Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1890 — Hungry Elephants. [ARTICLE]

Hungry Elephants.

St. Nicholas. _ One favorite food of the African elephant is the tender, juicy roots of the mamosa-tree, which grows in scattered groups through most of the meadows and lowlands of central Africa. When an elephant finds a young tree of this sort, it is not difficult, as a rule, for him to get at tho roots, especially if the surrounding soil is moist and loose, as is often the case after it has been soaked by the heavy rainfalls of the tropics. If the tree is loose, the elephant knowing his strength, winds his trunk firmly round the tree, and plucks it from the earth, a feat which is no harder for him than the pulling up of a flower for a child. But the elephant does not stop here; experience has taught him the most eomfortable way of enjoying his prize, go without relaxing his hold, he turns the troo completely over, and stands it with its upper branches tbrust down into the place where the roots were. Then the earthy roots, now replacing the branches, remain within easy reach of the strong and deft trunk. African travelers tell us of great tracts of country almost covered with these inverted trees. Seeing the dry trees turned upside down one would be more likely to think a wood had been reversed by mischievous fairies, than to suppose hungry elephants had been feeding there. Sometimes an elephant will find a tree which defies his greatest efforts, and absolutely refuses to'be uprooted. But tho elephant does not give up. Not at all. He either brings another elephant to help him—a thing they often do when . the work is too much for one—Or, if he can not find a he sets his own wits to work. He makes use of his tusks as levers thrusting them, as if they were crow the roots, and pries away slowly and steadily until the tree is loosened; and then with a great wrench he completely uproots it and it goes toppling over, leaving the clever elephant victorious.

Frank Beslin, a blind editor of Salt Lake City, is soon to have a remarka-, ble operation performed on his eyes. It will be the transplanting of rabbit’s eyes and connecting them with the optic nerves. This operation has been successful in a number of cases. It is said by a New York writer that SI,OOO a week is a modest estimate for the cost of four or five dinners weekly for any one who is in the social swim.