National Republican., 1883-04-10
"THE WILD BEAST snow.~


The Story OF Lion Tanner and Elephant
Trimmer Regarding the Eusincss--rhc
Sensation One Experiences when Enter
ing n Cage OF wild Beasts.
Cleveland Leader.
"A man may 60 into den Of lions every
day in tho season for twenty years and then
get chewed up" said Luke Garvoy as he re-
placed his silver-mounted elephant hook to
its moorings behind the bar. And tho vet
eran lion tamor shrugged his shoulders as he
continued 81 have had charge Of animals
for eleven years, and ] want to tell you right
here that never yet entered cage of those
shaggy dcni2ens of the jungle without ashud-
der. IL is all nonsense for men to talk about
getting used to it, for know better. The ap-
parent bravado and reolSlessness with which
we spring into the midst of the beasts Is all
put on, as we never know when to look for
fight. 1 have been attacked hundreds Of
times, but always succeeded in holding the
enraged animals off until l could get out.
The minute one of them shows fight you
must subdue him, even If you have to back
out of the cage and whip him from the out
side The least hinching on the part
of the keeper would be fatal. Talk about
reckless men, there are mighty few Of them
who dare go in, even TO a sleepy old lioness.
] remember last season had nervy young
fellow named Jake Eichinger taking caro- Of
the elephant, and he aspired to be d lion
tanner. He had been with us several months,
and could do the elephant act in tho ring as
well as could IL was his business to take
care Of the elephant, and he did so with q
perfect abandon. At last | agreed that he
should go in and perform the lions. We were
In his own section of the country, and he felt
that if his friends could see him in the lion
act fame was achieved. So when IL cnme
time to 90 ill., he dressed up in my togs and
had his hand on the door, when he turned
pale as q ghost and sank to the ground. He
weakened, and could never get him to men,
tion the lion act again, although he was no
moro afraid Of an elephant than If IL were
dray horse. I've seen that fellow travel for
miles, sound asleep. He rode horseback and
leaned up against his bulky charge with as
much nonchaance as If she were downy
bed. IL wasn't safe, of course, but Jake didn't
seem to mind IL.
"Tame lion? Well, we take them while
wintering and about once day go into the
cage and sweep around them, becoming more
and more familiar as spring approaches.
They soon get SO they don't mind the keeper
coming in, and sometimes they lie In dull,
stupid condition, and don't even stir. But
when once on the road there Is SO much fuss
and racket that thoy become uneasy, restless,
and angry; and one day they may pounce
upon the very man that they allowed to
fondle them the day before. The keeper alone
must conquer the brutes, and when once
subduod they are as tame as kittens until
they forget it,
Gan elephant works in the ring from habit.
| He has his business to do the same as the
clown, and he knows how TO do It, When he
does it right once, he will do it the same way
next day. He goes through 1t mechanically,
and you could no more make him commence
at the other end and do it backward than you
could force him to fly. An elephant breads
the hook and the least jab will bring him to
time most always. Sometimes they get cranky
| or unruly and they have to be thrown on the
ground and tortured before they will squeaL
To punish them we use clubs, prods, and some
times red hot irons. When they once below
they have been conquered, and will work all
! right again. Although an elephants hide is
thick, it is far tenderer than most people SUI :
pose. rap with broomstick will hurt the
biggest elephant living. .!,.
'sHow Is an elephant wintered? Just the
same as you would winter an OK. No train
ing is needed in the winter for him. A few
rehearsals at the opening of the season is
sufficient. Elephants are not much OF an
attraction any more, and very few more
will be imported. Showmen are looking OUT
for some other novelty. Last season there
were o number of wild beasts on the road
called lion slayers. Do you know, what, d
lion slayer is2 Merely species Of monkey
with ferocious look, that could no more kill
lion or tiger than they could ride veloc-
ipede ON tight wire.
"The baby lions are now like couple of
kittens, and we can handle them as such, but
we have to be sure tho mother is not looking,
shall soon take them TO Orwell, and In o
month moro they will be on tho road, the best
drawing cards in the show"
"Ive been out my last season." said Eddie
Dooley, who happened to hear part of the
foregoing conversation. ~ don't want any
more menagerie business in mine. / took
hold Of Chief old John Robinson's elephant,
Just after he killed King, and took him to
| California. He was the ugliest animal ever
tackled. 1t seemed as If he would get of
every day, and sometimes it took all the peo-
pie connected with the show to quiet him.
We always kept chain around his body, and
in fastening him would chain all four feet
and body to as many different stakes. One
or two stakes he could pull up as easy as roll
ing of a log. Chief has killed moro men
than the people know anything about, but
am alive and | have had enough. No more
Chief for me-"