George “Slim” Lewis (1911-1981) was a circus man. At 27 he ran away from home to join the circus. His story, that he lovingly tells in his books, (Elephant Tramp, 1956 & I Love Rouges, 1978) is about his love of elephants, working with them, training them and loving them.
His experiences with these huge animals are unique and sudden death can be part of the job and Slim has had some close calls.
Most notable is his relationship with Tusko, one of the largest elephants brought to America. Slim spins a tale of warm, friendship and respect for this impressive animal. Unlike so many of his cohorts, he had the ability and desire to record his fascinating account for posterity.
Courtesy of Mark Rosenthal.