The New York herald., 1877-11-04
TANNING THE TIGER.
Wild Beaet Training as a
Regular Business.
Its Principles and Its
Practice.
POPULAR MISTAKES RECTIFIED.
The Leading Men and Women Engaged
in Wild Beast Tanning
MISTAKES RECTIFIED.

he did not look bit like hero He was short,
rather thin. rather pale sadeyed, mddle'agsd man,
with light hair and rather reddish mustache, and he
walked toward the cage OF Wild animals, containing
four full grown tgresscs (near which the writer was
sandns, with the subdued, spritiess and mechanical
air OF an attendant TO whom full grown tigrcss WAS
an every DAY spectacle
Tho time was hafpast eight O'Clock In the evening,
and the place was the rear or Fourth avenue end Of
Gllmore's Garden, now occupied BY the London Orr
GUS this particular portion Of the enclosure being de-
voted to the menagere.
Tho short, thin, pale ssd-syed man approached
slowly, stopped TO pass under the bars which DIVIDE
the cage Of the tigers from the OF humanity, and
then quietly commenced 10 clean the cage containing
the huge beasts, disturbing occasionally, a.
he did So, with his broom, the occupants
who, however. seemed 70 pay little attention 20
him az he paid apparently 70 tnsm, although they
could have "clswed" him at any moment Thinking
MIN TO be ordinary asach6 OF the circus the wrtcs
10 the man, halt jestngly :-"You seem to know
the beasts pretty well; but do you think you know
them we'll enough 70 trust your hand inside the cage
DO your broomi" f..
.'we, should hope did" replied the man quietly,
'.seeing as VIII have TO trust my whole body inside
the cage = few minuses."
Inc writor looked ~ the sa0-eyeo man IN won0or
for minute then s.the situation" broke upon him.
Ths meek little man, hom no had been taking for
subaltern, The king himself the tigor tanner the
man whose regular business IL was to 60 twice
day into q cage holding four full grown
tigresses, any ono OF which four could Kill
and cat him at any moment The meek little
fellow was indeed specialists specialist. whose
line was truly peculiar and. therefore, truly inter-
estinG Not one man IN q million can enter tigers
den, regular thing, and como out Of II again. and
therefore tho 'points', which enable this TO do
this thing must bc worth knowing and worth record
ing for the benefit OF the world which 10 not In the
habit Of assocatng with tigers but is IN the habit Of
reading the NEW YoRK HERALD
Consequently versAtion ensusd between the re-
preventative Of the HERALD and the representative Of
the TIGERS which resulted in asceraining the following
concerning Wild and tiger tanners person.
ally and wild beast and tiger tanning professionally.
The particular tiger tanner who gave this particular
information was named Alfred Still and was born IN
London OF German parentage. He drifted when boy
into q situation with who bought and sold Wild
animals and tnen Joining travelling circus, wandered
attendance pair OF lions. The number Of lions
was then increased 70 seven, and with these
kings Of the descrt Mr.. Still became thor
oughly familiar from tho outside Of the cages.
Finally DAY hts master, ''who performed the
lions" severely bitten by one Of them, and was
taken TO tho hospital This was Sull's opportunity.
1t became his duty enter the cago TO mako the
lions perform and he did So
DEBUT IN A DEN LIONS.
The Arst timo no entered The den OF Wild beast or
rather wild beasts, 70 make them perform, was
Of course, memorable epoch In bis life. II expected
70 be by the boasts said Mr. STILL alludng
to this portion Of hts experiences, 'sand was worry
nervous expected to como out OF that cage bleed
ing, not dying, and made up my mind that II any.
thing happened 70 me this trst time It should bs my
Last time; would repeat the attempt. But my
employers said that gos into any trouble with the
lions they would through my hospital expenses
aud would continue my wages. SO. although shook
all over inside, l looked as bold > lion, and
went IN the cage before the crowd just II /
had been used 70 IL The lions behaved nrst rate.
maae my performance pretty Short was congratulated
by my employers and been afraid OF beast
since.
1.-THE lions were not always good, though. They
biz eight nine times, and once nearly got my
head bitten OF. see have the marks OF their claws
and teeth yet trolling up his shirt sleeves and show
ing some ugly scars mis- notover muscular armsl"
He continuod:-
~ performed my lions all over France, Italy and
Germany, whore the oircuses much smaller affairs
than IN America; thon, returning 70 England, made
an engagement with Egbert Howe and the London
Crcus. with which have been travelling ever snco.
handling the tigers, now gong on eight yearA"
"You must nave known some famous hon kings
and t,ger tanners 10 your time remarked Lhs writer.
Lucas, Crockett and John Cooper worked tnr 4
wnlls under Tom Batiy. He was good man In his
now he had no luck with his lions;
shoy were all tho time ngnt,ng,witn him. Why, his
body was al one mass Of bites and scraichss de Al
ways out oil his tusslos Arss best though. Ho
made lion know that he Was boss. Jack Cooper was
. great lion tanner, TOO bur cool ana quiet 40 rav-
ellsd In France with Myers circus He was bitten
very bad once, and IN the hospital for montns
Crockett London lAvorite in his day, and then
there was = Miss Dare mo went inso . fion's den.
Dare not her real namo but she deserved IT, Tor
she was darind9 too daring, or once she iorgot 10
watch ner lions and was nearly torn 70 pieces in con-
lions at lasttorn into bits right the cage He was
performing his animals lost his temper with
beast, and whipped them TOO much They turned
him suddenly, and then there WAS end Of
Lucas, just as there Is an snd 70 most OF
VI follows some day or othcr, for one-half ~
least OF The men VINO mako Wild beasts perform
are finished by them suppose VIII enter Gage
700 often myself" No wonder he . sad
eyed man. with such views Of his probable ul.imals
destiny.
INTERESTING REMusCExcxs
From anticipation, however, no soon got back 70
retrospection and rem,niscence and told several
ecdotss illustrating the romance o wd beast tanning
lie.
Once years ago, whie Of his bosses perform.
Ing with number Of tigers oi the beasts made
dash Tor tho door OF the cage ~ the man opened ~
and pushing the man aside, leaped out Thcn, ~ II
suddenly frightened 81 his own audacty, the refugee
crept under the cage ana lay down there growing
II Took somc ten men, with whips and red hos irons
knives and ropes, about 10 got the boast
back again into his proper QuarterR
"once young man who had been hanging around
the tiger cages ior long while doing took II
MA head that no could -perform" the
animals. anu probably no could have done %.
Tho beasts had got used 70 seeing ham
around and knew hrs voice, but the momens
no entered the cage he lost nus courage he showed
signs OF fear, and the tigers found 10 In twnk-
hng-tho beasts know by instinct " you tear tnem OF
not-and II had not rushed In just then he would
have been torn nmb from limb; Of she tigers was
Just gets,ng ready TO bite his neck whom whipped
down.