The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE": 06/24/12

Congo Forest Elephant

1927

Photogravure of an elephant farm in Api in the Belgian Congo 1930

The other day, the picture above was posted on "the history channel." I sent this comment to America's Foremost Elephant Expert(is that right, Radar?)

Buckles,
I realize this photo was taken at an odd angle, but does this elephant's foot and lower leg look odd to you? Thank you.

Wade Burck

Apparently, the comment was deemed "unseemly" because it found it's way to the dumpster, and was never posted. In attempting to write "elephant history" to you folk's really think you are getting the real skinny, or are you touting feel good jackpot's as historical fact? Radar, any word on the "odd" entry in the elephant data base as to pod, only two day's after death occurred, that seems to have been changed? While you are at it, I had an interesting phone call yesterday. Check real hard and see if he was actually sold to Krone as records and reports state, or if he was in fact owned by someone else, and rented to Krone? Just out of curiosity..........

Dwasala Elephant

The mahout knew elephants from head to tail, and he was very well acquainted with the three grades that compose the breed. The least valuable of all are the Mierga--a light, small-headed, thin-skinned, weak-trunked and unintelligent variety that are often found in the best elephant herds. They are often born of the most noble parents, and they are as big a problem to elephant men as razor-backs to hog-breeders. Then there is a second variety, the Dwasala, that compose the great bulk of the herd--a good, substantial, strong, intelligent grade of elephant. But the Kumiria is the best of all; and when one is born in a captive herd it is a time for rejoicing. He is the perfect elephant--heavy, symmetrical, trustworthy and fearless--fitted for the pageantry of kings.

'Instead of the animal industry always having to defend death's or physical problems such as leg's or feet, I suggest it would be beneficial if someone would finance a study to see how long the Asian mahouts have been selling their junk, to the uneducated of the captive animal world........... "weak-trunked" might be an answer to the mystery of "trunk paralysis." Recall a while back I had pointed out that I had noted "thin," needle trunks being on "small-headed" animals? The value of an animal such as an Arabian horse, run's from 250 thousand dollars all the way down to "take it off my hand's and I'll pay for shipping.'

The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE": Vintage National Zoo

Wild beasts; a study of the characters and habits of the elephant, lion ..

A Brief History of Elephant capture and the - gaur36 - LiveJournal

Wild Beasts..a Study

Koomeriah And Meerga Elephants

Perfect Koomeriah elephant 1960

Wood engraving 1910

Buckles said...: In the teak forests "Koomeriah" type elephants were preferred because of their bulk and low to the ground stature made them ideal as workers.
However the "Dwasala" and the leggy, rawboned "Meegra" were often more suitable as performers in the ring.
Simply because carrying less weight they can move faster and scramble up on tubs, barrels and do hand stands, hind leg walks, etc.; 09 November, 2005 15:39

(George P.) Sanderson - eBooksRead.com

Thirteen Years Among The Wild Beasts Of India: Their Haunts And ... - Go

A Perfect Harmony: The Intertwining Lives of Animals and Humans ... - Goog

Cuneo Press

Grove St. is seen bisecting the Cuneo Press plant in this 1927 aerial photograph. The Cuneo Press was one of the largest commercial printing plants in the country. The company was in business for 70 years, closing when owner and founder John Cuneo died in 1977. The architect of buildings #1,2,4, and 5 was the incredibly prolific Alfred Alschuler.

Cuneo Press on fire 1989

Cuneo Press implosion 1995

Vintage Cuneo Press

Time Magazine
Mar. 5, 1945

For months, National Tea Co., sixth largest U.S. retail grocery chain, had squirmed under the critical gaze of one of its new stockholders. The critic: John F. Cuneo, cold-eyed, round-faced owner of The Cuneo Press, Inc., biggest U.S. printers as well as "angel" of Liberty and a string of other magazines.
Last fall, Stockholder Cuneo sent his own auditors poring through National's books to find out why it made only $332,000 in 1943 on sales of $92,000,000. Last month he fired off a letter to National stockholders giving his findings: bad management, antiquated...

Kokomo Perspective:

This letter was sent to us by Carol Thieke about his memories of Cuneo Press.
“Does anyone remember the old Cuneo Press?
“Ernest Cox, Tiny Sheets and I worked at General Electric before Cuneo Press.
“It started around 1948. We helped set up presses 83 and 85 and after they got the presses together, they needed someone to run them. Ernest and Tiny became pressmen. They worked at Cuneo until they passed away.
“There were a lot of people who worked there. Do you remember the white sleeves they had to wear on their arms to keep paper from cutting them. It was during the packing of books off the presses.
“When I started working there in 1957, I was making $1.42 per hour. I thought we were rolling in the money. At that time Chrysler was making around $2 an hour. Shortly after I got hired, we had a bad fire. I thought I was going to be looking for a new job, but they had to work overtime and, believe it or not, we got it all cleaned up and got the presses running.
“Did you know we had a bomb shelter there? We had 1,000 cots, medicine and food stored in the basement in case of fallout from an atom bomb blast.
“Mr. Vernal Baugh worked for Civil Defense then and filled some of the supplies. He can be seen at Richard’s Restaurant at the same time we have our Cuneo Press breakfast, every fourth Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the big room. If anyone would like to attend please call Mark Ault at 45-95245 or Carol Thieke at 883-1213.
“Back in 1957, Good Housekeeping magazine was sold for 35 cents a copy, and we printed around 7 million copies.
“Mr. John Cuneo, owner of Cuneo Press, had contracts with John Hearst. We printed a lot of his magazines. To work at Cuneo, most people had to be journeyman pressmen and assistant pressmen. Most had to serve a four-year apprenticeship. Most jobs were skilled trades.
“When you became a pressman, you made good money. It was a good place to work. There were a lot of people who didn’t like to work there, when they had to pack books and throw mail bags back in the shipping area. That was hard work.
“Talking about mail bags, did you know we had the largest post office in Indiana back then, right there in the Cuneo Press building. Cuneo took over the Pittsburgh Plate building when they closed.
“Cuneo Press was a good job until World Color came on the scene. After Cuneo died, World Color bought us out and moved everything out. What a sad day when we lost our jobs.
“We need jobs like we had back there at Cuneo and the old Steel Mill. You could always find work if you wanted to work. Thanks for reading about Cuneo Press and a little history of a great place to work.”