Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-07-03
4 Famous Animal Educator.

Scott Bissett was born in Perth.
Scotland, 1921. He was All humble
and perhaps noperson i'll
modern times ever achieved so much |
success i'll animal training. He re-
moved from Scotland to London,
= :;erc he itiarrird woman who |
brought him some property. Then,
iuriIin. Il broker, he accumulated |
until the year 1859, when his atten-
ton was turned to the training and !
teaching of animals, birds and fishes.
Bissctt bon sht horse and dog. and
succeeded beyond his expectations in
teaching them to execute various
fcatS. lie next purchased two mon- ,
keys which he taught to dance aud
tumble on 4 rope, and one would
hold a candle i'll one paw and turn
the iarrel-orwan with the other,
while his companion danced. Ne
ucxt taught three cats TO do many
wonderful things, to sit before the
lntisic books and sluail notes pitched
to different keys. lie advertised a
cats opera i'll the llaymarket
Theatre, and successfully carried out
his programme, the cats accurately
fulfilling all the parts. lie pockcted
some thousands by these perform
anrcS. He next taught Il lcvcrctt and
several species of birds to spell the
name of any person in the company.
and to distinguish the hour of the
day or night. Six turkey cocks were
next rendered amrnablc to country
dance, and a.,r six months teach
ing he trained Il turtle to fetch and
carry like Il dog. and having chalkcd
the floor and hlackcncd its cla~ s. he
made it trace ont the name of any
given person i'll the company. He
was equally successful i'll teaching
mol,lfinchcs. After some rcvcrScs we
find Bissctt in Dublin, about l755,
showing his different animals: and
a"aii, maxi ing some money, he pur-
chased Il public louS. in Belfast, de-
,crmincd to give up animal training.
Growing restless his old taste returns
and he commences to train and teach
animals once more. lie begins with
a dog and cat. aid perfecting
these in their lessons. he select:
the most obstinate of the brute crca
ton, and Irish pig, to experiment
upon. The teaching of this urruly
animal almost wcaried out EisSet.'.
patience, and he was about giving III
the task in dcpair when he hethoug
himself of new way of tanning til,
Young pig. After sixteen months o
unwcsricd perseverance. he was q,
last rewarded by instilling litter
reason into the pigs unrcasoming
Uranium, thus proSing that pig:
cannot only "scc the wind" by com
mon hel:cf.bu. that they can he matl
useful i'll .'raisiug the wind Durin;
the teaching of his pig, Bissctt usc'
to keep Young pigs under his shoe
makers seat while he worked. i
1913 iisSHtt brought his learned pi
into Dublin, procured the leave o
the Lord Mayor for his exhibition
and carried the city by storm. 1t wa
traincd to be rs uocilc and obcdicn
rs Il spaniel, AMI was taught to spell
names, cast up accounts. tell cNactl
the hours. minutes. and seconds, t
knccl and make his obcsiancc to III
company, and do various othc
icats. Some petty officer, half arm
ed with authority, broke into Bis
sets room. assaulted the poor unoi
Tending exhibitor, broke and dies
troycd everything, and drew hi
sword TO Kill the wOndrouS animal
Poor Hi>sctt pleaded hard for til
chief magistrates leave, but he wa
threatened that if he offended an,
more with his daring performance
he would be dragged to prison. O"l
it was little t" late in the era,
is probable poor Bissctt would hay
suffered at the stake for witchcrafi
After the breaking up of Bissett'
hopes. his anguish of mind produces
an illness from which lie never etFcc,
uul!y recovered, and died soon after
ward with Il broken heart.