Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-12-21
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.-sioYfsn tbe New York Evening Post
bsase 4. Ven Ambutg, famous for his
6sats - lsnscr Of Wild beasts aad . per
fsrue~ with them, did suddenly yesterday
sssrniNe ~ Pniladslph,a, at the residsnce
Of his friend. NJ. Miller, Of she Chestnut
House, sns,.
Mr.. Van Amburgh was born in Fishkill,
New York, and was about 81 years Of age
Hs WAS 80 we'll known In this country. o.
well q in England and on the Continent
and wss 20 universally fespt cted, that his
death VIII be regarded % . matter Of pub
lie concern.
At 40 early ags Nr. Van Ambursh, be-
gan the career in which he vas afterwards
no noted. by travelling with mcnagerie.
lie became keeper Of animals. and soon cx
hibited The extraordinary power over them
which he possessed. At this time the most
fsroosoos beasts were not ordinarily tanned
though they were exhibited in c,ges with
others that were more easily managed and
which we're frequently tanned. Van Am
onrBh Early came to the conclusion that "
ons, tigers. ETC., nigh: be given this train
ing, II the proper mode were adopted; and
he was the osigaator Of the idea Of sntering
their cages or dens, and Of exhibiting "pic
lures" 30 called, or groupings, with which
the public 10 fami lar; and which we're moi
previously produced or attempted by the
persons who went into the dens Van Am
burgh succeeded in making the performan
90 artist,c, and they became q feature OF
the exhibitions with which he vas con.
nected.
he made his first appearance in this city
In 1888, u the old Richmond Hill Theatre,
and performed in the cages Of the lions. Il
gers, leopards and other animals. In the
same sssson, after the hoIidays,he began az
engagement At the Bowcry Theatre, then
under the management Of /. S. HambIin.
appearing in melO drama written for him
by Miss Medina, and entitled 1.-The Lion
Lord; or Forest monarch" in which he in
trud1ced his trained animals. In this
place he rode horse from the stage up a
:" set OF runs, or mimic wilds and while ON
the way, royal Bengal tiger sprang from
thiokct upon him. A fearful struggle
then took place between Van Ambu,gh and
the tiger; they clut~hcl at each other and
erapped, and tho contest continued. tn.
coubatants rolling and tumbling until hey
reached the iootlights. The exhibition. the
finest Of the kind, naturally created an i'm.
mcnse sensation
In 1884, Joint stock company formed
the geological Institute, which went into
operation in the Bowcry. At this place
Van Amhurgh performed every winter TIL
1888. While playing here he introduced
several novelties, as he called them.
such o. the pIunging Of his arm into a
bucket OF fresh bullpck's blood before enter
ing the animals's cages. and OF feeding the
animals in their cages.
1t Is well known that when tskrng their
loo they are very ferocious and that tn,
sight or smell Of fresh meat sets them into
. fury. They are usually, il should b.,
said, led from the outside Of the cage, and
great care Is taken to prevent them from
strking the persons who give them their
food.
Van Amburgh also introduced into the
presence OF the lion child ard n lamb
Inc thought was suggested to him by the
Scripture phrase: =" The lion and the lamb
Dnaii he dewn together, and little child
anall lead ITEM" All these things attract
ed great attention and interest.
In tie spring Of 1882, he played ut the
Old National Theatre, under the mana cement
Of }. w. Wallack, senior, but sailed Tor IA
rope in July of that year. He made his frs,
appearance in London, At Astley's Amphi>
theatre. So marked sensation was created
mat he was soon engaged by Mr.. Bum for
Orury Lane, where he appeared in drama
written expressly to introduce his perform
snces
Ills career at this theatre vas sngularly
'uccessiul, the interest in his exhibition was
intense, and the crowds that came to see
nem were without parallel. There was.
however, some opposition, on account of the
act partly that Ma"reaiy appeared at the
ZANE time at Covent Garden in Shakesne.r
an characters
The young Queen Victoria, early in 1899
nads several visits to Van Amburgh, and |
.''"essed MS management. On one .ca
non she remained till the audience had gone
o see further performances, including the
selling OF the beasts. They had been kent
'thout food for thirtysix hours and were
lerce ana ravenous, so that the lion and ii |
er simultaneously plunged at lamb which |
Fas taken into the cage, and would hav,
lade two mouthinls Of but Van Amburyh
'sned them with severity aud drove then.
NJ" Their corners, where they remsi- =.
crfect quiet. ..,ed in
While Van Amburgh
painting OF him vas in London
nimals was made Ind his performing
cr. or the Queen by her or
In COR
rm .pany with several Americans n
Sas established to exhibit in the towns
"a England menagarie. which became
known rs that Of Van Amburgh & Co. The
exhibition was conducted ike similar cxhi-
billions here, bv carrying tents, the com
pany sometimes staying only one day in
place.
Van Amburgh returned to the United
States in 1915. lie brought English wagons
and harness and eight large Flemish horses,
which most persons will remember. From
that time the mcnagerie of Van Amburgh
\ Company has been travelling throughout
The unite1 States and the Canadas, yearly,
md their operations are sufficiently we'll
known.
Last winter and the winter before last the
had magnificent collection OF an
mals at the Chinese Buildings in Broadway.
and it was frequently referred to IN this
journal
The establishment is now laid up at Con-
nersville, Ind, for the winter
Van Ambursh. in the course Of his ca
reer. had many severe contests with the an
|mals, in some Of which he was much bitten
and torn, but always came off the victor
On one occasion his right wrist was literally
showed and iEangled bv . lion. He never
fully recovered from the effects OF this in
jury.
There are many good stories Of Van Am
Amburgh's contests with the anir.als: but
they are most y destitute of foundation. or
nearly so. The encounters were in some
instances desperate, but they were much
alike; they consisted Of sudden attacks.
which Mr.. Van Amburgh was usually able
to punish 1t once. though sometimes. as
has been explained. the beasts left their
marks upon him. The tendency of the va
rious encounters was, Of course, such as to
lnlure Van Amburgh's health.
8lEight or nine years ago Van Ambureh
vas Obliged to cease his performances, but
ne nIUyav ~. 4 ~,