Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1885 — Elephant Quotations. [ARTICLE]

Elephant Quotations.

The skill now displayed in teaching elephants is certainly wonderful, and a herd of these animals is now necessary to any first-class caravan. This has led to an extensive traSic, and the London importer sends the following advertisement to one of our leading dailies: “Burmese Elephants.—Healthy young Burmese elephants for sale; four and one-half feet and under at £175 each; over four and one-half to five feet at £2OO each; delivered in London or Liverpool; prices of animals from five feet to full grown on application.” The price is certainly reasonable, being equal to $875 for the small size and SI,OOO for the large. When one considers that this is not one-tenth the price often paid for a fine horse, one cannot but acknowledge that it is cheap enough. Barnum has invested more money in elephants than any other private individual, and he has made it highly remunerative. At one time he had one of these animals harnessed before a plow and kept in his field at Iranistan. The Boston cars passed the place daily and the elephant became a good advertisement. Barnum ha s probably put a quarter million in this kind of stock, including Jumbo, whose cost has been advertised at $50,000. It is not probable that it was one-half of that sum. A well-trained performing elephant is worth SIO,OO0 —that is, it will attract enough to make such an investment remunerative—but show property is entirely “fancy stock.” There is no fixed valuation. Adam Forepaugh, Jr., is one of the best elephant-trainers in the country, and his skill has enabled him to rival Barnum. The latter, with all his genius, never trained anything. He pays good salaries, however, to experts, and before he purchased Jumbo he made an engagement with his keeper to accompany him to America. This man has been with the famous elephant for nearly twenty years, and controls him as easily as he would a child.— New York letter.

In an address to young men Dr. W. Pratt, of London, says that married life is by far the most healthy. In 1,000 married men of 25 to 30 years of age there are six deaths; 1,000 bachelors furnish ten deaths, and 1,000 widowers twenty-two deaths. In young men married before 20 years the figuers are unfavorable, being fifty per 1,000. In unmarried men under 20 the rate is but seven per 1,000. If girls marry before 20 a like mortality befalls them. Married people from 18 to 20 die as fast as people from 60 to 70. After 21 marriage should be contracted as Soon as practicable. An idler is twice a thief; he not only steals his own time, but hangs around and tries to steal yours.