nPostednon April 13, 2014
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It’snamazing to think how lucky we are, these days, to not only see sonmany sights from all over the world via TV and movies and theninternet, but also to actually be able to visit far-awaynplaces—getting there quite quickly in an airplane—and even to seencreatures from everywhere RIGHT WHERE WE LIVE!
It’snamazing to think how lucky we are, these days, to not only see sonmany sights from all over the world via TV and movies and theninternet, but also to actually be able to visit far-awaynplaces—getting there quite quickly in an airplane—and even to seencreatures from everywhere RIGHT WHERE WE LIVE!n
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nTherenis a large, excellent zoo less than an hour’s drive from me, and Inhave been able to enjoy seeing koalas and giraffes, chimpanzees andnelephants since I was a baby—and I’m pretty old! But you surelynrealize that some people live very far away from the nearest zoo andnhave never been able to go to one…and of course most people whonlived long, long ago never got to see exotic animals, either!
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| This is a picture of the ship that brought the first elephant to the U.S. |
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nImaginenthe excitement of the people of New York way back on this date inn1796, when they heard that an Indian elephant had arrived by shipnfrom Calcutta, India. I wonder how many people had already seennpictures of elephants? Perhaps some had seen elephant-head trophies?nSome may have never seen pictures or trophies, but had just heardnabout pachyderms’ huge size and odd trunks. I wonder how many hadnnever even heard of elephants before?
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nAtnany rate, soon after its arrival the Indian elephant was placed onndisplay on a street corner in New York City. The captain who hadninvested his own money to bring the two-year-old elephant to thenU.S.—a man named Captain Jacob Crowninshield—made a wiseninvestment, it turns out. He spent $450 on purchasing the creaturenand getting it to the U.S., and he very soon sold it for a whoppingn$10,000!
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Accordingnto newspaper stories and advertisements, the elephant was so new, sonexciting, that people spent money to see just it, alone. No circus,nno zoo, no tricks, even—just one elephant standing around onnexhibit! People in some towns spent 50 cents per person to see thenelephant—and in other towns they only had to cough up 25 cents tonsee the elephant. The elephant seems to have toured the east coast ofnthe new nation for years and years—maybe until a July exhibition inn1818. n
Accordingnto newspaper stories and advertisements, the elephant was so new, sonexciting, that people spent money to see just it, alone. No circus,nno zoo, no tricks, even—just one elephant standing around onnexhibit! People in some towns spent 50 cents per person to see thenelephant—and in other towns they only had to cough up 25 cents tonsee the elephant. The elephant seems to have toured the east coast ofnthe new nation for years and years—maybe until a July exhibition inn1818. nn
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Ingot to wondering how the elephant got from town to town back then.nThere were no railroad tracks criss-crossing the country! I read thatnanother early elephant (Old Bet) was led from one town to the next onnfoot during the night. Why during the night? Of course, the ownerndidn’t want people to be able to see the elephant for free!
Ingot to wondering how the elephant got from town to town back then.nThere were no railroad tracks criss-crossing the country! I read thatnanother early elephant (Old Bet) was led from one town to the next onnfoot during the night. Why during the night? Of course, the ownerndidn’t want people to be able to see the elephant for free!
Weirdlynenough, America’s first elephant was apparently never given a name.nWell, perhaps the elephant’s handlers called it something, butnwe have no record of the name. In articles and ads it was just calledn“the elephant.” It was sometimes referred to as “he,” andnother times as “she.” The best info seems to be that the elephantnwas female.
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| This is a record by the rock band “Cheers Elephant,” who were inspired by America’s first elephant. They included a song called “Captain Crowninshield”! |
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nAlsonon this date:
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Anniversary of the coining of the word “microscope”
Anniversary of the coining of the word “microscope”
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nNationalnScrabble Day
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nThomasnJefferson’s birthday
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nApollon13 Day
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nApriln holidays
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nMayn holidays
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nMayn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in May
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