The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-12-19
aHasrsort gntelttgeneer,
A sH0WMAN,s STORY,

a Lite Spent Among Animals and In the
| Ring.
a showman's life.
Itis a pretty hard one, but like most
every other life it is not without its
rewards and pleasures.
But all in all it is career not 80 desir-
able, and so rose-tin,ed as many might
imagine. With some it is comparatively
little work and big pay, with others it is
all work and no pay.
"There is great deal of difference
between shows now and shows in times
gone BY" said one who has grown up in
the business, and who until few months
ago, knew comparative little about any
other sort of life.
The speaker was Mr.. J. W. Havens,
the keeper of the Grant park zoo. His
face is familiar to trequenters of the
park, and he has become quite a feature
of its attractions, with his graphic stories
of life under the canvas He is thor.
oughly in love with his work among the
animals of lhe menagerie and is familiar
with their wants and necessities as a
parent with the care ofA child. Mr.
Havens has spent the past seventeen
years among the beasts Of the field and
the fowls of the air, in connection with
the numberlcss shows and menageries
all over the country.
He has bearded the lion in bis very
den, and two of those that are now Gagged
up 10 Grant park were captured by hia
own hand in the mountains of Mexico
"Yes," he continued, as he patted the
big lion, Molly, on the nose, in her cage
at the zoo yesterday, .the show business
isn't what it used to be. It has been
ruined, you might say, by high license
and fakirs by fakirs, Imean the sharpers
who hang on to every show that is big
enough to sport tent, aud who has
brought everyone connected with the
business into disrepute by their knavery.
Then there used to be time when
everybody about show worked, when
the high kicker, the rider, rope walker
and all used to turn in and lend hand at
the work of putting up tents and the like
of that. But that's all changed now.
The actors have got to think they are
better'n the balance of the boys, and in
| place of the good old fashioned one ring
show, where everybody could see and
hear, it's two and three rings, with rush
from start to finish. No, sir, the show
business amt what it used to be; it's
changed"
"Tell me something about your circus
life."
| "We've seen a good deal, haVn't we,
Molly" aud the keeper again careaaed
the great shaggy head that pressed up
close to the bars Of the cage by his side.
eyes, ne have been together long time
Molly and me. I captured her when
she was cub, and though she has been
owned by dozen different shows, we'ye
never been separated for long at time.
She's not the gentlest creature in the
world, but with me she's as friendly as a
kitten. Did she ever hurt anybody, did
you ask? Yes, she has killed her man.
1t happened in Cairo, ILL.,, about two
| years ago on parade. You seeI was in
one cage with that spotted fellow down
yonder and Pearl Atwood, another trainer,
was in the cage with Molly, here. We
never could tel! just how it happened,
but all at once the lioness sprang up and
struck Pearl on the back with her paws.
TIE blow paralyzed him and in two
months he died. 1t was pretty bad, but
such things will happen, you know, and
the worst Of it is, when they do occur, the
people say, oh we'll, he was fool any,
how for going in there with the beast"
"Don't you ever get them trained SO
they won't 60 back on your"
~ don't care how we'll trained an ami.
NAL is man is always in danger when
he is in reach of their paws or faDgs. You
can make them let you put your head in
their mouths, but every time you do it
you might as we'll say your prayers. You
hear some folks talk about charming
snake charmers and such like. That's
all nonsense. 1t is nothing in the world
but nerve. If you had the courage you
could go into that cage there with Rose
OF Molly with just as much safety as I
do. ALL you've got to do iH to make
them know that you're the boss, that you
are not afraid of them.''
a loud roar from the striped jauguar
interrupted the keeper. The animal had
been aroused by small boy with stick.
After quieting his jauguarship by few
words, coupled with the necessary ges-
lures, Mr.. Haven continued
"Let's see-oh, yes, I was telling you
about training 'em. I'll just give you a
little instance of how it's done. 1t wss
only little more than year ago. The
show was with then was in New Or.
leans, and while there we ran across a
big Russian bear named Marcus. Mar
Gus had also killed his man, and his
owner was very anxious to get rid of him.
Well, re bought the bear, but be was SO
savage that it was impossibe.to to get him,
from one cage to another. I was deter
mined, though, to tame him enough to
lead by collar. One day I put three
muzzles on him in trying to get collar
around his neck To lead him. but he tore