New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-10
LIFE UNDER THE CANVAS.


A CIRCUS EMPLOYEES HARD Lor-vICIoCs ANIMALS
AND LoSG-wISDED BoREs.
Tho variety Of incident afforded by travelling with
a circus and the nomadc sort OF existence It grants
appeal strongly to certain traits of human nature,
and there are never wanting to I'LL every sort
OF position In entertainments under With
Barnums show, for instance, a regiment of subord-
mates are employed and every one is as carefully
drilled for his work soldier IS for hts duties But
the glamor which invests the life Of circus employe
will be found to disappear behind the scenes anG many
disadvantages appear.
On the last night that Barnum was in Brooklyn
recently a Tribune reporter fell into conversation
with the man In charge Of the performing seals in
their cage on wheels before they appeared upon the
stage ami went through their tricks OF drumming the
banjo and guitar. One OF the uncouth animals was
picking away at tho bar OF his cage with his ripper
He thinks ne has his banjo, remarked the man in
charge, and he will lie there by the hour and do that
We take the time to teach them tricks when we are
spending the winter in Bridgeport. One has to
know his animals to get along with them. I can
do anything with these seals, but they would bite a
stranger See that tpointing the back Of one
of his hands,. Well, a strange seal put in the
cage few days ago. and when went to clean II out
he BIT me. You see, he didn't know me-
OF course, the case Of the lions and the tigers IS
the most dangerous A man came near being
killed in the lions cage this morning
We all thought he was gOner'
Every man has two cages for, and we have to
go In among all the animals have Of the lions
cages myself We only control them by fear, our
whips being OF steel covered with rawhde Tho men
In charge Of the elephants have their goads ready to
stick into the animals whenever they are not
chained The man there (pointing to the next cage)
has to sleep with the giraffe every night see that It
does not get sick II Is the tcnderest animal we have
and is the only giraffe In this county, Forepaughs
died last week"
The reporter ventured to remark that II tho girae's
throat became it would be likely to prove Sc
rious matter, as IL so long.
Yes" said the keeper. A man here the
other day who wished his throat as long as the ri
RATES. whenever he drank whlskey. But that
better than the questions people ask Why,
some Of them appear to know nothing at all when they
get in the circus They Will ask If animal eats
lies down TO sleep. If lion roars they ask what he
does that for One wanted to know II the giraffe
ever put its head down to sleep. The women seem
To- think that the wild animals must do everything
different from what tame do. The majority Of
people don't know the simplest facts in natural his
tory, would think II the animals could talk they
would be able TO tell many strange things said about
them. | don't want to say people can't read, but
they will look at those words performing seals
my wagon, and then ask me what the animals are.
Then they want 10 know why we have water for them,
and what they eat, when they see what we feed them
II is pleasure TO talk 10 any one who understands
something about the animals. l don't think $40
month and board pays for what we have to endure
from the animals and people every day.