The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-08-12

Inc Eccentric AS long since rs the
time when Carter, the celebrated tanner Of
wild beasts, who has recently died in Lon
don, gave exhibitions in Paris, they spoke
Of an American who followed him in all his
journeys, and was regularly present at all
his exhibitions. The American, whose
profile has been drawn by Eugene Sue, in
one OF his romances, was an original char
acter, millionaire and blase, whom the
hope OF enjoying strange pleasure attach
ed to the footsteps OF the beast tanner. One
day In one OF the principal clubs in London,
he made wagers will, twenty diffireat per-
sons, that, in the end. Carter would be de-
voured by his beasts.-His adversaries had
chances Of natural or acciden,l death.
The wager Of the American, which was re-
corded on the registry of the club, with the
signatures Of all the parties, amounted to
sixty thousand pounds sterling. The sum
made the bet very important one, and yet
It was not on that account that our Ameri-
can occupied himself with it. II was not
10 watch over his million and half of
francs that he followed Carter with such
interchangeable assiduity.
He cared little for the pecuniary profit, it
was the fact that interested him. He would
willingly have given up the stakes to have
witnessed the winning of his bet. Per-
suaded that Carter must perish under the
teeth Of a lion or tiger, he wished 10 be
present at that bloody catastrophe.
1t required this hope to keep alive his
falling curiosity. That single thought en-
ployed all his ardor, the expectation to
witness the death of man deyoured by his
own wild beasts. This curiosity, this de-
sire, had become in him perfect passion.
He lived only in the hope, the expectation
Of the fortunate moment when he could
witness the martyrdom of Carter. For
ten years did he follow that man, with a
perseverance that nothing could discourage,
His post chaise journeyed over the high
roads, behind ihe large wagon that trans
ported these ferocious beasts. He lodged
in the same inns with these terrible guests.
He was present regularly at the feeding Of
the lions and tigers; he was always by
when the keeper gave his lessons and made
his exhibitions. He did not miss on sim
gle occasion; he was on the look out for
the least peril, and at the hour of the pub
lie exhibition he put himself in the first
ranks, in side box on the lower floor, to
witness the catastrophe as near as possible.
An excellent opera glass brought him nearer
still he lost not single movement Of the
animal, awaiting the moment when his ma
tural ferocity, allayed for the time by his
tanner, would return with rush. Carter
knew him well, as also his expectation,
and took it all in good part; so t,agnanm-
Gus was he, and so much had his habit Of
associatipg with lions and tigers rendered
him indulgent towards sanguinary appetites.
Every time he entered the place of exhibi-
ton, Carter would mechanically look to-
wards the box Of the American with a,sig-
nifcant smile, which the inhexible specta-
tor would return with an aif that seemed to
say, "see If it is not this time"
THIS exhibition over, the patient Ameri-
can would put his opera glass back into its
case, and withdraw, saying, "W.ll, sit may
be the. time"
Sometimes he would make this reflection
loud enough for Carter to hear him, and the
magnanimous beast tanner would smile at
wish so naively uttered. In the course of
his long waiting, the American has had but
one moment Of semi-emotion this was last
year, one day when the favorite lion of
Carter, forgetful Of the losses of cl-mency
that had been inculcated, and resuming his
natural character, employed his teeth and
scratched his keeper little although the
American encouraged the lion all he could
with his looks, his motion and his voice,
Carter succeeded in recalling him to order,
end restoring him TO proper calmness and
gentleness. ~.
This incident served, however, to en-
courage the American, showing him how
many chances there were of the event he
anticipated He hoped now, more than
ever, when one day he learned that Carter
had been taken dangerously ill-immedi.
ately The American ran to the best thysi-
clans in London-he took them 10 the wild
beast tanner, whom he surrounded with the
most devoted and intelligent medical care.
1t was all in vain; Carter sank under the
attack. In despair, not so much at having
lost his bet, as at having to renounce the
hope Of contemplating the marlyrdom Of
Carter, and Of seeing him serve as meal
10 his own wild beasts, the American blew
his brains out last Saturday in the Park Of
st. James - CIR Boston Alias.