Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-02

=, for "a IN insertion.
REVELATIONS OF THE CIRCUS.
Wild Beasts and RI hot Irons-How Men
and Animals are Trained.
subsequently, TO visiting NIblo's theatre the
other night, We met friend to whom in the
course Of conversation, we cOnfded the i'm
portsnt secret of a weakness that we had for
Sports of the Arena" coupled with a
'1h' n of our having just come from enjoying
Jde same
IN '' We only wish, though" we remarked, by
way Of finishing sentence, that they would
2 do away with the performing animals. y
oh you DO wish that % said he, in way
that made Gs feel vaguely guilty Of having
's.sune something wrong. E-s.-. ....
why ye-. we resumed rather hesitatingly;
we never bel guile easy on the subject of the
orchestra when unreliable quadrup peds, like
elephants and rhinOceroses, are allowed TO run
lOnse about the ring within few feet of the
musicilns heads. There's no knowing what
dangerous sentiments of hostility might sud-
denly be provoked in the minds of such beasts
against the proceedings Of the cOyRet a piston
what might be their opinion regarding
particularly brilliant solo ON the ophicleide :"
'' Have You no other objection ?' asked our
inquisitorial acquaintance, with the same un-
pleasant manner AS before. ..
''Well yes. we replied, ''there's the danger
to the exhibitors, you know. Some months
ago, if yOu remember, certain we'll known
Circus proprietor and self-styIed Tanner of
the Brute Creation was tossed and severely
injured by the Intelligent Mastodon.' on
whose head he was endesvorng to stand i'm
state of triumphant tableau''
- only wish 1t had killed him '" exclaim-
ed cur uiend, with an excitement that he
never exhibits. unless under the influence of
strong eMntior. .--s 20 -
'.Good Heavens cried we, killed whom
which-what!'
Why the human brute, I mean" said he
- course"
Vhat," We rejoined, in a burst of indigns-
rev. do you mean-you ssnguinary rufian-
y you wish the rhin-that is, Intelligent
dUn'-hsd killed Mr. we should
- talented and popular trainer"
AZ, BY Heaven replied our friend; ''and
more, # had it in my power, L would
-.yw every Lion King into the cage with his
casts. unarmed just at the time when the
mOnarchs of the forest and jungle were pretty
nearly hungry enough to eat each other and NOT
any means in the humor to hesitate long
'1t experimenting on the qualities of the
otIunsn body as an article OF food, even though
Z II night be the body of their familiar tyrsnt
tand dtOrtureT, As it is, would give fifty dollars
any time to see a talking or dancing horse
kick its teachers brains out; and / would
walk as many miles tO have the pleasure of
watching a sagacious elephant trample into a
pancake the wretch who amuses himself by
driving a three-inch spike into the poor ami
mails flesh. or by cutting him in the open
mouth with heavy riding whip"
But You are mistaken" we began to urge
DO you not know that slithese poor a1nAdfs
n you call them, are trained upon system of
tender kinIness and mild coercion only to
be equelied IN q ffst class ladies' sehOul con-
Quoted on the moral suasiOn principle, Don't
you know that the talking horse is induced to
ascend and descend flight of feet stairs at
the word of command, entirely by means of
rf qrsf,lp- tA,t.x
II being put through chis rehearsals, his master
invariably locks up every whip In the place
tO avoid being betrayed BY sudden irritation,
into anything like harshnsss towards the do
ei'e ereatuTe Don't you know that the ele-
phants and rhinOceroses and csmels and lions
and tigers are captured when very young and
are gradually led-by being nursed in their
keeper laps, softly scratched behind the ears
with their keepers fingers, rewarded for good
behavior with choice fruits or extra allowances
Of beef, and punished only with switch-thnt
our own children would laugh at as an instru-
meBt of tOrture-tO regard their Keepers with
al absorbing affection that enables them 70 in
terpret and anxiOusly desire to execute the
slightest wish their keepers may entertain 2''
We are sorry to say at this point of the dis
eussiOn our friend suddenly exploded into
paroxysm Of pcwerful-nOt to say slightly blas-
Phemnus-denunciatiOn Of everything eaues-
tTIan. aeTObatic, or in any way connected with
the circus business. declaring that every tray
cling show was no better than a circulating
PandemO linm, and that the daring horsemen
menageTie people. gymnastic professors clowns
humoriSts, and ali other persons whatsoever
engaged therein. were 50 many incarnate
devils. % -.
- 1 travelled with a circus once" he went ON
tO say, and continued thus 9" was Internal
ly hard up, when | happened to have thrown
III my way chance for engagement to do
part of the agency business of a large concern
just starting for the West and North on the
SUMNER campaign. L had considerable power
OF imagination. and enough literary ability to
write puts and advertisements; so accepted
ths situation. We hahn t been three weeks ont
before L wished 1 had tried to get a place
a lIsht porter IN dry goods store, or some
thing OF the kina-anything. indeed, should
have preferred TO association with the people
found myself thrown amongst. The life was a
very hard one, in the first place though that
didn't mind. But the horrible cruelties saw
dally Practiced on animals and children used
TO afouse me to such pitches of horror and in-
diguation that 1t was only by painful efforts Of
seii-c0ntrOl that restrained myself from dash
ing ont the brains of certain parties-whose
names You are we'll acquainted with, through
the medium OF gorgeous posters-with an iron
tent-pin, or anything else that came to hand
There was Bugsins, the excruciaiing lester
comic equestrian. and ''subduer Of the wild
denIZens of the forest. " Do you know how
Buggins tanned his rhinocerosf Hitting the
n.
tail they bent, was one Of the miidest forms of
persuasion adopted by Buggins Running iron
gOads three inches long, into the soft flesh be-
hind the ear,was regarded by Bugsins as little
more than an impressive mode of tickling this
intelligent monster. But Bugginss great feat
In tho tOrturing line OF business was a dexter
Gus way he had Of dicking bis whip into his un-
~irliy victims eye That he regarded Ms a
master-piece of Ingenious punishment, and he
used To practice 1T even at evening perform
anees, IN presence of the public
Bat II must have destroyed the sight, We
exclaimed.
OF eOnrse it did, rejoined our FRIEND s'but
u made the rhinoeeros mind; and that's all
Buggins and the piou. folks who won't 90 to a
theatre, but think there no harm in a circus,
care about - =
But We ventured TO say, "all were not
Euch mEcreants as Buggins
'rBuggiRs MAS a paragon OF kindIiness and
mercy, compared to Bill Jones, one of the pro-
prietOrs. was our friends reply. 'I recoileet