Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-15
puRoFF. THE ANIMAL rRAINER.
A Man Who Preferred to Teach Five
Geese Rather 'Ihan Gao boy.

A Man Who Preferred to Teach Five
Geese Rather Than Oue BOY.
Sgnor Domino, hiogrgther of clowns,
bareback riders and circus people gen
orally, has written a curilus lot of remi-
niscences Of the Russian Durof, the most
famous trainer Of trick animals in the
present generation
Duroif was originally an instructor in
Latin and modern languages in Russian
high school. lie practiced then his powers
over domestic animals-trst of all his dog
and decided that the dociity Of dogs,
cats and geese was far greater than the do,
cility OF school children He has never
altered his judgment in this respect, He
quit teaching boys therefore, and joined an
itinerant circus, to the scandalizing of his
former colleagues.
Domino met him one morning in the
empty ring Of the Circus Schumann. After
talking few mintes, DurolT said:
And now you must excuse me for an
hour, rs | have class to instruct at this
time"
but surely you havn't gone back to
teaching" exclaimed Domino
No, no; you don't understand. have
just begun teaching in fact. The recitation
in question Is by my rats and mice"
Domino got permission to lsten TO tke
recitation. Dnrolf fetched a load chest end
set 1t down in the middle of the ring, lifted
the cover little, and then began chipping
thrilling, and whistling on Il little lead flute
A mouse stuck its head through the crack
under the cover, tumbled out, and trotted
Rayly over to Duroff's feet Another mouse
followed, and then big rat plunged out
into the ring, 1t marched gravely up to
Duroff and scrambled around the bottom
of his trousers More rats and mice
followed, till some thirty were scratching
and squealing ut DuroiI's feet.
The clown stepped few yards back
ward and his little flock followed. He fed
them cake and retroated again. They fol.
lowed and he rewarded them rs before.
Thus he led them around the ring several
times. When three or four of them fell
behind the procession to play or fight he
attracted their attention by tossing sand
at them. Finally he invited them to come
up, and in an instant they were on his
shoulders, in his coat pockets, and racing
up and down the back of his head He
caught three rats by the tail, swung them
around and then let them shoot off into
space. The instant they struck they were
up again. They ran back to Duroff,
climbed to his shoulders and got the same
treatment again, After an hour Of this
the flute was laid aside and the rats and
mice were packed away for the day
Duroff was the first man to train a pig
to grunt Accomplishments to songs, dance
around a ring and jump and waltz to or
ders He had then also taught rooster to
crow Mt command and had instructed sue
cessfully n goose in the business of fetch
ing and carrying. Domino, after discussing
these triumphs Of training, asked Duroff
whether or not he ever tired of his new oc-
cupation and wished to return to instruct
ing boys, as he had once done in the Rus
sian high school. DuroiT did not catch
Domino's exact words and answered.;
Instruct children Instruct animalsP
These are two processes which can hardly
be compared. The difficulties vary So
there is no comparison"
"You misunderstood me-" explained
Domino. 81 acknowledge that your work
now is much more dilicult'-
"More difficult? More diflicult?" shout
ed Durof. you must be crazy Why, it
is easier, indescribably easier. would
rather teach ten pigs than a single child
would rather teach five geese than II boy
A pig or goose never lorgets, is never i'm
pudent, is never noisy. But child With
it you never know where or how to begin,
and when yoa Stop-bumpsl-a forgot
ten. "-New York Sun.