St. Landry democrat., 1878-02-02


tiny.
Once q young man, wing had been
hanging around the tiger eagles for long
while doing chores, took it into his head
that he could "perform" the animals,
and probably he could have done so.
The beasts had got used to,seeing him
around and knew his voice, out the mo-
ment he entered the cage ae lost his
courage, he showed signs of fear, and the
tigers found it out in a twinkljng-the
beasts know by instinct if ycs:l fear them
or not-and if | had not rus she'd in just
then he would have been tor: j limb from
limb; one of the tigers was iust getting
ready to bite his neck when; | whipped
him down.
According to the best beSst trainers
no wild beast can ever be trusted, not
even the 50 called "noble' lion. They
are all treacherous, the females generally
being more deceittul and dangerous than
the males. The lioness is more difficult
to manage than the lion, the tigress than
the tiger. Kindness-that lis anything
but ordinary kindness or "civility"-is
absolutely thrown away upon wild
beast. 1t has occasionally some little
effect upon lion, but very; seldom, the
lion being really surly and. treacherous
brute, all lion stories and talk to the
contrary Notwithstanding. But with
tiger, and especially tigress, all atiec-
ton is literally wasted. A ;tigress, is as
likely to eat you up after six years of
attention On her as after siS days, if she
only fancies she is safe in 50 doing. In
all professional intercourse; with wild
animals you must depend on tear-only
absolute fear. Let the beasts know that
you can and will beat them when they
deserve it and they will not hurt yen.
Never trust them for "a moment.
Keep your eye on them al the time
not that your eye alone will have any
effect upon them. All these stories in
books about "eyeing animals into sub
mission and the power of tie human eye
over the brute creation are sheer fabri-
cations. And, as a rule, tb'e whip is the
most etticacious of instruments in train
ing or subduing wild beast. 1t can be
used quickly and at once, and it hurts
every time. So the beasts learn to dread
it even more than a gur! more than
anything save red-hot bar or fire. Il
depend more on my whip when I 60 in
among my tigers" said she reporters
informant, ethan upon myself. If l
were to drop my whip the beast would
fancy I had lost all my power, and
pounce first upon the wh9p, then upon
ME. I would consider tie dropping of
my whip while in the Gage with my
animals as almost a fatal calamity.
"To train wild ANIMAL" said Mr..
Still, "you must first make his or her
acquaintance from the outside, doing
chores around the cage a I'D getting the
animals acquainted with Four face, and,
above ali, with your voice. They re-
member voices more acu;tely than they
do faces they are governed moe by
sound than by sight. Once mad beast
in my cage that had not seen me in my
red suite that ! wear when performing.
When I entered with it Oh the brute did
not recognize me and undoubtedly would
have sprung on meand torn me to pieces
had I not shouted to herIin my ordinary
tone of voice. She remem bered me at once
and skunk down submissive"
1.-THE trainer feeds his beasts anu gives
them water. These acss give him nc
hold on their gratitude,' but they serve
to render bis face, form and voice familiar
They serve as an introduction to tiger
sagacity. But you must always watch
your beasts well, wheth er outside or in
side the cage.
"Having got accustomed to you,
beasts and your beasts accustomed to you
your next step is to train them to dc
their tricks. These tricks are very sim
pie, but they require good deal of time
and a good deal Of whipping to accom-
plish.
"The lions are the. smartest Of the
wild beasts. You can train lion to dc
the ordinary tricks in trade-jumping
through hoops and ovpr. gates, standing
on hind legs, and SO 1n--in about five
weeks of constant work In this time.ta
BILE of wild beasts you can estimate that
it will take a lieness abbut week longer
and leopard, which comes next in in
telligence to a lion, ABOUT six weeks tc
learn the same feats.: The tiger would
take about seven or eight weeks, a tigress
about eight or nine weeks, while you can
keep on beating and teaching a hyens
for about four months. before you can dc
much with him.
"The great secret If tiger-taming and
all wild-beast tanning" continued the
tiger-tamer, lies in the whipping of the
misunderstanding just when to whip
them-and just how much. You must
keep them we'll whipped, but if you whip
them either too little or too much, OF
whip them without cause, it may BE- ia.
tai. As for positively tanning wild
beast you can't do it 1-especially tiger.