Hagenbeck-Wallace Elephants 1940 #1

Scan000011165, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. When Hagenbeck-Wallace folded in Riverside, Calif. in 1938 the show was moved into the vacated Barnes Quarters at Baldwin Park, Calif. Included were 23 Ringling owned elephants. The following year when the Ringling Show played Los Angles, the best 12 were added to the Ringling herd and 9 of the least desirable Ringling elephants were dropped off. So the elephants seen being exercised here were an assortment of rejects gradually being sold but now stabled at Goebel's Lion Farm at 1,000 Oaks, California 3/3/1940. At left is Cheerful Gardner and at right is his long time assistant Hurley Woodson. "D.R. once told me that when they heard that elephants were for sale, he and Obert took off for California in their biggest truck. When they arrived, D.R said he was terrified since they all looked so big and dangerous and Obert explained to Cheerful that they had a small family show in Oklahoma and had little experience with elephants. Cheerful walked them down the line and said, "Here is an old cow that won't give you a minutes trouble!" So for $600 on Jan.1, 1940 the Millers bought "Hattie", their first elephant. Ten years later when Cheerful delivered "April", "May" and "June" to Hugo from the Polack Show, Obert brought up the subject of their previous California dealings and thanked him for picking out "Hattie". Even tho she only made two seasons she was so well remembered that they changed "April's" name to "Hattie". HATTIE 1895-18 Ringling Bros. Circus.......1919-39 Ringling-Barnum Circus.......1939 Baldwin Park Qtrs........1940-41 Al G. Kelly & Miller Bros. Circus.......(Died Nov. 3, 1941 at Cranfield, Okla.)