Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-07-11
AN ANIMAL. EDUCATOR.
wonderful AclaicvC McIsts Of An EI1l
tenth Century Scs'tchnaun.

wonderful Achievements Of An EiRh.
tenth Century ScHtchmnn.
Scott Bissett was born in Perth, Scot.
land, in 1881. He was an humble shoe
maker, and perhaps no person in mod
ern times ever achieved 80 much sue
cess in animal training. He removed
from Scotland to London, where he
married woman who brought him
some property. Then. turning to a
broker, he accumulated until the ycar
1853, when his attention was turned to
the training and teaching of ANNALS,
birds, and ii hes. Bissett bought u
horse aud dog, and succeeded beyond
his expectations in teoching them to
execute various feats. He next purchas-
ed two monkeys, which he taught
to dance and tumble on a rope, and one
would hold u candle in one paw, and
turn the barrel organ with the other.
while his companion danced. He next
taught three cats to do many wonder
/ full things to. ait before music books
amt squall notes pitched to different
keys. He advertised "Cat's Opera {"
in tic Haymurket Theatre, and success
fully carried out his programme, the
cats accurately fulfilling ali the parts.
He pocketed some thousands by these
| performances. He next taught a levcret
and several species Of birds to spell the
name of any person in the company,
and to distlngniah the hour of the day
or night. Six turkey cocks were
next rendered amen~l,le to coun-
try dance, and after six months
teaching he trained = turtle to fetch
and carry like dog, and, having
chalked the floor and blackened his
claws. he made it trace out the name of
any given person in the company. He
was equally successful in teaching
goldfnches. After some reverses we
| find Bisset in Dublin. about ITS, show
ing his different animals and. again
making some money, he purchased q
public house in Belfast, determining to
give up animal training. Growing rest
less, his old taste returns, and he COM
mences to train and teach animals once
more. He begins with dog and cat,
nd perfecting these IN their lessons, se-
lects the most obstinate of the brute
creation, an Irish pig, to experiment
upon. The teaching of this unruly an
imal almost wore out Bissett's patience,
and he was about giving up the task
in despair, when he bethought himself
of new way OF tanning the young pig.
After sixteen months of unwearied per-
severance, he ut last wac awarded BY
Installing little reason into the pigs
unreasoning craniHm. thus proving
that pigs cannot only "see the wind. i
by common belief, but that they can
be made useful in "raising the wind. -
During the teaching of his pig, Bisset
used to keep young pigs under his shoe
makers seat while working. In 17s3 be
brought his "learned pig" into Dublin,
procured the leave of the Lord Mayor
for it's exhibition, and carried the city
by storm. It was trained to be as do
Gle and obedient as spaniel, and was
taught to spell names, cast up &C.
counts, tell exactly the hours, minutes,
and seconds, to kneel and make his
obeisance to the company, and do VA
rious other feats. Some petty officer,
half armed with authority, broke into
Bissett's room, assaulted the poor. un-
offending exhibitor, broke and Destroy
ed everything, and drew his sword to
kill the wondrous animal. Poor Bis
sett plead hard for the Chief Magis-
trate's leave, but he was threatened
that If be offended any more with his
daring performances be would be drag
ged to prison. Only it was a little too
late in the era, it is probable Bissett
would have sutfere'' at the stake for
witchcraft. After the breaking of Bis
sett's hopes, his anguish Of mind pro-
duced an illness from which he never
etfectually recove ed, and he died soon
afterward of a broken heart.