Barney and Vance #1

These two young males were purchased by Al G. Barnes about 1917, one was named "Barney" after Barnes himself and the other, "Vance" after Vance Hill, the son of Wm. V. Hill, a friend of Barnes. The most remarkable thing to me is that they were leaderless in this picture and others, I'm sure the reins were merely symbolic, leaving them to simply follow the vehicle ahead of them. Even the best of elephants would veer around to scavenge for things. I wonder what that Unifon player thought when they started down a hill.