A Bedtime Story?

Yes, Sonny, we've had elephants in Jetmore. In fact one was killed here about 1911. No, he wasn't native to Hodgeman County, nor was he captured here. It's not a very pretty tale but if you want to hear it.

You see this elephant belonged to a circus that was showing at Larned and until a short time before he had been a very good elephant. But one day something went wrong. Maybe he had a toothache or a stomachache, anyway he lost his temper and trampled his keeper to death. He remained in an ugly mood and everyone was afraid of him. It was decided that he was too dangerous to keep. So, since Jetmore was the end of the railroad line it was agreed to make it the end of the line for the elephant, too. And that is what they did. They ran the car in which the beast was shipped up to Jetmore, shunted it onto the railroad Y, and proceeded with their plans to dispose of him. It isn't an easy thing to kill an elephant, and they didn't do the job in a very nice way. A block and tackle was attached around the animal's neck and the railroad engine hitched to it. The poor beast was as choked down into a corner of the car and was dispatched with a gun in the hands of Pete Gibson, almost on his own doorstep. And so ended the only elephant hunt that ever took place in Jetmore. And all over town small boys tacked up hunks of elephant hide on barn doors as souvenirs!

Now isn't that a good story to go to sleep on?

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Last updated 03/26/1998