He will stand broadside to a heavy storm without batting an eye, but if a branch be broken behind him or a dog yelp or a child scream away he darts at top speed. And, unlike other animals, he is not restrained by iron bars once he is free from his toe pin. The storm gathered strength rapidly. From- the roar of the wind through the pine forest it was evident that we were in for it. Never have I seen such vivid lightning. The thunder seemed to crash in our very ears. Panthers screamed, lions roared and pandemonium reigned. suddeflytbuemimutmmt- lly Collins. The rest of us and said “Poor Collins, drunk animal man, with two brawny and three horses, stayed behind to look for the runaway “bulls.” All the next day they scoured the countryside, but not a trace did they find of a single elephant. They re- turned disheartened. Before they started out again the following morning some one suggested that they get the help of Tom Longboat, a Siwash Indian living ’I‘Ol(mlenttor-nd'heureedtohelpln the search for the sum of $10 per day. For —three hun’ dol’ for each two-tail bull?” “That’s my offer,” said the boss. gave vent to his feelings by exe- - TMekphmtfiMhamfmtheMuuLjvhgcmmMM shot water all over the occupants of the boat. cuting an impromptu war dance, adding with a loud whoop: “Big chief wait one sun!” he yelled over his shoulder as he sped down the street. Puzzled over the situation, the boss decided to await developments for 24 hours. The next morning at daylight he was awakened by the shrill trumpeting of an elephant. He recog- nized that sound. He jumped out of bed and ran to the window. Down the street a hundred yards away came five majestic elephants along with no less a personage in the lead than Tow- belly Collins, smiling broadly. Siwash Tom Longboat strolled along in the rear. When the storm-frightened bulls had burst for the timber Towbelly, true to his trust, had set out after them. Guided by the noise of their crashing daylight came the elephants stopped to browse on the tender shoots along the trail. Towbelly had approached softly uyntil he got within a hundred yards of the runaway herd. Then he sounded the peculiar whistle which he always gave as a signal for the entrance of the ele- phants for their act. Old Babe stopped feeding instantly, trunk poised in midair. Again the whistle sounded and Babe replied with a trumpet of satisfaction. Collins waited no longer, but walked right u B E g1°td 53§§§§z Es " The Indian was paid $1,500 as promised— each elephant. Although no one could i i t, that he had got more than for the loss of his week’s pay. GEOROI CONKLIN, Barnum’s best mena- gerie boss, had in his working herd a mon- lurid suit of tights flaunted in his face continu- ously. The sight weighed heavily on Samson’s surly disposition. Daily he trumpeted his dis- like. Several times I warned Conklin that Samson was on the verge of a rampage, but he couldn’t One day as the parade had reached him. A few rods from the tent was a huge in several rounds of buckshot into the beast's trunk. The elephant paid no more attention than if the buckshot had been raindrops. leopard skin around his waist. Samson had on his parade howdah and, as he ran, the brightly colored velvet blanket floated in the breeze. Away went Conklin—on came Samson, get- ting closer and closer to the now thoroughly frightened fugitive. Off across the fields, about freight yard. Conklin hecaded for that in the hope.of being able to escape by dodging among the cars of coal standing on the two tracks which merged in a V at one end. At the point of the V the cars did not quite meet. Conklin made for that opening and was just able to squeeze himself to back up and go trainer let him struggle until he got quiet. After a while, he calmed lin’s command, he backed Then he was securely chained,- lot and whipped until he squealed. elephant squeals under punishment, signal he’s conquered—for a time, Samson was a good elephant after that. WI were playing Independence, Iowa, one day in 1881, and as part of the parade small cow elephant, went first; Mary, a little larger, was second; and Sultan, a very big bull elephant was between the shafts.. We had to cross & bridge going into the town—a wooden bridge, 40 feet high, over the rocky a bridge 5 342 g !3!5. they were at least 15 minutes going 50 feet. sitting on the front of the band could barely feel it move. Betsy would put down a foot, the bridge with it, put Hher Ty ki g § the bridge ,there was dropped like a bullet right through