The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1880-12-17
fro BE CONTINUED.
Life Among Lions.

Il began with lions about 1865
was bossing the animals in John O'Brien',
circus in Girard, Pa. Felix Mcdonald
the lion man. got bite that put him fol
two months in the hospital. Somebody
had to go into the cage. aud went. I'd
seen him often. and knew the animals
pretty WE'LL l didn't have much diff.
Guilty till the next spring in Pottsville.
| was tantalizing the lions-four of 'em
with raw meat, and one of the females
got behind me, and, quick as a flash, bit
through my calf. kept quiet, and
turned around and hammered her until
she let GO"
"How do yon train themp'
I'VE treat green ones, those captui ed
in Africa, and tame ones, born in menag-
cries, very much the same. The wild
ones are better and safer. This is be-
cause lion used to cage, and to being
poked and ueased, is less afraid Of you.
I'd sooner handle ten green lions than
one that's used to the public. Besides
the green ones have great deal more
play and spirit in 'em. We begin with
them whom they're two and half or
three years old. When l first go into a
cage of untamed ones have fire near
by, with three or four iron rods in it, rel
hot. II the beasts go for me, the men
stand ready to jab the irons in their
mouths, and make 'em let me go.
have been roughly handled sometimes.
but never badly hart. 1t takes two years
TO train one perfect, because you have to
H.. -, S.
is good for tricks, anyway.
'Ju,t as soon as you find one that
don't act right, you have TO throw him
out. Some of them are too excitable.
o hers are sulky. and lie down in the
corner, and if you 60 behind them you
take big chances You want to keep
your face toward 'em all the time. I've
worked on one for five months-and all
he'll do is to jump "A little"
"How do you teachp"
1--WE teach 'em to jump over stick,
by having board fence in the middle
of the cage and driving them over it.
TO make 'em stand up IN the col ner, we
have Il tackle hitched TO their neck, and
pull 'em up. Then we pet 'em and they
finally get used to it. We make 'em lie
down by whipping them. When they're
triced up in the corner. we catch 'e;r by
The mouth and nostri,s. and teach 'em TO
keep their mouth open by so doing it.
Then we get TO sticking our heads in"
That's rather risky, amt itP"
Not very. You can tell in an instant
wher they are going to close, and jerk
your head out. | saw one man killed |
in that way, though. His name was
Whittle-Joe Whittle. l broke him in |
Mary land, and he took four lions. Qwo |
Of EN- were Frank and George. that |,
am using now. } and worked 'em for three /
years. Finally, in Frankfort. Penn.
Joe was nervous one day, and thought
he would have rehearsal uefore the
show. He put his head in Franks mouth
and the beast closed on him, biting clean
Though his face and partly through his
head. 80 that his lower jaw fell down on
bis breast. They tried TO get him out,
fut Frank grabbed his leg with his teeth,
aud was badly chewed before they
got him. lie died few days after"
"Do they get up any sffection for
youa'
No. they Amt much on affection.
they would go for me if wa. outside
usi as quick as they would anybody.
rhey're deceiving brutes. and very quick.
Iecullect in Galveston. one OF the boys.
v bo was a little drunk. swore they would
lut hurt fly. and went up to tlIe cage.
In minute one Of them. don't know
whether il was Frank or George, had
him. and his right shoulder and the right
ide of his head weren't worth much
shen they got him away I've only had
i've accidents that amounted to anything
sce one of them clswed Uf my shirt.
md most OF the meat on my chest along Z
With IL, but my scratches are mostly
title ones"
In evidence. he showed pairuf hands
hat had evidently seen hard usage, hsv-
ng been gashed IN all directions.