Hunt Bros. Circus/ The Whiz Kids

Jimmy and Carmen Hall with the Hunt Show date unknown. I received an interesting question last night asking why elephants weren't used to push more rather than pull in harness since the center of their weight distribution is situated directly behind their front legs and pushing would be more effective. The main reason is because some vehicles were flimsy and would cave in before moving if it were badly stuck. Most any elephant can be broke to harness but pushing is an acquired art. I have told the story many times that when the baggage horses with the Ringling Show would drop the cages off in the vicinity of the menagerie, "John" would push and position each one inside, there were so many they had to be placed close together. As each cage approached the one ahead of it, it was stopped momentarily to have the wagon pole removed as tho it were being loaded on the train. After being spotted "John" would walk along the back side of the vehicle, place his foot on the hub of the front axle, give it a kick so the fifth wheel would be jack-knifed and when the poles were replaced at night they all pointed inward so the baggage horses could take out as many cages as they chose at one time rather then the single file manner in which they were brought in.