The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-02-25 00:00:00

TH E rfOURBRIfIGE OBSERVER

WOLF TAMING.

WHEN wild beasts became the rivals of
gladiators in making a Roman holiday, the
animal did not undergo any taming or
I training process precious to entering an
appearance in the arena of the vast am-
phitheatre. The spectators who crowded
the tiers of seats liked to look upon the
I,rfE 724urce in a savage state, and the keen
interest they felt reached its highest point of
sensational excitement when human fctioas
were torn to pieces before their eyes. "The
Christians to the lions ! " formed a blood-
thirsty cry in the city of the Cwsers when
Paganism sought to cileck the spread of the
new faith, hostile to the old mytholegies,
that had come into the world, an i was
making many converts In modern times
there is nothing that can bear any com-
parison to the sights that mere witnessed in
the Roman Amphitheatre except the bull-
fights in Spain, which still continue to be a
popular pastime, and which are patronised
by the highest in the land. The days of
bull-baiting and bear-baiting in our own
country belorg to the remote past, and the
progress of civelisation is marked by the laws
recorded in the statne book which are directed
against brutal sports and cruel pastimes.
Wild animals are now exhibited in the
travelling enenage is, which commonly add
to their attinctiens perfornaanees that are
in ten ler to sh3w the feats in training achi- ved
by skilful and daring lion-tamers who enter
the iron-barred caged den and compel
obedience by a straight, stern look and land
voice of command. Though the king cf
kasts is found to be by taelers, next to the
elephant, the most tractable after a lengthened
course of discipline, other animals noted for
ferocity in their wild state are als ) subjected
to training and forced, much to their evident
reluctance, to take port in menagerie per-
:.ce-mauces. Even wolves have recently made
their appearance as entertainers of the public
in the metropolis, aud the alarming °con rrenee,
that signalised the arrival of a Siberian pack
of eight in their cage at the sta blot connected
with Sanger's Amphitheatre in Westminster
li:sidge-road served to show that the training,
.of such fiercely ravenous animals must be at
once a difficult and dangerous procese.Full-
grown wolvcs, to whatever country they
telong, certainly be trained by a pro
tracted and severe disciplinary process, in-
volving much crnelty, to go Throng:h some
performances, but the, preserve their natm.e.
, though temporarily cowed to subjection is
apt to break out uncontrollably-lit "any
m ment. The position of their trainers,
who must possess great conraee, presence of
mind, and promptness of action, is far front
being an enviab:e one, and the public learn
nothirg about the wounds inflicted. upore
them from time to time. Their trait ing
experiences are kept as secret as the in
itiatory rit•s in Matonic lodges. It might
almost seem requisite for them to be • "clad
in complete steel," like the stately shade of
Hamlet's father, before venturing int.) th
cage and putting them through • their.
Spectators at a public performanee
can see that it is in a gauntleted hand the
socalled tweet. holds the pound of raw flesh
for which the trained pack, closing in upon
him and putting their paws-on his shoulders
and uplifted arm, engage in an eager and
s-elous -scramble. The recorded cases of
wolves being successfully trained, even when
taken in hand as cubs, are exceedingly rare.
Biocn Caviar has _related an instance of a.
male wolf becoming docile and much at-
tached to the master ia whoee possession he
bad been from birth. The owner, requieing-
to go abroad, placed the animal when
grown in the Paris me,nagerie, an. &A not
' return for two years.. On his retern
, wolf recognised his voice at once. a'idshowd
' all the exuberance of delight exhibited on
such occasions by feith:nland leng-mernoried
does. An )her leag.h airdene Oceuered .
follewed by similar inanifestte ins of joy,
aid when a third took place, the dieco,eiolate
animal for some time refused eve-eythiug in
the shape ef food. Still . mote remarkable
than this instance was the attachment to his
mistress of a wolf belonging to a lady who
lived near Geneva. On her coming home,
after nee sn absence of three k IR, nireg
• which time her strange pet showed great
.concern, the affectionate wolf, springing up
in an cestacy of delight, placed a paw on
each of her shoulders, and then. suddenly
fell beckwards expiring on the spilt. . But
the wolves, in both these recorded instances, -
were exception rerities, "taking after" the
fabulous animal alleged to have suckled
Romulus and Remus. Bnffon, Who was a
fellow-countryman-of Qgvier, and equally
distinguished as a naturalist, tested tho
tatnahility of wolves, and met with little
success in his attempts. He procured several
wolves while they were quite young, treated
them kindly and gently, and used every
means be could devise to promote their
doeteetication. Por the first year they ex-
hibited docility, but as they grew older the
ferocity of their natures asserted itself to a
daugerons extent. At one time, vvio
pliente:a forests ab einded, woleee of t
common or pey species were numeroo
enough in our own eeteroey, and so ferocioue
..vele they that in some districts, Yorkshire
being epeciafly named by Pennant, retreats
were prov:ded for the protection of travellers.
At the e-axon period, when they were most
numerous, greet efforts were put forth to
exterminate them, and King Edgar com-
manded the \Dolan people to peeduce 300
heads a year. No indigenious wolves existed
in England after the thirteenth century, but
wes net till 1677 that they entirely dis-
appeared from the North of Scotland, and
it was thirty-three years later before the last
of the ravenous race was put to death in
Ireland.

EFTA'S CoCIPA.--GRATRYTTL AND Comireartao
thorough knowledge of the natural laws svhia aver
the operations of digesti•ia and nutri• ion . -fad
fti! application of the -a properties f w.' • etc
Cocoa Mr. Epps has p..- dud our brea!ifast
• delicately tiavourel fsiverage which tory 11S
many heavy doctors' I It is by tits judici o,s ia -0 of
such articles o. let I. con.oitutioa :11,v oo ally built built up until stro.•; touivi to cN cry •eud •
racy to disruseliundrida f sill tle raAlsdies br •
do:it aru ci irs reAdy to a.:Laiel. wLeaevei :her,
a.ok, itat•iy .t '
keeping Lormi Ives wail fortio.,Jl ith pure ,
prop,ric nourished frame." Ca- • as' ,
At 11,de si,ipi) with twilhig it'Ater iht; uthi un 00:7 Oa
b- urcca76, int.pii 1 .1p,3: .
aa.dO 4ilac'
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