The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-11-06

A Talk with the Man In the Cnge-ITow n
Masteryis Obtained over the Monerchs
of the FieId-A Very Easy Business
Experiences and Thrilling stories--
| The Fascinations OF q.
"The little man standing over there
| by the cage of monkeys is the lion
tamer," said Mr.. Barnum to a represen-
tative of the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
An introduction was arranged. and DIR.
| Charles White, the man who had coaxed
the Nubian monarch to become rs n
kitten, said he would be Mt leisure ms
soon as he had fixed up dose for a
man who had chill under the hyena
cage. Almost 1.-THE in build, he is five
feet eight inches out of his boots, and
pulls down the scales Mt 1870. He is
modest to degree that is captivating
because modest men do take. lie is
reticent, or was ut the start, in meas
ure that was exasperating, Tor when n
man is expected to talk and won't, or
hesitates, he is of all creation the most
exasperating.
thing of tanning lions" lie said, rs he
looked around Mt baldheaded monkey
that had reached out for his sparsely-
covered head.
Doesn't he require the will power
x
which the juvenile learnedP" was asked
AZ don't know anything about it," he
answered, quietly. You have got to
take the same common sense rule about
the government and control of lion
that is used among men; only, l must
say, / had rather attempt to tame n cage
of lions and tigers and leoparGs than
some men have seen."
1t was suggested that he must have
some rudimentary idea about the busi-
ness.
"No, never thought anything about
that" he replied. "You see | started
out in 1916 with old Van Amburgh.
was the man who took care of the har-
ness, and that brought me around the
cages good deal. After while l got
so that could take ion by the paw.
1t seemed to come naturally. never
tried to do anything to make lion
afraid of me. l never thought of such
thing. 1 never felt afraid of lion,
and somehow or other l don't think a
lion ought to be afraid of me. We kind
o. took to each other" he finished with
a pleasant smile. He was asked when
and where he first entered a cage.
II commenced going into the cages
when we were on the road, in lS4S.
Not in public. but around before and
after the performances. The first cage
| ever entered was one that contained
two African lions; they were young,
but had been partially trained by an m,
other. They knew me, of course, but
they never made any demonstrations" ;"
"Where was your first public exhibi-
tion?"
"In 1854, with Barnum."
"Was there anything of note connect
ed with that eventP"
mo, only l created sensation by
taking bucket of blood in the cage,
which an old lion licked up and then
| laid down."
In reply to question relative to
something thrilling in his career, he
said:
II wss with Thayer e. Moves in
Rochester on July a, 1867. We gave
| three exhibitions on that day. l had a
cage of what are known as the man.
eaters. They are of all the lion tribe
the most dangerous. You know lion
hunters sometimes build fires about
their hammocks or places where they
sleep. to keep lions away from them?n
Yes" was said eagerly, so rs to en-
courage Mr.. White.
"We ell, man-eating lion isn't afraid
of fire. He would just as soon walk
over it and carry a man away as dead
head would come into this show"
Il went into the cage at night and !
had always noticed that one in the cage
was nervous in his temperament, for
lions are like human beings in that re-
spect. The least unusual thing would
attract him. l had stopped to let him
jump over my back, and in his jump a
portion of his body was erased bv n
| whip | held. He sprang back, knocked
me down, and seized the skirt of my
dress; he had me under his forepaws,
and l was powerless. Charley Noyes
happened near, and he seized an iron
| bar and struck the animal over the head
| 1t caused him to release me, and then
piled the whip to him till he crouched al
my feet"
"Why, of course | was bleeding. He
had torn my shoulder and crippled my
right arm so that | have never been able
to get it above my head since; but
knew must subdue him, and ] did; il
was six weeks before l appeared in {
cage again.
The bald-headed monkey had made
another attack on the lion-t tanner. ant
he turned around to the root of the Oar
winian theory and said, " You'll not gc
any supper if you don't quit that" Tht
monk key without hair seemed to under
stand.
- spent three weeks in the Sisters
hospital here in St. Lo2is," said th'
doctor, in very quiet way.
| "When was that?"
"In 1870. ] was with Robbins
Strong e Henderson. We had beer
showing in some Missouri towns, wher
an African lion attacked me. | WASH
seriously hurt, but there was somethin!
about that affair of which have to tel
you. had pet lisness in cage, ant
she was a beauty. / never loved an an
imai as l did her. / had raised her b,
hand, and my own boy used to pla,
with her as if she had been kitten"
"What did she have to do with itf
"Well, when the lion attacked me sh
sprang upon him, and there was strug
gle betw cen them until got on my fee
and curbed the assailants. That pc
never forgot that night, and / had t.
take her out of the cage"
"These animals, then, have attach
ments the same as humanp"
"Yes, / have found them so. Nov
there are two lions and Il lioness owe
there" pointing to cage of Numidians
lone of these fellows had strong al
tachment for lioness. and so had tn
other at one time. But that one "-point
ing to the grander looking Of the two
"thrashed the other daily until he CAV
up, and now the one he thrashed couldn
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