The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-03-03
A Magic Wand.

While this talk was going on, howev-,
er, the stranger leaned forward over
the rail The lion rushed at the bars
and thrust its paw out The steel
pointed cane touched the limb gently,
and it fell as if paralyzed. The animal
growled sharply, as if from pain. The
stranger. taking advantage of his OPP
portunity, lodged under the rail and
approa he'd tile cage closely. He
placed the ferule of the cane against
vuisIve shudder the animal fell to the
floor of the cage and lay there trem-
bling in apparent terror, while the bold
tanner stroked its head and turged at
Its whiskers with impunity Walking
along, he next encountered the largest
and fiercest tigress in the collection.
One touch OF the cane was sufficient To
PROSTATE the animal and reduce 1t
to the harmless state of a week-old
kitten.
The keepers were astounded. 1t was
the same with all the animals-the
hyenas, the jaguars, the leopards. The
bears made more resistance to the
charm than any of the rest. They
snarled. growled and struck at the
cane, but retreated before it instead of
advancing TO the combat as thew eX-
pected them to do. The struggle was
longer. but the bears. too, were at last
compelled To succumb TO the magic of
the stranger. and lay abject, tanned and
harmless in their cages. Nor did they
recover from the terror and languOr
for several hours. During that time
not a roar broke the stiffness of the
menagerie.
Now let me get at the snake" said
the German.
Not by a jugfull." said the as
founded keeper. you've run enough
risks and given me big enough scare
for one day. Be content that you've
done what you've done and get away
with whole skim
The stranger pleaded so hard for
chance to test his powers on the big
boa, which was hungry and active, that
he was allowed the opportunity he de-
sired, though extraordinary precautions
were taken to guard against accidents
in case of his failure.
Snakes amt horses and four-footed
beasts" croaked q sapient employe,
who had been the loudest in his pre-
dictions that the hardy stranger would
be chawed up at the first approach to
the wild beasts. He had it this time
that be would be squeezed to the shape
of a rat-tail file and taken in by the
snake.
He wasn't, though. When he touched
the squirming monster with his magic
wand the gigantic reptile uncoiled, a
violent shudder ran through its whole
length, giving il the appearance OF
gigantic ribbon fiuttering in gale, and
then it fell limp and insensible, and re-
manned so for five hours, manifeSting
not a sign of life.
The stranger was evidently satisfied
with this. He gave a chuckle, and
with Thank Vou'' strobe of, plant
ing his magic cane on the ground firmly
at every step with many triumphant
1ouri>hes.
'.Who is he.' was the general query.
''Dlest if | know" was the reply o.
the aSt0unded employees.
Hes friend of General Cesno las:
that is, don't know if he's a friend,
but he's an &C Iuaintance. anyhow
said Park policeman to whom the tall
German was pointed out.
lies a crank who's been haunting
the General for a week." said another.
Further inquiry ELECTED the fact that
the stranger is a brother of Herr Raus-
pach, German lion tanner, who has
invented, and a month ago displayed
before the English Academy of Sciences,
at London, England. an apparatus for
the tanning of wild beasts.-M T. Star.