The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-04-22
THE TIGER WHACKER.

What he has TO DO and what he Gets for 1t.
q One of the editors of the Atlanta Con-
stitution, visiting New York, was taken
behind the scenes to see the manner of
producing the "Blaek Venus" at Niblo's,
and saw many curious things. After de-
scrIhing some of them he goes on to
say:
One of the features Of the great BLACK
Venus" is den of royal Bengal tigers
into which the dusky queen is going to
throw her truant English lover. She
sends the keeper into the cage to stir
the animals to rage. and while he is en-
gagged in this work, distant volcano
erupts, and in the blaze of its light the
curtain falls. ] was standing immedi-
ately by the cage of tigers when the train
er entered il. The tigers were the larg-
est ever displayed in New York-enOr-
nous. supple. glistening. AS the man
entered the cage quickly he closed the
door behind him, without taking his
ewes from the animals. They retreated
with snarls and growls to the further
end of the cage. He advanced rapidly
on them, striking them sharply, firing
his pistol in their faces and driving them
before him. The largest one
u superb animal moving slow
ly, was cornered and as the
keeper ldSneu nun he only CIOucneu tuc
closer 10 the wall, fattening himself
against the bars and glaring at the man
with eyes halt shut, as If he were about
to spring on his tormentOr. / felt the
marrow chill IN my bones. If the man
had quivered IN the s1ightest-if he had
but let his eyelid falter-I believe the
| tiger would have been on him in an in
slant. sc z-z-ashi I" down came the
whip over the tigers face A hoarse
! growi Of rage and pain was the answer,
and the face of the animal was like that
| of demon. Crash! crash came the
whip pitilessly, the man standing with
| lips closed and face set, his left arm
| guarding his breast and the right raising
the lash over The tigers head. Sudden.
ly The tiger raised It's hugh paw as il
about to strike back, Its teeth flashed be.
hind its red lips. when with look Of
disdain it slid easily from the bars and
swept past the keeper 10 the other end
| of the cage.
THAT Tiger will kill that man yet
| said one of the stage men, land he knows
| it."
"He knows it ." asked curiouslY.
| ".Yes,'' replied the attendant; al bunk
with the trainer, and he tells me often
that that big tiger hates him, and will
| mount him some time He has already
| gashed him up several times"
"Why does he keep fooling with him
| then ?''
aOh, it's his business. They all gel
killed some time. or other. It's the rar.
est thing in the world 70 see an old
trainer. They all get chawed up some
time or other.''
Just then the trainer passed, and with
troubled face he said to his friend:
HE was pretty ugly tonight, WASN'T
he? I'm going to punish him when
! get down stairs"
| / turned TO Faxon and asked him:
/ What does that man get for hi:
| work 50
"Well," said DR.. Gray, eff you wen
to pay 3 million dollars minute yot
couldn't get me to earn a cent at II.
what docs the tiger man get ~ asked
Fsxon, turning to an sttendsnk
Two dollars and half week and
his board, - replied the man.
"What is his name go asked
Not man on the stage could tell ii
was simply common workman viii
the rest They called him the -dgel
man." There was commentary Risk
ing his life nightly in the most terribl.
conflict for $3.50 . week and the privil
ege Of sleeping in bunk and eating
bread and meat, and winning so it'll
fame or reputation that none OF his tel
low woFkmen ever knew his name .
cared TO know.