The Princeton union., 1890-12-25
TEACHING LIONS:
Celebrated Lion Tanner Says tho Beast is Not
1E Very IEtelligent

Very Intelligent
The lion tanner, Darling, is a highly
intelligent young man, who, born in
the United States, went to Germany in
his youth. In Hamburg says Harper's
Weekly, he associated with O LEADING
firm. the Jamrach, Of Germany, and
SO, having animals in his charge. be-
came familiar with handling them.
Travelling for the business, he made
frequent visits to Africa and Asia, cob
lecting animals. In a commercial
sense. considering lions and tigers as
cattle to be bought and sold, he be-
came thoroughly acquainted with their
ways and instincts. Certainly it was
the only school where such quiet mas
terry over savage animals could be
acquired.
1T is very long business said
Mr.. Darling; ''all my animals have
been two years in training. Why, it
takes all Of two months to make a
lion sit in chair, and stay there 1
cannot vaunt general intelligence in
lions; it is rather individual. have
had some fine young lions, superb in
body, that had no brains. Not wicked
or cross, but simply stupid. 1t was a
! tendency to forget tomorrow all that
had been acquired for months before.
But l can't always tell. Leo is nv
best pupil. He never was ugly, but
once l gave him up and sent him off,
ne was so dull; then took him to
school again; and 1 know no lion
second to him now in intelligence and
doclllty. This is the point. A lion
doesn't want to do things. He just
doesn't want to. Now you must make
him. Punish him, and you make him
your enemy; afraid of you, and he
gets worse, not better. l coax him
and talk to him in English, for Eng
Ilsh is the best language for COM
The seesaw and the velocipede are
difficult tricks. Not one lion in a.
Thousand can be taught to keep his
balance. They mostly tumbled off.
Perhaps in that performance their
highest intelligence is called into play.
The velocipede requires careful lion,
and l have just the right one It is
nice work TO get the exact pose and to
keep it; but what gave me the most
trouble is the chariot performance. A
lion must have had an original con-
tempt for that kind of business. You
see am busy harnessing up one lion
While the others are perfectly free.
The art has been to make the rest of
them come up Of their own accord.
For months 1 had one lion tearing
round alone, and the rest scattered
about. Now they all come up to time.
They don't want to, but they must.
1t is patience, kindness, making them
not afraid of me-for I am not afraid
Of them-that has done the business.
l have rehearsals all the time, for the
animals must be constantly at work so.
AS not to forget The whelps are COM
ing on fast; one. think. shows great
intelligence. I feed them eight pounds
of beef day for the big ones and six
for the smaller ones, and they take
their supper after the performance. :"
"You cannot reward your lions for
good behavior, like you would horse,
with lump of sugar or a carrot?'
mo; they despise sugar, but love
beef tea. But if they behave very
we'll, l give them during the perform
ance little tidbit Of meat, and Nero
would think I was not doing the right
thing with him if he didn't get his
morsel. Ny whips indicate the
positions for the animals You could
not hurt lion, who has tough hide,
with a lash, but 4 whip acts as pro-
lection. You might belabor a lion
with a big stick, and he would not
feel it. But he does not fancy stick,
the point of which, like a spear, is
held in his direction; 80 if one threat
ened me, I could keep him off. An
act had to give up was where lion
rose and put his fore paws on my
shoulders. The claws are very sharp,
aud any display of endearment would
cut through my coat, and wound my
shoulders, and new coat every night
was too expensive. All the lions are
fond of me. aud we respect one
another.