The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1891-01-09
THE TRICK LIONS.
An Interview with MI. Darling, h Lion
Tanner.

The lion tanner is a highly intelli-
gent Young man. who. born in the
United States, went to Germany in his
youth. In Hamburg he associated
with a leading firm, the Jamrach, of
Germany, and SO. having animals in
his charge, became familiar with hand
ling them. Travelling for the bust
ness. he made frequent visits to Africa
and Asia, collecting animals. In a
commercial sense, considering lions
and tigers as cattle to be bought and
sold. he became thoroughly acquainted
with their ways and instincts. Ger
tainly it was the only school where
such quiet mastery over savage ami
mails could be acquired.
1T is Il 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 u chair, and stay there. I can
moi 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 1 can't always tell. Leo is my
best pupil. He never was ugly, but
once gave him up and sent him off,
he was so dull; then took him to
school again; and know no lion sec
ond to him now in intelligence and
docility. This is the point. A lion
doesn't want to do things. He lust
doesn't want to. Now you must make
him. Punish him, aud you make him
your enemy; afraid of you. and he
gets worse. not better. L o him
and talk to him in English, for Eng
lish is the best language for command.
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 a careful lion.
and l have just the right one. 1t is
nice work to get the exact pose ard to
keep it; but what gave me the most
trouble is the chariot performance. A
lion must have had an original cdn-
tempt for that kind of business. You
see | am busy Harvesting 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 l 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 | 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. Ifeed them eight pounds
of beef a 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 a
horse. with a lump of sugar or a car
rotp"
No; they despise sugar, but Lore
beef lea. But ii they behave very
we'll, l give them during the perform
ance IA little tidbit of meat. and Nero
would think l was not doing the right
thing with him if he didn't get his NOR
sci. My whips indicate the positions
for the animals. You could not hurt a
lion, who has a tough hide, witt, a
lash. but n whip acts rs a protection.
You might belabor II lion with a big
stick, and he would not feel it. But he
does not fancy a stick. the point of
which, like Il spear. is held in his direc-
ton; SO if one Threatened me, ! could
keep him off. An act | had to give up
was where a lion rose and mt Ills fore
paws on my shoulders. The claws are
very sharp, and nuy display of eudear-
ment would cut through my coat, and
wound my shoulders, and a new coat
every night was toe expensive. All
the lions are fond Of me, and we re-
spect u another. -Hdrpcr's Weekly.