Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-05
A Remarkable Administrator.

too, before many days.
A Remarkable Administrator.
In the year 1721, in Perth, Scotland,
was born the most remarkable animal
trainer in the world. His name was
Bisset, and in early life he became a
journeyman shoemaker; but having a
great fondness and faculty for managing
animals, he soon gave himself up entire
ly to this occupation. His first success
in educating brutes was with horse
and dog, whom he taught to per-
form many curious feats. He next
tried his skill upon couple of
monkeys, who soon learned to dance
on rope, drink to the company, ride
and leap on the backs of horses, and 60
through intricate dances with their
equally-accomphshed companion, the
dog. Three young cats were the sue
ceeding subjects Of Bissets tuition, and
these were instructed to play upon dui-
cimers, apparently reading from music
books before them, while they squalled
a vocal accompaniment in three differ
ent keys, or tones, producing altogether
a chorus whose piercing effect the must
cal may perhaps imagine.
The fame of Bisset's learned animals
spread rapidly, and he was finally in
duced to exhibit them in London. A
place i'll the Haymarket was secured,
and the Goats Opera" advertised.
Crowded houses responded to the adver-
tisement; and the horse, the dog, the
monkeys, and the cats went through
their respective parts amid great ap-
plause. In a brief time the skillful
trall { found himself in possession of
Gl, 900 as the reward of his novel enter
prise.
Encouraged by this success, Bisset
sought other pupils in the animal king
dom. Among these was a leveret,
which he taughtto beat the time Of sew
eral marches with his hind legs. Can
ary-birds, innets, and sparrows caught
the trick of Distinguishing the hour and
minutes of the day, and of spelling the
name OF any person in their audience.
Six turkey cocks were made to go
through country dance; and, in a sin
gle months time, turtle learned to
fetch and carry like a dog. A goldfish
came to the surface at his call, and fed
from his hand, and answered, in various
other interesting ways, Bisset's call up
on it's intelligence.
At length the matter brought his in
genuity to bear On the most obstinate of
all animals, the pig. He nearly met
his match this time; but, after patient
discipline of a twelve month, gentleman
piggy was rendered docile as spaniel,
and obeyed his teachers every COM
mand. This sapient creature could
spell, cast up accounts, tell the time of
day, kneel and make obeisance to the
spectators, and otherwise conduct him
self like gentleman of parts. But
such extraordinary porcine wisdom
could be accepted as a natural phenom-
enon by the ignorance of the age in
which it dwelt, and it began to be
whispered that Bisset, who taught
animals to do all but speak, was
in league with the devil. This
was enough to arouse the spirit of per-
secution; and one night, while the
learned pig was exhibiting his tricks in
Banelagh, 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 virulentIy that they barely
escaped with their lives. This event
was followed soon after by the death of
Bisset; but whether the odium that fell
upon him as a suspected necromancer
had anything to do with his demise,
our informant does not tell us.