River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-08
APANTHER'S CAGE.
A Plucky Woman in Cage With Half
Dozen Fnll Grown Mexican PaniherS.
Philadelphia Times

The value of GOODNESS and presence
of mind was strikingly illustrated at
Cooper & Bailey's stables, ut Twenty.
third street and Ridge avenue, where
the Great London circus is in winter
quarters, on Saturday last. In the
main building, where most all the AMI
mails of the menagerle are kept, was a
cage containing five or SIX full grown
Mexican panthers, whose fierce aspect
and savage capers are terror OF all
who pass through there. Directly OPP
posite these panthers is q cage contain
ing lions, and on either side OF them
are cages containing tigers and Loop
ards. Savage as the tigers and Loop
ards appear, there is not half the ter
ror in them for the keepers that there
is in the long, stealthy, cat-like animal,
the Mexican panther. In size, they are
about rs large as a full grown setter
dog, though their whole appearance is
of the cat order, having long claws,
sharp teeth, and eye balls which, in
their anger, CLEAN and culver like Ivid
fire. These animals, at Cooper q
Bailey's, on the day in question, seemed
worse than usual. They had been
fighting among themselves until their
heads and ears were bleeding, and upon
the approach of any visitor near their
cage they would spring against the iron
grating, with cleaning eyes and ex'
posed fangs, with force that would
shake the cage from top to bottom, at
the same time thrusting their claws
through III their efforts to clutch the in
truders and bring them within range OF
their teeth. To stand off and look at
them would provoke them almost to
madness. They would bound against
the grating with a loud and savage
scream, and strike and tear at the iron
rods with their claws III way that
would make the stoutest-hearted visl-
tor fall back and almost shudder to
think of the consequences should they
by any mischance once get at lalge.
Even the keepers themselves, after
they had prodded up the tigers and
leopards and passed close to their cages
in safety, made a detour when they
came to the panthers giving them a
wide berth. Presently q young woman,
dressed in boomers and with her hair
tightly done up on the top of her head,
came along, with stout whip in her
hand.
"See," said one of the keepers, "she's
going into the cage"
"WhatW exclaimed three or four elf
ferent voices, amazed.
"Sae's going in among the panthers;
she's training them" said the keeper.
Surely she won't 60 in among them
as they are now," said one, while others
fell back still further and some hasten
ed away.
Meanwhile the girl had gone up close
to the cage, whip in hand, and with the
assistance of the keeper-who was also
her husband-the panthers were driven
back in one end of the cage, the man
using long stick, with the end of
which he gave them some vigorous
raps on the nose. After great deal of
swapping and scuilllng among each 9TH
er-each animal, every time he was
hit, seemed to visit his vengeance for
the blow on his nearest fellow-they
were all gotten back in the end farthest
from the cage door. The man then
proceeded to unfasten it, his work be-
ing interrupted frequently by the ami
mails, some of which would now and
then bound out of their corner over the
lOD vi tliOSG vi tilGlE IcilO"S HhO StOpO
in the way and land halfway up the
floor of the cage, where they would
draw themselves up in a crouching
posture and with eyes of fire and a
deep, low whine or growl they would
remain watching him as though only
waiting for him to get inside to make
the fatal spring. The keeper, without
showing the least discomposure. went
on with his work until the door was
opened. The young woman, who had
been standing beside him with her whip
in hand and pleasant smile on her
face, without moments hesitation,
stepped up and the next moment was
inside the cage. The moment she got
in there was the most terrific screaming
and fighting of any time yet. The
panthers would jump over each other
in their eagerness to spring upon her,
and would spring half way up the cage
but would get no further, being held
back by fear. They would then spring
upon one another ana tear each others
ears aud scratch and fight. this being
apparently the only means that would
satisfy their ferocity. Meantime the
woman stood perfectly still, holding her
whip out and speaking to them in
soothing manner, as though she was
pacifying a favorite dog or cat. Gradu-
ally the screams ard growls began to
get lower and lower and the lighting be
gan to cease. Still they kept growing
and looking at her and showing their