The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-24
A REMARKABLE ANIMAL TRAIN
Err


In the year 172l, in Perth, Scotland,
hgas born the most remarkable animal
trainer in the world. His name was Bis
set, and in early life he became jour
neyman-shoemaker; but having great
fondness and faculty for managing AMI
mails, he soon gave himself up entirely 70
this occupation. His first success with
educating brutes was with horse and
dog, whom he taught to perform many
curious feats. He next tried his skill on
couple of monkeys, who soon learned
10 dance OH rope, drink to the company,
ride and leap on the backs of horses, and
90 through intricate dances with their
equally accomplished companion the dog.
Three Young cats were the succeeding
subjects of Bisset's tuition, and these
were instructed to play upon dulcimers'
apparently reading from music BOOKS De,
fore them, while they squalled vocal
accompaniment in three different Keys
or tones, producing altogether a chorus
whose piercing effect the musical may
perhaps imagine.
The fame of Bissets learned animals
spread rapidly and he was finally in
duced to exhibit them in London A
place in Haymarket was secured, and the
tCat's Opera" advertised. Crowded hous-
es responded to the advertisement; and
the horse, the dog. the monkeys and the
cats went through their respective parts
amid great applause. In brief time the
skillful trainer found himself in posses
sion of g1, 900 as the reward of his novel
enterprise. -, nj.
sought other pupils in the animal king
dom. Among these was aleveret, which
he taught to beat the time of several
marches with his hind legs. Canary
birds. linnets, and sparrows, caught the
trick of distinguishing the hour and min
utes of the day, and Of spelling the name
of any person in their audience. Six tur-
kew cocks were made to go through q
country dance; and turtle, in a single
months time, learned to fetch and carry
like a dog. A gold fish came to the sur
face at his call, and fed from his hand,
and answered in various other interesting
ways. Bisset's call upon its intelligence.
At last the master brought his ingenu-
ity to bear on that most obstinate of all
animals, the pig. He nearly met his
match this time but, after a patient dis
cipline of a twelvemonth, gentleman
piggy was rendered docile as spaniel,
and obeyed his teachers every command.
This sapient creature could spell, cast up
accounts, tell the time of day, kneel and
make obeisance to the spectators, and
otherwise conduct himself like gentle
man of parts.
But such extraordinary porcine wis
dom could not be accepted as natural
phenomenon by the ignorance of the age
in which it dwelt, and it began to be
whispered that Bisset, who taught ami
mails TO do all hut speak, was in league
with the Devil. This was enough to rouse
the spirit of persecution; and one night,
khile the learned pig was exhibiting his
tricks in Banelaugh, Ireland. the mob,
headed by a stupid official, broke into the
room destroyed the apparatus with which
Bisset worked, and assaulted him and
his pig so violently that they barely es-
capped with their lives.
This event was followed soon after by
the death of Bisset but whether the od-
ium that fell upon him as a suspected
necromancer had anything to do with
his demise our informant does not tell
rs