The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-02-08

Mr.. Alexander Hunter, OF Brooklyn,
Is an enthusiast in natural history, and
has raised numerous pet birds, whose
singing is one of the potent attractions
that draw Gus toners to his ssample-rooms.
Encouraged by his success in ornithol-
ogical efforts, Mr.. Hunter some years
ago procured young alligator, which, by
dint of persistent fondling and judicious
feeding, is now docile in the extreme,
although it has arrived at years of dis
cretion. Believing that If an alligator
could be tanned anything else could, Mr..
Hunter some seven months ago procured
from the captain of sailing vessel a
beast which he terms a Mexican tiger.
1t was Just a week old at that time, but
was extremely vicious, and Mr.. Hunter
took the precaution to have its teeth ex-
tracted and its nails clipped as fast as
they grew.
Systematic kindness and petting failed
to conquer the spirit of the animal, and he
has to be confined in a strong wire cage
which is fastened to the wall of one of
the sample-rooms at height of some
seven feet from the floor. Here his ma
lignant soul finds its only vent in hoarse
snarls and fierce dashes at the canes OF
exasperating individuals who poke him
up.
Recently Mr.. Hunter had an oppor-
tunity to add to his already extensive
collection of birds picturesquely hideOus
owls creature whose prepOsterous ap,,
pearance would move the most placid
cat to wrath. This owl was brought into
the same room with the tiger, and set in
his cage by the fire in view of the tiger.
The result was disastrous. The tiger
caught one glimpse of the owl, and his
cage, which had heretofore been large
enough to afford him genteel prone
made, suddenly became too small to con-
tain him. For half a minute or 80 there
was no part of the interior of that cage
in which the tiger was not distinctly Wis
ible all the time, and the noise of his
snarling overf1Owed the room, and deluged
the sidewalk, attracting at once a num-
Der of bystanders. Presently, after shak-
ing the bars of his cage till they seemed
about to give way, he sprang at the door
of it, which flew open and gave him
egress.
AT that moment, according to the evil
dence of number of eye-witnesses, the
air seemed to be filled with that one
tiger. The room was luminous with his
presence, but he quickly focused on
that OWLS cage, which he battered wildly
in his attempts to get at the frightened
inmate. The danger of meddling with
the beast was not Immediately apparent,
as he is not mach larger than the largest
size of ordinary house cats, and an at
tempt was made by several to tear him
away from the cage and restore him to
his own quarters. 1t was only mo-
mentary attempt, however, for as soon
as he realized it he mastered the situa-
situation by selecting the largest of his
assailants, q Mr.. Baird, and springing on
his back, he made his way through the
substantial clothing and into the flesh
beneath. 1t would probably be difficult
now to convince Mr.. Baird that that
tigers claws were ever pared.
Mr.. Baird is very stout, and does not
look like one given to rapid running,
bat the time he made from the stove In
the sample-room to the shufiie-board-
room below has never been equaled.
Reinforcementsa arrived Immediately, and
by throwing large bag over the tiger he
was captured and put back into his cage,
where he spent the remainder OF the
day in sullen exultation.
A physician was called, who pro
nounced Mr.. Baird's injuries not dan
gerous, and hatgentleman was conveyed
home in carriage firing Parthian ar
row out of the carriage window in tn
shape of a threat of an action for dam
ages. =,
The owl escaped uninjured. but is il
from fright.