The Van Buren press., 1869-08-31
MISCELLANY.
A Talk with a Lion. Tanner.
Lengel Five Times Wounded.


disabled in consequences Of the wound
One of the Charleston papers describes
a visit to him IS follows -
ave found Mr. Lengel lying down
reading, not Suffering much, but very
restless, He is apparently about thirty
two or thirty. three years Of age, bat is
really ten years older, lie told us that
he is native of Philadelphia, and has
been engaged in the liou.tsaing business
for eighteen years, during which time he
has served in the circusaes of J. Nj. June,
S. r. Howe, Phineas T. aa.rapm, Haight
4 Chambers, Van Amburgh, Raymond
q Co., CASTILLO and Ames, the latter Of
which he is with at atpresent. June is dead.
Howe and Barnum have quit the bust.
ness, Haight and CASTILLO are now show
ing in California.
:" In answer to question as to his
manner of tanning lions, he replied at
length, saying that it was gift of ma
ture,' with him. Il have no fear Of them.
People tell me every time get wound
that it ought to be warning to me, and
should make me fear to 60 into the cage
again. But it does not. When l am
away from the lions l get homcsick, and
when I can 60 where they are and my
wounds prevent me from going into the
cage, | get more homesick still. never
met any lions | could not tame. Three
years ago / tanned five in New York,
which, while in Europe, had killed one
man and badly mangled another, who
had attempted to tame them. In three
weeks after they were put in my charge
they were as tame as | wished, though
before they were considered untamable.
very seldom use force in tanning them,
but sometimes it becomes necessary
kindness is my usual plan; ! an always
careful to keep my eye upon them
Every one who has seen 'the lion
tanner leaving the cage after his feat Of
lying down among the lions, putting his
feet on their heads, feeding them, and
firing OF pistols, has doubtless noticed
how careful he was-stepping out back
wards very deliberately, and watching
closely the beasts which always advanced
upon him. In speaking of this, he said !:
If did not keep my eye upon them
they would jump at mo. They have sense
enough to know that | am retreating
from them, and they gain courage; there
is more danger to me at this time than at
eny other. If the lions were at liberty |
would fear to 60 near them, Some peo-
pie think that lion born in America is
more docile, partaking less of tho savage
nature of the brute, than one born in
Africa or Asia. Not so. would rather
have to tame litter born in either OF
the last mentioned places than litter
born in this country-the latter are more
dangerous and less easily tanned
Ills WOUNDS.
"Mr. Lengel has been bitten a number
of times by lions, lonesses wo should
have said, as the males have never done
so; 'the lionesses, said he, are more
trcacherous and deceitrul than the lions.
lie has been slightly scratched an almost
number Of times. He has
never had to lay up but twice from his
wounds. The description of the wounds
and the places whero he received them
are mentioned below
The first wound was bite in the left
leg in Western Pennsylvania, while with
Barnum's circus.
"Thc second was received while with
S. b. Howe & Co., in Augusta, Ga, be.
ing severely bitten in the left hand. This
wound caused him to lose the uee of his
middle finger
1.-The third was inflicted at Little Rock,
Ark, by liopcss in Howe l. Castello's
Circus. This time two fingers of the
right hand were mangled. He has full
use Of them now.
"The fourth was received while in
Madison, Indiana, last summer. The
lioness seized him by the right leg, driv-
ing her teeth into the calf Of his leg un.
I'll they nearly met
"The fifth was received last April il
New Orleans. The animal seized him by
the left leg inserting one tooth of the
lower Jaw sn inch and a half into the
calf, and n tooth of the lower jaw IN
inch and half into the upper side Of the
knee Joint. Mr.. Lengei was confined to
his bed while, but when the circus
moved he came along, and gave two ex-
hibi,ions, one in Augusta and one in Sa-
vannah, the latter Of which he says is a
paradise for circus. On coming here
he made arrangements 10 perform last
w ednesday, but his leg paining him, he
consulted DR.. +, NJ Robertson, who or,
dered him to bed at once, telling him
that the bone OF the leg was injured.
This order was obeyed, and Mr.. LeRgcl
still remains in bed, He is able, however
to travel about the room occasionally.
alt is somewhat Of coincidence that
DR.. Robertson has attended his patient on
two other occasions, at the Pavilion Ho-
tel, for wounds received from lioncsses
all the wounds being upon the left side
Of the body.
Herr Lengol does not think he was
bitten but once Intentionally. He says
the lionesSes when together never meet
but they snarl and snap at each other
two Of them never live peacefully in the
same cage--and states it as his opinion
that, with the exception mentioned, when
he aggravated one beyond endurance, he
WAS in tho way, and was bitten for ono
OF the lionesscs. He has the teeth and
claws OF the lioness which he thinks bit
him purposely. The teeth are an inch
and half long, with root about two
and q half inches in length. IL the teeth
were driven in flesh up 10 the gums, q
large sized peach stone could be planted
in the hole. The claws, which the ami