The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-11-11
LIFE AMONG LIONS.
A Talk with Noted Tanner of the King
OF Beasts.

Of Beasts.
81 began with lions about 1865. 1
was bossing the animals in John
O'Brien's circus in Girard, Pa. Felix
Mcdonald, the lion man, got bite that
put him for two months in the hospital.
Somebody had 10 go into the cage, and
went. I'd seen him often, and | knew
the animals pretty well. didn't have
much difficulty till the next spring in
four of 'em--with raw meat, and one of
the females got behind me and, quick as
flash. bit through my calf. l kept
quiet and turned around and hammered
her until she let CO."
Glow do you train themP"
"We treat green ones-those captured
in Africa-and tame ones born in menag-
cries verr much the same. The wild ones
are better and safer. This is because q
lion used to a cage, and to being poked
and teased, is less afraid of you. I'd
sooner handle tea 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
when they're two n half or three
years old. When 1 first go into cage
of untamed ones have a fire near by,
with three or four iron rods in it, red
hot. If the beasts go for me the men
stand ready to tab the irons in their
mouths and make 'em let me go. Ihave
been roughly handled sometimes, but
never badly hurt. 1t takes two years to
train one perfect, because you have to
go slow with 'em. Not one lion in five
is good for tricks, anyway.
Just as soon as you find one that
don't act right you have to throw him
out. Some of them are too excitable.
Others are sulky, and lie down in the
corner. and if you go 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-the
third one there-and all he'll do is to
Jump 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 corner,
we have 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 'em by the mouth and nos.
trils, and teach 'em to keep their mouth
| open by so doing it. Then we git to
sticking our heads in"
THAT'S rather risky, amt itp"
Not very. You can tell in an instant
when they are gJing to close, and jerk
your heac out. l saw one man killed in
that way, though. His name was
Whittle-Joe Whittle. 1 broke him
in Maryland, and he took four lions
(two of 'em were Frank and George that
I am using now) and worked 'em for
three years. Finally, in Frankfort,
| Penn, Joe was nervous one day and
thought he wonld have rehearsal before
the show. He put his head in Frank
mouth and the beast closed on him, bit
ing clean through his face and partly
through his head, so that his lower jaw
fell down on his breast. They tried to
get him out, but Frank grabbed his leg
with his teeth and he was badly chewed
before they, got him. He died few
days after"
"Do they get up any affection for
youP"
"No, they amt much on affection
They would go for me if l was outside
| Just as quick as they would anybody.
quick. l recollect in Galveston one OF
| the boys, who was little drunk, swore
they would not hurt fly, and went up
| to the cage. In minute one of them,
| don't know whether it was Frank OF
George, had him, and his right shoulder
and the right side of his head weren't
worth much when they got him away
I've only had five accidents thai
amounted to anything. Once one o.
them clawed off my shirt and most o.
the meat ON my chest along with it, but
my scratches are mostly little ones"
In evidence, he showed a pair o
hands that had evidently seen hard
usuage, having been gashed in all di.
| recfinns