The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-01-17
TEACHING LIONS,


CELEBRATED Liol Tanner says the Beast d No,
Very Intelligent
The lion tanner. Darling, Is 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 q leading
firm. the Jamrach, OF Germany. and
80. having animals In his charge. be-
came familiar with handling them.
Travelling for the business, he made
frequent visits TO Africa and Asia, col
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 1t WINS
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, 1t
takes all OF two months to make a
lion sit In a chair, and stay there l
cannot vaunt general intelligence In
lions; II is rather individual. l have
had some fne young lions. superb in
body. that had no brains. Not wicked
or cross. but simply stupid. II was q
tendency TO forget tomorrow all that
had been acquired for months before.
But can't always tell. Leo is my
best pupil. He never was ugly. but
once I gave him up and sent him of,
he was so dull; then took him to
school again; and know no lion
second to him now In intelligence and
docility. 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
lish Is the best language for COM
The seesaw and the velocipede are
difficult tricks Not one lion In u
Thousand can be taught to keep his
balance. They mostly tumbled of.
Perhaps in that performance their
highest intelligence is called into play.
The velocipede requires careful lion.
and have just the right one. 1t IL
nice work to get the exact pose and.tc
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 Harvesting up one lior
while the others are perfectly free
The art has been to make the rest o.
them come up OF their own accord
For months / 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 afrait
of them-that has done the business
/ have rehearsals all the time, for tn,
animals must be constantly at work 81
as not to forget The whelps are com
ing on fast; one. think. shows grea
intelligence. ] feed them eight pounds
OF beef day for the big ones and 81,
for the smaller ones, and they tax,
their supper after the performance.
"You cannot reward your lions fol
good behavior. like you would a horse
with lump OF sugar or a carrot?"
mo; they despise sugar, but Low,
beef tea. But II they behave YER!
well. give them during the perform
ance little tidbit OF meat, and Mere
would think was not doing the RICH
thing with him II he didn't get hi
morseL Ny whips indicate tn,
positions for the animals. You coul,
not hurt lion. who has tough hide
with lash. but whip acts as pro
lection. You might belabor liol
with big stick. and he would no
feel it. But he does not fancy a stick
the point OF which. like a spear. i
held in his directions; so II one threat
ened me, l could keep him off. Al
act had to give up was where liol
rose and put his FORE paws on m.
shoulders. The claws are very sharp
aud any display OF endearment woul,
| cut through my coat, and wound m,
shoulders, and new coat every nigh
was too expensive. All the lions ar
fond OF me. and We respect on