Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-12-23

A Circus Employees Hard Lot-N'e'""'
Animals and Long Winded H"res'

A Circus Employees ha'" -
Animals and Long winded h"res'
The variety of incident afforded by
travelling with a circus and the hoihaulc
sort of existence ii grants appeals strongly
TO certain traits of human nature ana
there are never wanting men to III every
sort of position in entertainments uiluet
canvas. With Baruum's show Tor m
stance, regiment of subordinates are
emploved, and every one is as caretully
drilled for his work as soldier Is for ms
duties. But the glamour which invests
the life of a circus employe VIII pe
found to disappear behind the scenes ana
many disadvantages to 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 staged and
went through their tricks of drumming
the banjo and guitar. One OF the IN
couth animals was picking away at the
bar of his cage with his fipper. "lie
thinks he 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 spend
ing the winter in Bridgeport. One has
to know his animals to get along with
them. | can do anything with these
seals. but they would bite a stranger.
See that scar pointing to the back OF one
of his hands,. Well, strange seal was
put in the cage a few days ago, and
T fn nlp1n ont ne bit me,
You see, he didn't know me.
"Of course. the case of the lions and
the tigers is the most dangsyous. A man
came near being killed in ehe lions cage
this morning. We all thought he was
'goner Every man has two cages to
care for, and we have to go in among all
the animals. have one of the lions
cages myself. We only control them by
fear, our whips being Of steel covered
with rawhide. The 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 to see that it does not get
sick. 1t is the tenderest animal we have
and is the only giraffe in this country
The reporter ventured to remark that
if the giraffe's throat became sore it
would be likely to prove a serious mat
ter, as it was so long.
yes, " said the keeper. "A man was
here the other day who wished his
throat was as long as the CRATES when
ever he drank whisky. But that was
better than the questions some people
ask. Why, some of them appear to
know nothing at all when they get in the
circus. They will ask if an animal eats
or lies down to sleep. If a lion roars
they ask what he does that for. One man
wanted to know if 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 ones
do. The majority of people don't know
the simplest facts i'll natural history, one
would think. If the animals could talk
they would be able to tell many strange
things said about them. don t mean to
say people cant read, but they will look
at those words, performing seals. on my
wagon, and then ask me what the ami
mails are. Then they want to know why
we have water for them, and what they
eat, when they see what we feed them.
1t is pleasure to talk to any one who
understands something about the animals.
| don't think $40 a month and board pays
for what we have to endure from the
animals and people every day. New
York Tribune.