ELEPHANTS 



" Jumbo " had been for nearly sixteen years quiet, gentle, 

 and tractable, and had been daily in the habit of carrying 

 hundreds of visitors about the gardens. Finding that he, 

 at the end of this period, was likely to do some fatal 

 mischief I made an application to the Council to be 

 supplied with a sufficiently powerful rifle in the event 

 of finding it necessary to kill him. Strange to say also 

 about this time I received a letter from the late Mr. 

 Barnum, asking if the Society would sell the big African 

 elephant, and, if so, at what price. I submitted Mr. 

 Barnum 's letter to the Council, and was instructed to 

 dispose of the animal for £2000. I wrote immediately to 

 Mr. Barnum telling him that he could have " Jumbo " 

 for £2000 "as he stands," my object being to save the 

 Society the expense of packing and forwarding this huge 

 animal to America. Mr. Barnum replied by telegram — 

 " I accept your offer ; my agents will be with you in a few 

 days." 



The following appeared in the Times, January 25, 

 1882 :— 



"THE GREAT AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 



" Barnum, the American showman, has bought for the 

 sum of £2000, the large male African Elephant, which 

 has for many years formed one of the principal attractions 

 In the Gardens of the Zoological Society in the Regent's 

 Park. 



" The purchase has been made upon the understanding 

 that the animal is to be removed and shipped to America 



entirely new arrangement has been adopted, by the sale of 

 riding tickets at 2d each, the men taking a share. The result 

 has been to produce an income to the Society of about £800 per 

 annum. 



49 E 



