The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-12-24
LIFE AMONG LIONS.
A Talk With u Noted Tanner of the King
of Beasts.

A Talk With u Noted Tanner OF the AlnY
of Beasts
Il began with lions about 1865. l
was bossing the animals in John
O'Brien's circus in Girard, Pennsylvania.
Felix Mcdonald, the lion man, got a bite
that put him for two months in the hos
pital. Somebody had to go into the
cage, and went. I'd seen him often,
and knew the animals pretty well.
didn't havemuch trouble till the next
spring in Pottsville. was tantalizing the
of 'em-with raw meat, and
one of the females got behind me and,
quick..as flash, bit through my leg. l
Kept quiet and turned around and ham,
mered her until she let GO"
How do you train them?"
I'VE treat green oneS-those captured
in Africa-and tame ones born in men,
ageries very much the same. The wild
ones are better and safer. This is be-
cause Il lion used TO cage, and to being
poked and leased, is less afraid of you.
I'd sooner handle ten green lions than
one that's used to the public. Besides,
.lhc green ones have great deal more
IlSS and spirit IN 'em. We begin with
thenfSheu they're two N half or three
years old Len first go into cage of
untarned ones kayr IRE near by, with
the beasts go for me Dl>men stand ready
TO lab the irons Ia thee mouths and
make 'em let me go. l ha q been rough
ly handled sometimes. BIZ never badly
hurt. II takes two years 10 tram one
perfect, because you have,t 10 20 slow
with 'em. Not one lion in fiN- IL good for
| tricks, anyway.
Just as soon as you fAN one mai
don't act right you have to HNOss n n
out. Some of them are too - tab G
Others are sulky, and lie dOas ~ the
corner, and IL you go behind to 80,
/ take big chances. yGS 'TVIni /" kee1
your face .cs, .4sd EN- ali thiwim, Iv
worked or one for five aNRsgr>~-FA,
| third one thefe-and all beNi d' - :
jump little"
How do you teach -
1--WE teach 'em to jsissn cS.T d @sEf
| by having 4 board tenre ~ Shn mid
] OF the cage aud driving ikem OVSl q
! To make 'eln stand up in the corner, -
ha-e u tackle hitched rs their neck ~
pull 'cm up. Then We pet 'sE;. aud tho
finally get used to Il. We maze en- II
down by whipping tbefu- Whsn tl-y'r
triced up in corner We catcE en- d,
the mouth and Dostrils, aRG teach 'ssn &
keep their mouth open bS so DOING i
-
That's rather risky, amt it,"
Not very. You csn tell in an iEs1Sn
when they are going To close, and jeEl
| your head cut. / saw one men killed il
that way, though His name was Whit
| tle-Joe White. l brake hifE in MARI
land, and he took tour lions two of al.
| were Frank and George that am lsIs.,
now and worked 'em for three ys4-s
Finally, in Frankfort, PennsvAS SEsIs
Joe was nervous one day and tk'.asns h
would have a rehearsal befJ-s sisN shoW
| He put his head in Franks A. nth ans
the beast closed on Lin, lIissng clesl
through his face and paSs.y through ~
head, so that his lower i'-S fell dow oi
his breast. They triet tn get hjz cut
but Frank grabbed 'as leg VIII hi
teeth and he was O.z-l? cheWN befOT,
they got him. " died :, few day
after"
do they &c; ~ any aiI'-ofon for yor. =
No, they -.tn't mucz On Slfe|.iOn
They wOuls ~ for uszlf wss @disid,
just as c'slck n thrT would T1ybOdy
They'p <eceiving tsites, ard Try quick
/ reec.trct in Galveston onV<sf the boys
whEy vas little trunk, sxSe the ~OulC
r.. hurt { iiy And xen; DIP 90 the cage
In . minute one of ibyG. don't know
VIA her l. was FrcSk OF George, hat
him. ana his rigH shoulder and ihs
right ;sde of NJ head wasn't xortt
much Nhen fiiV got hun away. I've
onl,< had fise L1ccid.-s..s that amounted
e. ZhythiDg. Once Cne Of them cIaWeJ
II my shtd and most Of the meat ~ IA;
chest SioSs With 4, Tut my scratches ara
mostly JIifle onsE'
IN Sddocc- ne showed pair of handl
thas IIad evidently seen hard USAGE, .saT
~, been gashed in al directions.