Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-12-09
Gloife SNyisrellnt1y.
THE GYMNAST AND THE JAGUAR

| met the gymnast at a menagerie
which was stationed in New York one
! winter. His name was Jorl-I never
knew whether it was his first name or
last name, for [ never heard him called
anything hut Jorl
He was full of interesting stories,
found, had been in nearly all the coun-
tries of the globe, and had had adven-
lures innumerable. We fell into conver-
saton about the wild beasts in the cages
before us, and he soon began to tell me
one Of his stories.
There was a South America tiger in
one Of the cages-or jaguor, as it should
be called-and | inquired of its habits.
''They are terrible creature in their
native lairs, sir" said the gymnast A
fercer animals doesn go on four legs, /
promise you. a grown-up one never yet
was caught. That one there looks quiet
enough, but he is the uglest beast in
! the show He was caught when he was
a baby and has never been out of cage
since, but he's far from tame. He is not
so wild as he might be, I'll allow, but yet
tame he is not, and never will be.
"There is an African lion over yonder,
that looks more terrible, with his great
shaggy name and his big body; but if |
had got to be put into the cage of one or
the other Of them, you may be sure Id
90 in with the gentleman from Africa. |
amt very much afraid of him, but the
| iaguar | ON afraid of-mortal He'd
make nothing Of just chawing my head
right off of me
You saw the lion-king go into that
other cage to-day, I suppose Well you
Just keep coming here till you see the
hon-king go into that jaguars cage, and
the result will be that you will come
every day for the next six months-and
then you won't see him do it. He never
/ does it, sir. He doesn't dare.
"And yet, as l said before, that jaguar
looks quiet enough, and he is no more to
be compared to live one, roaming about
in his native wilds, than fighting coc <
is to be compared to an American bald
eagle.
II conld tell you pretty story about a
| fight | once saw between one of them
! Panama roosters and bald eagle, but not
today. But if you don't mind sitting
down here for few minutes, III tell you
about the jagaur that chased, me once in
/ South America"
l agreed to this proposition, and we sat
down
+ "You must know, in the first place, -
said the gymnast, "that the jaguar geney-
| aEIy, is like other wild beasts in this re-
spect-that he don't prey on human
| flesh. He preys on animals and fish, and
only fights man when he is attacked
himself; but then don't he fight Whew!
He is Just the ugli9st creature that ever
licked his jaws.
"But though this is true Of the jaguar
in general, it is not true of some particu
lar ones, YOU see. When one of them
has once met q man and fought with him
he is not the same beast for the rest OF
his life-he is more ferocous and blood
thirsty If the man escapes, this is true.
But when he doesn't eseape-when he Is
killed, and the jaguar eats him up-als
thas's dreadful misfortune y
The gymaast shuddered
''Of course it is always misfortune
for human being to be killed, that is un
derstood !; but it is a misfortune in this
case, for this reason-that jaguar De
comes from that day a hunter Of men
/ He has tasted human flesh, and founc
out that there is no other SO sweet. Ht
watches for men night and day and wo'
to the man that crosses his track
"Weli sir. that was my lot exactly