Teaching an Elephant to Obey Written Commands.
LOUIS E. COOK, agent of Cole's Circus, tells a remarkable story that illustrates the elephant's wonderful capacity for receiving and retaining impressions, and at the same time shows the great possibilities still offered in the direction of educating the pachyderm. 'Our trainer, George Conklin,' said Mr. Cook, 'while in New York last winter, had several conversations with an eminent zoologist, who among other theories advanced this: That the elephant could be taught to read written characters. He explained that the education of the great beast had gone even farther than mere feats of memory, either in the matter of language or judging of shapes and forms. It had been trained to do work of many kinds in the East, such as piling lumber in systematical columns, and even setting the heavy stones in masonry so that expert workmen found it seldom necessary to make any changes in their position. The cunning of the elephant was well known, for the trained monster was often used to lure his wild brethren into snares, and frequently assisted in throwing and holding down the captive until the chains were placed upon him. 'The zoologist used other arguments of the same kind, and Conklin at last determined to make the attempt and determine the possibility of teaching the elephant how to read. He selected 'Rajah,' a fifteen-year-old, for the experiment. He got a blackboard two feet long and eight inches wide, on which to inscribe the letters. He did not begin, however, by teaching the animal the alphabet. He did not seem to want to make the experiment in that way, as it might be too tedious; but, as you know, ring or trained elephants know all the words of command spoken by the trainer. They will stop when he cries 'halt,' move on when he says 'march,' run at the order to 'double-quick,' and, indeed, obey every word spoken to them. Well, Conklin hit upon this plan. He took Rajah into the ring at least once every day, and writing the word 'March' in Roman characters about five or six inches long on the board, placed it before the animal's eyes, and after allowing him to scan it, then pointing to the white letters, shouted the order 'March,' which, of course, was complied with. He found that writing the letters while the board was held before the elephant, was a surer way of attracting the animal's attention to the characters, so he now writes in this way. Rajah soon grew accustomed to the board and the letters and now very seldom makes a mistake when a written command is presented to him. He will march the moment the last letter is finished, halt when the trainer shows him the word, and, indeed, recognizes every inscription of this kind Conklin places on the board. The elephant will not be introduced into the ring in this new act until next season, by which time the trainer thinks it possible to educate the whole herd in reading, so that the words of command may be given in writing on a large blackboard. Having succeeded so well in teaching Rajah to read words, he will now try to advance backward by teaching him the alphabet, and I myself think it possible that the elephant, which is quick and intelligent, may be taught by means of lettered blocks to spell the words that he is familiar with in the ring.'—New Orleans Times-Democrat.