John L. Sullivan (elephant)
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John L. Sullivan, (1860 ? - 1932),[1] a tuskless, male Asian Elephant, was a performer in the Adam Forepaugh Circus and, later, in the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. He died of old age or of heart failure[2] in Sarasota, Florida in 1932.
In the early days of his career, John L. (who was named after the boxer John L. Sullivan[2][original research?]) performed a boxing act with his trainer, Eph Thompson. John would have a boxing glove placed at the end of his trunk to spar with Thompson. John stayed with the circus as the Forepaugh show joined with the Sells Brothers Circus, which then joined with the Ringling Brothers Circus.
Old John, as he came to be known, stayed on with the circus after he retired from performing. He babysat for the performers' children, did heavy lifting, and led the elephant herd to and from the show grounds and train.[3]
On April 9, 1922, Old John, with Dexter Fellows, began a 53 mile pilgrimage from Madison Square Garden to the Elephant Hotel in Somers, New York, to pay tribute to Old Bet, the first elephant in America. Old John arrived on April 13, 1922. He laid a wreath on the monument to Old Bet.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ "Circus is on the way: In the Garden Tuesday," New York Times, Apr. 3, 1932, p. 24
- ^ a b Bosworth, William George. Wagon Wheels. London: Heath, Cranton, Ltd., 1935. p. 193. Quoted in Yoram S. Carmeli, "Text, Traces, and the Reification of Totality: The Case of Popular Circus Literature," New Literary History, Vol. 25, No. 1, Literary History and Other Histories. (Winter, 1994), pp. 182-183.
- ^ "'Old John' Nears end of Rainbow" Hartford Courant, June 30, 1929
- ^ "Town Heaps Honors on Old Bet's Grave," New York Times, Apr. 14, 1922, p. 25
