Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-08-13
Training Wild Animals.

<A1ytSWcy WuO ytOiobscb w uhNO DetIl
an intimate friend of Van Amburgh
while the latter was in Paris, tells q
curious story about discovering the
secret through which the great lion.
tanner maintained bis ascendancy over
the boasts in bis menageric. This wri.
tor says that Van Amburgb, having
been terribly injured by ono of his ami.
mails, was obliged TO discontinue bis
performances; and while no was un-
der the doctors hands he permitted
this friend, who was something of an
artist, to visit the building where his
pets were kept for tho purpose OF
making studies from life. Being left
alollo with tho animals, he made the
astonishing discovery that they had
oil had their claws drawn, and were,
therefore, harmless. He subsequently
learned that they were always fed on
sugar plums and cooked meat, and
were never allowed to either taste or
smell blood. And here, he says, is the
whole secret Of the extraordinary
power which Van Amburgh exercised
over the most ferocious species of the
brute creation. He further says that
Van Amburgh, on being informed OF
the discovery ho had made, manifested
the greatest excitement, and made
him promise never to expose the esecret
so long as tho lion-tamer continued 10
subdue wild animals as profession.
This rubbish has been made the text
for extended articles on animals and
animal tanners, and has also been
widely copied by tho English and
American press, although the absurd
ity of the story is evident on tho face
of it. According to this veracious
chroniclor, at tho time he made his
wonderful discovery Van Amburgh
had just been nearly killed by one Of
the harmless creatures, which had
been cruelty disarmed by drawing its
claws; aRd to make tho story plausi-
bic, the narrator should have extract
cd the teeth as we'll as the claws from
the animals ho examined.
When Van Amburgh made his ap-
pcarance in Europe his performances
were new, and occasioned great won-
der. A show Of secrecy was affected
in regard to the means he employed
to control his animals. Many believed
that his power was derived from o
popularity in his eyes. Van Am
burgh was not crosseyed; but his
eyes appeared to turn outward, or
rather TO move Independently of each
other, producing avery singular effect,
and this was often supposed to be the
secret Of his success in tanning animals.
Now, however, when every travelling
menageric, almost, in this country and
Europe has its lion tanner, all mystery
about the business has vanished, and
tho process or lIun tanning IS as well
understood among all menagcrio men
as tho art Of horse tanning has been
among horsemen since the exploits OF
Rarey first attracted attention. And
the process is as simple in tho emo
Cuoo ID III tuc OtncT. q.
There is probably no animal which,
if properly managed, cannot be made
to acknowledge the mastery Of man
and the more Intelligent tho beast the
more complete will DO its subsection
to tho wishes Of its master. Rarey' g
system of tanning horses consisted,
first, in teaching the animal that man
was bis superior by using q strap,
which rcndsfsd the horse helpless; and,
secondly, in winning its confidence by
kind and judicious treatment. The
samc principle is applied in the treat
ment Of q lion. The animal is first made
accustomed to tho presence, outside
of its cage, Of the man who undertakes
to train it. Then the lion is strapped
down to the floor Of its den so that it
cannot move, and tho trainer enters
with o broom and proceeds to sweep
out the cage without taking any spe-
cial notice OF the animal unless it shows
fight, when club or whip is used the
creature being powerless to resist
After q time the lion becomes accus-
toned to tho company of the trainer,
and accepts oil manner of familiaritics
without objection, after which strap
is no longer necessary. In case an
animal ono fairly trained should cx-
hibit a disposition 10 rebel, sharp
chastisement with whip or club will
In most cases very quickly reduce him
to submission. There is nothing more
wonderful in this than there is in the
fact that a ferocious dog will readily
obey its master, while il will fly at
any stranger who may come in Its
way. 1t is q far moro difficult task
to tamo q savage elephant than 10
train lion or q tiger; but tho Gle
phant onco tanned, from its superior
intelligence, will bo more obedient 10
the wishes of its master than almost
any other animal. ll
The story of tho Fsnfie~es's Naga-
zine about Van AmbpFgb feeding his
animals on cooked meet is as absurd
as that of extracting their claws. All
the feline animals in menagerics, those
which arc trained, rs well as tho 9TH
ers, arc fed on raw beef, and the moro
blood there Ia in il tho better the mo
nagerie mon arc suited. Several ia
nous tanners have been accustomed to
feed their animals while inside tho
cages in presence of the audience
And the moro raw beef they cat tho
less savage tho animals are. A we'll
fed lion is one OF tho most docile ami
mails, unless an unusually fat and
chunky little boy should happen to
pass in front of his cagc. There is
nothing very wonderful in subjugat-
ing any description of beasts, for IT
is natural instinct In the brute crc-
alton to acknowledge the supremacy
of man, and 10 form friendships with
individuals OF the human race.
The latest valuable pieco of infor-
nation is that postal cards cannot be
sent at the ordinary rate when writ