Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-27


mans performance antedated those OF
Van Amburgh by but few years, ana
there lie no doubt that some Of his best
tricks were copied from those Of the
latter. There was naturally much rivalry
between the two lion kings when van
Amburgh brought his trained lions, ugers
and leopards TO England in 1876, and the
assertion has been made that Jack dared
the other 20 a trial Of skill and courage
with his beasts at Southampton, and that
fbe contest did not come OF, owing to Van
Amburgh showing the white feather. But
the story is quite improbable, for the dar-'
ing Of the latter performer has never been
surpassed.
L,fOn-tamers are usually killed dozen
times or more by rumOr during their ca
reers, and yet, after all, they die in their
beds in abOutthe same proportion as other
men. For instance, Manchester Jack
was reported by the newspapers as hav-
ing come to his end in ariOus ways, once
after the following unenyiable fashion:
He was said to have been exhibiting the
faat which Van Amburgh originated, of
/ uniting his head in the lions mouth, and
! 20 have been reused to a sense Of his rash
ness by hearing the animal grOwl and
feeling its jaws closing upon his neck.
.-POes he wisk his tail, Bills'' he is said
10 have asked the keeper while in this
horrible situation. eyes" replied Bill.
sThen 1 am dead man." grOaned
Jack
moment afterward the swapping of
the lions jaws fulfilled his prophecy.
But this thrilling story is cOntradicted
by the fact that Manchester Jack left
the menagerie with a whole skin, and
for a number of years afterward kept an
inn at TautOn, where he died in 1865.
With reference TO this feat Of putting
the head in the mouth Of a lion or tiger, it
/ might be said that, foolbardy as il seems,
we have been unable to find a single
authentic instance in which the beast has
I improved the opportunity TO remove such
/ a foolish head from its shoulders. 1t is
| possible such instances may have occurr-
/ ed. but in comparison to the many hundred
l times the feat has been performed. they
/ seem to show that il is not really more
/ perilOus than many similar performances.
/ 1t is an utterly Objectless feat, only intro
! duced because of the fascination which
l terrible peril has to most audiences
\ When Van Amburgh was in England a
/ certain gentleman went to see him for a
/ hundred or more consecutive nights, fol-
lowing him from place to place, solely, he
SAID, because he was convinced that the
| performers head would one day be bitten
/ off. and he did not want to miss the sight.
In the daring and triumph of Van Am
. burgh this country has taken a special
| interest, since he was generally known as
/ an American, and il was here that be won
| his first laurels. He was a native Of HOl-
| land. however, but coming to this country
| as a young man, always regarded himself
as an American citizen. He was very
| handsome man, tail and well formed, and
when some years after his appearance in
England with his trained lions and tigers,
Sir Edwin Landseer painted him IN the
midst of his tanned beasts, the picture at
tracted a great deal of attention, and
made Van AmbUrgh's show the fashion
with the very highest circles, even royalty
ITSELF The Duke Of Wellington was an
ardent admirer of his performances, and
cultivated his acquaintance with interest
s'Were YOU ever afraid once asked
the Duke, when the lion king was guest
at his house.
'sThe first time that am afraid, your
grace. - replied the liOn-tamer, ''Or fancy
that my pupils are no longer afraid of me,
I shall retire from the wild-beast lne.N
About 1s47 Van AmbuTgh brought out a
magnificent black tiger, an animal pre-
viously regarded as untamable. This
animal WIS introduced into Sues drama
of the Wandering Jetg, which was then
creating a great sensation all over Europe
and Van Amburgh peTsOnated the beast
tanner, s'MOrOk," through whom, in the
story, the JesUIts try to delay the old
, soldier. ''DagObert,' on his journey tC
airs DN IN AlDolAi Ills AAoA g " bAC ehtNe%Ch
: Of "a ferOciOus black panther.
Though he had been killed in the news
papers a halfdOZen times or more, haC
his back broken twice and his head once
bitten of by a tiger, Van Amburgh al
last retired undevOured from the arena
and died quietly in his bed about the veal
1870.
Carter was liOn-tamer who came int
prominence several years after Van Am
burgh's first appearance in England. This
man had been a general utility" man il
Saunders circus, when the necessity fOl
a HOn-king induced him to attempt tn,
dangerous but well paid task. He wa
very successful, and soon appeared a
Astley's, in a drama written especial!
for him, as "Afghar," q hOn-tamer, il
which part he drove a lion in harness anC
carried on a mimic fight with tiger
Whether this Carter was the same lion
king that was attacked by his ANIMAL
and so badly torn that he died in 1873, W.
cannot say, but we think, from the laps
of time, these were probably two ditferen
individuals.
A lion king we'll known to two hemis
heres was Crockett, whose mother haC
been formerly known as Miss Cross, the
NOttinghamshire giantess. She was sir
feet nine inches. in height and proportion
ately large, but very handsome and pre-
possessing. Crockett was a musician il
I GdukEIe GlECuor 4ub-F DIS 5AlMCIAns HUN
weakness Of the chest, which his perform
ance on the instrument increased. HC
was offered the position of lion king prin
cipally because of his handsome and i'm
posing appearance. He accepted it, anC
displayed rare courage and GOODNESS, only
one instance being given where his nerve
seemed TO fail him.
One of the tame lions at Sanger's used
to be taken out TO peTsOnate the British
lion, lying at the foot of Britannia during
| the show parades. One morning, the
tents having been pitched just outside the
town of Weymouth, when the keepers
| went to take out Brittannia's docile at
| tendant, they found all the five lions fight
| ing furiOusly, their names up, their eyes
flashing, and their shoulders all scratched
/ and bloody. Not one of the keepers, even
Z Crockett, would dare to go into the cage
/ But Mr.. George Sanger, the proprietor
seiZing a whip, sprang in among the
I beasts. drove the lions on one side, and
l the liOness, who was the object of their
| contention, on the other, and sep.
Z arated them by boards quickly passed
into the cage for the purpose. Crockett
/ had by this time recovered his
nerve, and, an hour later, put these same
/ lions. IN spite of their sullenness, through
! their usual list of feats before crowded
/ audience. Another instance is given
/ wherein CrOcketts nerve did not fail him
was managing the circus at Astley's the
six lions one day got loose through,
it was supposed, the Intentional careless
ness of one Of the grOoms, who had been
fined by the manager for neglect OF
/ duty. Before Crockett, who had been
sent for in hot haste, could reach
the theatre. the lions had killed
I a keeper and half eaten him, and were
roaming about the auditorium, roaring to
get at the horses. Crockett went in
y among them quite alone, with only a
switch in his hand, and in few minutes
had safely Gagged them all, without re-
I ceiving a scratch. These lions were
I afterwards sold to the American circus of
/ Howe & Gushing, performing in England,
and Crockett came back with them to this
country. and travelled with them for two
years at a salary of 500 a week. One day,
when the circus was performing in this
city, he fell down while passing from the
dressing room to the ring, and died on the
spot. Of heart disease, it was thought.
/ While Crockett was still travelling with
Sanger's circus in England, Hilton, the
manager of a rival show, to cOunterbal-
I ance the formers attractions, brought out
| his daughter as a f'liOn queen" She