Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1882-11-11
ALion Tamer,s Method.

A curious history, and one that sheds
many CLEANS of light upon the charac-
ter Of beasts in the menagerie, Is that
of Henri Martin, the hon-tamer, who
died, ninety years old, quietly at his
home, "among his collections of but
terflies and his books of botany"
Martin, according to his own letters,
began to cultivate his gift of control
over animals in the days when he was
connected with a circus, by acquiring
an extraordinary power over horses.
From this he went to tanning wild
beasts, and labored eight months in
training a royal tiger, and taught
spotted hyena to pick up his gloves.
He was never seen with a whip in his
hand; but he crossed his arms, and
gave his animal the word Of command
to leap on and off his shoulders; and he
considered his method infinitely supe-
rior to that of the tanners who go
through their business chiefly by the
terrorism of heavy whip and a re-
volver. One day Martin told his wife
that he anticipated trouble with his
lion, Cobourg, who was then in
dangerous state of excitement.
She begged him to put off the perform
ance, but he said: No; for, if should
do it once, l should have to do it every
time the animals have caprices." The
next night his forebodings were full
filled. Instead of performing his part
properly, Cobourg crouched low and
IL, hi, +o1opc info fha ctara opd hic
eyes flared. Martin had no weapon
at command except dagger in his
belt. Instead of Obeying orders, the
lion leaped at Martin, and combat
occurred, in the course of which the
lion took Martin in his mouth and
shook him in the air. Martin struck
the animal over the nose for second
time, and then, feeling his strength
exhausted, gave himself up for lost,
and turned his back to the beast, so
that at the next spring it might attack
the back of his neck, and so make an
end of the business. But two seconds
passed, two seconds that seemed to me
an eternity. I turned around; the
lions mood had changed. He looked
at the audience. he looked at me. 1
gave him the sign to go. He went
away as if nothing had happened" 1t
was fourteen week before Martin could
perform again, but then the lion
worked well as usual, and continued to
do so for years without any more ca
prices. In tanning one of his tigers
Martin began by taking the brute's at
tention off the door of the cage, and
then armed with dagger, went rap
idly into the cage and stood looking at
the tiger, which for some minutes lay
motionless, staring at him. Then, feel
ing a shiver, and knowing that if the
tiger saw it all would be over with
him, he went swiftly out. At the end
of fortnight he went again into the
cage, and this time stayed there half
an hour. A third time he
paid the tiger a visit of three
quarters of an hour. "The fourth
time the tiger, trembling at first, lay
down before the pygmy who braved
it." To tame a hyena, Martin wrap
ped his legs and arms with cords, and
protected his head with handkerchiefs,
and then, walking into the cage, went
straight to the animal and offered it
his forearm. The hyena bit it, and
the tanner, looking steadily in its eyes,
stood motionless. The next day he re-
peated the experiment. substituting
leg for an arm; "and all the time Mar
tins black pupils were flashing into
the gray eyes of the hyena. The beast
gave up, cringed, and smelled the feet
of the master" Martin tanned his sub
jects by his personal influence alone;
and Charles Nodier once said of him:
Z" AT the head of an army Martin might
have been Bonaparte. Chance has
made a man of genius director Of
menagerie."