Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-05-04
Revelations of the Circus-wild Beasts and Red-hot Irons-How Men and Ami malls are Trained

| and Red-hot Irons-How Men and Ami. malls are Trained.
 Subsequently to visiting Niblo's theatre the other night, we met friend to whom. | in the course of conversation, we confded the important secret of weakness that we 1 mad tor "Sports of the Arena,'' coupled with confession of our having just come from enjoying the same
 We only wish, though" we remarked, by way of finishing sentence, "that they would do away with the performing ami mnls."
 Oh! you do wish that?" said he, in a way that made us feel vaguely guilty of having done something wrong. " Why yes, we resumed, rather hesi- tatlngly; z we never feel quite easy on the subject of the orchestra when unreliable 1 quadrupids, like elephants and rhinoceroses, are allowed to run loose about the ring within a few feet of the musician's heads. There's no knowing what dangerous senti- ment of hostility might suddedly be pro- voked in the minds of such beasts, against the proceedings of the cornet e piston, or what might be their opinion regarding a particularly brilliant solo on the ophi- cleide."
 Have you no other obiection?" asked oVr inquisitofial acquaintance, with the same unpleasant manner as before.
 Well yes,'' we replied, "there's the danger to the exhibitors, you know. Some months ago, if ycu remember, certain we'll known circus proprietor and self-styled tanner ot the brute creation was tossed and severely injured by the Intelligent Mastodon, on whose head he was endea- voring to stand in state of triumphant tableau'
 " l only wished it had killed him' ex- claimed ourfriend, with an excitement that he never exhibits, unless under the influence of strong emotion
 " Good Heaven' cried we, "killed whom-whch-what?"
 Why the human brute, I mean,'' said he, C of course"
 What." we rejoined, in burst of n- dignatlon, edo you mean-vou sanguinalv iutflan-that you wish the rhin-that is, Intelligent Mastodon- killed lIr.
 -, we should say, his talented and po- pular trainer?''
 "l do, by Heaven!" replied our friend and, what's more, if l had it in my pow CT, ,d throw every Lion King into the cage with his beasts, unarmed fast at the tune when the monarchs of the forest and lungle were pretty nearly hungry enough to eat each other and not by any means in the hunor to hesitate long about experi- mentlng on the qualities of the human body as an article of food even though it might be the body of their familiar tvrant and terturer, As it is, I'd give fifty dol lars any time to see talking or dancing horse kick its teachers brains out: and I'd walk as many miles to have the pleasure of watching a sagacious elephant trample into a pancake the wretch who amuses himself by driving three-inch spike into the poor animals flesh, or by cutting him in the open mouth with a heavy riding whip.''
 '' But you are mistaken,' we began to urge. ''D Do you not know that all these poor dn'mols as you call them, are trained upon a system of tender kindness and mild coercion only to be equalled in first class ladies' school, conducted on the moral sua- sion principle? Don't you know that the talking horse IS induced to ascend and de- scend flight of steep stairs at the word of command, entirely by means of pieces of carrot or apple; and that when he is being put through his rehearsals, his master in- varably locks up every whip in the place, to avoid being betrayed, by sudden irrita- tion, into anything like harshness towards the docile creature? Don't you know that the elephants and rhinoceroses and camels and lions and tigers, are captured when very young, and are gradually led-by be- ing nursed in their keepers laps, softly scratched behind their ears by their keep CTS fingers, rewarded for good behavior with choice fruits or extra allowances of beef, and punished only with switch that our children would laugh at as an instru ment ot torture-to regard their keepers with an absorbing affection that enables them to interpret and anxiouslv desire to execute the slightest wish their keepers may entertain?"'
 We are sorry to say at this point of the discussion, our friend suddenly exploded into paroxysm of powerful-not to say slightly blasphemons M denunciation of every thing equestrian, acrobatic or in any way connected with the circus business de- clarlng that every travelling show was no better than circulating Paddemonium, and that the daring horsemen, menagerie peo- pie, gymnastic professors, clowns. humo rists, and all other persons, whatsoever. engaged therein, were so many incarnate devils.
 :" l travelled with circus once,' he went on to say and continued thus:-''I was in- formally hard up, when l happened.to have thrown In my way a chance foran engage ment to do part of the agency business of large concern just starting for the west and north on the summer campaign. Ihad considerable power of imagination. and enough literary ability to write puffs and advertisements; so accepted the situation. We hadn't been three weeks out, before I wished had tried to get a place as light porter m dry goods store, or something ot the klnd-anythihg, indeed, I should have preferred to association with the peo- pie found myself thrown amongst. The lie was very hard one, in the first place. though that l didn't mind. But the bor- rble cruelties saw daily practiced on animals and children used to rouse me to such pitches of horror and indignation. that 1t was only by painful efforts of self control that l restrained myself from dash ing out the brains of certain parties-whose names you are we'll acquainted with, through the medium of gorgeous posters with an iron tent-pen, or anything else that came to hand. There was Buggins, the excruciatins jester, comic equestrian, and