Smyrna times., 1880-04-28
A Woman in a Cage of Panthers.

in Philadelphia is cage of Mexican pan.
theirs. la size they are about as large as a
full'grewn setter dog, though their whole
appearance is of the cat order, having long
claws, sharp teeth, and eyeballs which, in
their anger, gleam and quiver like livid fire.
"These animals" says the PHILADELPHIA
Times, "last Saturday 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 exposed fangs, with a force that would
shake the cage from top to bottoEs, at the
same time thrusting their claws through in
their efforts to clutch the intruders and
bring them within range of their teeth.
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. Pres
emily young woman dressed in boomers
and with her hair tightly done up on the
top of her head, came along, with a stout
whip in her hand.
ashes going in among the panthers ;
she's training thsm,' said the keeper.
The girl went up close TO the cage,
whip in hand, and, with the assistance OF
the keeper-whO was her husband-the
panthers were driven back in one end of
the cage, the man using a long stick, with
the end OF which he gave them some viger-
GUS raps on the nose. After great deal of
swapping and scuffiing among each other
they were all gotten back in the end
farthest from the cage door. The man
then proceeded to unfasten it. The young
weman, who had heen 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 NEST terrific screaming and foht.
ing of any time yet. The panthers would
jump over each other in their eagerness to
spring upon her, and would spring halfway
up the cage, but would get no further
being held back by fear. They would then
spring upon one another and tear each
others ears and scratch and fight, thi.
being apparently the only means that
would satisfy their ferocity.
Meantime the woman stood perfectly
still, holding her whip out and speaking ia
them in a soothing manner, as though she
was pacifying favorite dog or cat. Gradu
ally the screams and growls began to get
lower and lower and the fighting among
one another began to cease. Still they
kept growing and looking at her and show
ing their teeth and swapping now and
then until she had advanced a step. Their
they began to growl again, and one of then
spraRg ever the others and got nearest tc
her, but had no sooner alighted than he
was pouncsd upon by another, and the,
again began to fight. Then the youn!
woman, with a bold step advanced a pac.
further and struck one of the animals will
the butt end of her whip, at the same tim,
scolding him. He sprang back to the enc
of the cage among the others, while tn,
woman, carelessly letting her whip fall
proceeded to soothe and caress the panthe
nearest her, patting him on the top of tn,
head and Stroking him on the neck unit
his grewls had almost subsidized, and ther
sullenly allowed himself to lac petted wink
ing his eyes and mouthing like q cat. Th
other panthers meantime having grouped
themselves together in the end of the Gag
looked on with sullen growls. IF any ad
vanced she gave them sharp rap on tn
head and ordered them to 90 back, an,
they Obeyed. While she kept petting tn
one in question she never lost sight of tn
others, keeping her eyes on their ever
movement and being always prepared t
use the whip an the slightest provocatior
Sometimes three or four, as though iealou
of the other, would spring forward an
approach sullsnly, as though inviting he
to caress them, too. Then she would TAX
one to each hand and pat and stroke then
until they became paci6ed and quiet, an
she seemed as much at home with them a
though they were so many cats. But thi
pacific state Of things would not last Ions
They seemed to be taking their caresse
under protest and to be ever on the brinI
of revolt This wsuld be signalized by
deep growl form some one of them, whio
would instantly communicate itself 10 tn
ethers, and the next instant there woul
be quick spring and one of the animal
would find himself pouncsd upon
another, and they would claw and gnas
each other until the young woman weul
raise her whip and give them some shar
blows, which would send them into tn
corner and make them settle down for
little time.
What would be the consequence if sh
was to show any fear and retreat toward th
dOorT asked one of the bystanders, VII
had been almost spellbound by the seen
before him and had not found himself alb
to speak belere."
"'Ths consequence, said the keepe
! shaking his head, 'would be that ever
} animal in that cage would spring upon b,
and tear her to pieces in a minute