The world's most famous elephant died in Ontario. This author is telling Jumbo's story - Action News
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The world's most famous elephant died in Ontario. This author is telling Jumbo's story

Jumbomania was still at its height when the circus elephant was struck by a train in St. Thomas, Ont., in 1885.

Jumbo was captured in East Africa and struck by a train in St. Thomas, Ont., almost 140 years ago

A large statue of an elephant, photographed in silhouette with a blue sky.
A life-size statue of Jumbo in St. Thomas, Ont., where the world-famous elephant died after being hit by a locomotive. It was erected in 1985 to commemorate 100 years since Jumbo's death. (Atlas Obscura)

A new book about a circus elephant that died in St. Thomas, Ont., brings Jumbo's story to life.

While crisscrossingNorth America as a spectacle in theBarnum& BaileyCircus,the elephant was struck by a locomotive in 1885. At the time, Jumbomania was at a high and the the southwestern Ontario city,a major railway hub, was a major stop on the tour.

Halifax author Stephens Gerard Malone's new work ofhistorical fiction iscalled Jumbo.Thisinterview with CBC London host Allison Devereaux has been edited for clarity and length.

Allison Devereaux: Will you tell us about Jumbo's life?

The front cover of a book, with a large elephant and the title,
Malone's new book is a historical fiction told from the perspective of a fictional character, Nell Kelly, the Worlds Smallest Singing, Dancing, Horse-riding Woman." (Nimbus Publishing)

Stephens Gerard Malone: He had, by today's standards, a horrific tale of animal abuse, but it was also a tale of incredible celebrity. Jumbo was under the glare of spotlight almost his entire life, from when he joined the London (England) Zooin the 1860s, to the sensational sale to to P.T. Barnum in 1882, and then his triumphant run with the circus until his demisein St. Thomas.

Tell us about that "sensational sale."

By the time he had been sold in the 1880s, he was a huge favourite at the London Zoo. He was giving rides every day. He'd hadPrince Leopold and Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's children,ride his back, as well as the young Winston Churchill. He was quite beloved.

But by the time he was sold, he was starting to get quite violent. He was destroying hisden in Elephant House.Part of this was attributed to an early sexual maturity, because of being in captivity.

New research solves mysteries about Jumbo the elephant's life and mysterious death

Part of the other problem was that his keeper, Matthew Scott, who'dbeen with him his entire life,had kind of become a law unto himself. He was the only one who could manage Jumbo and wassort ofgetting above his station in the London Zoo.

circa 1890:  Jumbo, the famous elephant which belonged to U.S. showman Phineas Taylor Barnum, at London Zoo in Regent's Park.  (Photo by London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images)
Jumbo, the famous elephant which belonged to U.S. showman Phineas Taylor Barnum, at London Zoo in Regent's Park. (Photo by London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images) (London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images)

So when when Barnum came along and offered2,000 pounds for the sale of Jumbo,the London Zoo jumped at it. It became this cause celebrein London about, "Oh my gosh, we can't we can't let Jumbo go to the Americans and we certainly can't let himgo to to P.T. Barnum.'"

Part of this was fuelled by Barnum himself, who was notorious forfilinglawsuits against himself. He would write letters to English newspapers saying, "Oh, it's terrible, we shouldn't be selling Jumbo."

He really believed there was no bad publicity. He was part and parcel creator of Jumbomania, which was coined at the time of Jumbo's sale.

Watch! From the CBC archives: Jumbo comes to St. Thomas

Jumbo died in southwestern Ontario. What did you learn about that?

I had never planned on writing a book about Jumbo. I thought I was going to write a book about somebody in the Arctic and I was looking for a nickname for a character that who would have big ears. I was doing a search on the Internet came across Jumbo thefirst thing I see is a picture of this statue in St. Thomas, Ont.

A man with a beard, greying hair and a serious expression on his face. He's wearing a blue, v-neck sweater and the background is blurred.
Stephens Gerard Malone's book comes out September 12th with Nimbus Publishing. (Niki Davison )

I came across this fascinating story about this elephant who is in the London Zoo, who was in the circus, who walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and then has this horrific accident in St. Thomas, that even makes headlines in the New York Times.

Jumbo's stroll over Brooklyn Bridge

The circus often made the rounds through southern Ontario, as it was doing thiscirclefrom New York back to Bridgeport, CT., at the end of the year. St. Thomaswas a railway hub and a frequent stop for for P.T. Barnum. Herewe have this amazing story with a Canadian connection that's still celebrated today in St. Thomas yet we know very little about it.

Animal keeper Matthew Scott succeeds in persuading African Bush Elephant, Jumbo (1861 - 1885) to walk through his travelling crate outside the Elephant House at London Zoo, 20th February 1882. Jumbo is to travel to the US in the crate after being sold to the PT Barnum circus.
Animal keeper Matthew Scott persuades Jumbo to walk through his travelling crate outside the Elephant House at London Zoo, 20th February 1882. Malone said Scott's "secret" to controlling Jumbo was the large amounts of alcohol he gave him, specifically Scotch whiskey. (London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Having written this book and and spent so much time with this story, what do you think we can all learn from Jumbo'sstory?

Obviously, the treatment of animals and, by extension,the environment is still as relevant today as ever.

Gawking at people at the circus, we're still doing that today, but it hasjust all moved online. We'restill intrigued by that sort of thing and that sort of fascination with oddities and curiosities.I wanted to show that is has a terrible effect on the people we're looking at, or the animals we're using for our pleasure.

It really hasn't changed all the much, we're just doing it in a different way.I think a lot of the story is still very relevant today.