The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-02-23

hide. After he had been subdued / pei
ted him for time and furnished hin
e with a substantial meal, and we becam
y the best of friends. All the clothing
2 wore at the close Of the encounter was
s pair OF stockings and a wristband to m,
s shirt. 1 subsequently broke anothe
f pair for Robinson and had tough tussl
! with them, but nothing in comparison
s with the three year old.
l "Did you ever find yourself in extrem,
, peril?" asked the reporter.
+ "Well, yes" replied Mr.. Neylan.
was placed once in most uncomfortable
/ situation. Jennie, the pet lioness, was
: with young, and one day I had occasion
| to enter her cage to repair it. The sound
of the hammer employed in driving nails
appeared to frighten her, and suddenly
she fastened her teeth upon the calf OF
my leg. I had the presence of mind to
let her alone, although she was tearing
nay leg terribly, and seizing my hammer
L watched my opportunity, when she had
caught my wrist between her teeth, aud
thrust the handle down her throat, chok.
ing off her hold. Then she sought to
leap upon me, aud stripped me of my
clothing, besides leaving the bloody
imprint OF her claws on my back. The
blows of the hammer did not seem to
have any effect, and at another oppor-
tune moment one of the keepers seeing
my predicament, seized an iron bar and
belabored her vigorously. while I kept
accompaniment with my hammer. We
conquered her at last, and left the cage
to dress myself and my wounds. She
never disturbed me again, and was always
gentle and tractable. Once previous to
this, Jennie knocked me down, and Old
Prince evidently intended to make
meal of me, and l whipped them both
into subsection with my cowhide.
At one time, while we were in Balti.
more on two weeks engagement one of
the underkeepers carelessly left the door
open one Sunday, and Jennie quietly
| escaped and trotted down one of the main
streets about the time meeting was out
There was some of the tallest scamper-
ing and shrieking imaginable. I learned
of her escape, and, seizing a coil of rope
started after her. She choose the mid
die or the street, and | was unable to
overtake her. [ tried to lasso her, but
size nimbly avoided the coil, and sud-
denly dashed up fight of steps into
dwelling house through the open door.
.L,,,gu GIo p". =
u li,uiy ~..,--.rut.v vi the family ard
guests, aud descended into the basement,
where she encountered the coiored cook,
knocked her down and seized piece of
meat which she was carrying. l closed
all the doors after me and felt sure of
her capture, but she eluded me and
ascended three flights of stairs to an attic
bed room, where she concealed herself in
a closet. l sought to deprive her of the
meat, but she showed fight, and | was
compelled to beat her with the rope until
| she became submissive, and returned
with me to the cage. This episode oc
cured in the winter of 1869-70, and at
that time I was ninteen years of age
| The affair caused considerable excite
ment, and the papers made quite lion
of me, especially the Police Ne,Us which
illustrates the scenes. L was a smooth
faced youth, and looked considerable
younger than / was. and people besieged
me with all manner of amusing questions
as to my experiences.
''What method did you pursue in
breaking the animals?' queried the re-
porter "The best time to begin with
them," said Mr. Neylan, sis when they
are cubs of eight or ten months growth.
Ny practice was to devote an hour day
in the training, always exercising them
on empty stomachs and feeding them
promptly afterward. If the lion is trac
table and submissive, he should be treat
ed kindly, but if he is inclined to be
stubborn and ugly, then you must obtain
the mastery by vigorous use of the
cowhide. They are inclined to be treach
erous even when the most frolicsome and
gentle. and it can be shown that the
majority of lion performers who have
been killed, have allowed too much liberty
to their pets. The objective point of the
cowhide is the face and eyes to blind and
confuse them, and they smart and are
forced into retirement by a vigorous
hagellation. 1t must not be thought for
an instant that one can look them stead
lily in the eyes and thus disarm them.
The lion does become somewhat blinded
by steady gaze, but the moment be
lowers his head and gives it an ominouS
shake then is the moment of danger, and
the more promptly the lash is applied
the better. The tiger is more treacher-
ously inclined than the lion. and more
difficulty is experienced in their training
I have trained Asistic, African and Mex
lean lions, and some of them have devel-
oped remarkable power of intelligence
and sagacity.
every lion tanner has pet, +" said Mr.
Neylan, 'and my favorite was the lioness
Jennie. A lady who used to do thu
washing for the company at Atlanta, Ga.
owned her when cub, and raised her a
, home Tae cub played with the children
[ but finally became ugly and dangerous
and she was sold to Mr.. Robinson fo
i $50. She had two cubs while with th'
circus, both of whom died. Some thre,
: years after / left the circus, Jennie ant
a Old Prince were exhibited in the Grea
t Eastern circus at Lowell, and happening
To ba in that CITY T dac;dad N on an,