The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-25
EASY If YOU KNOW HOW.
Chain Them up, Tske whip ana
Don't Show Any Fear.
New York Sun.

$50 you think there amt any work
done in winter quarters, eh?' said George
Conklin, superintendent OF Barnum's
menagerie. as he chewed bit of straw
by the big stove in the middle OF the
wild animal room in the quarters at
Bridgeport. "No work, eh? You think
we Just loaf all winter, keep the fires
up and feed the animals? Well, that
shows how much you know about 1t. Do
you see that den of tigers over there?"
Mr.. Conklin and his visitor APP
preached long cage standing in line
with many other cages In long one
story brick building, which bounded the
eastern end of the great inclosure which
the big show occupies during the winter
season. The cage had five Bengal tigers
in it. Four of them were together. The
fifth was separated from the others by
temporary iron grating. Two of the
four tigers which were in company had
thick leather collars round their necks,
and stout chains several feet long fast
ened to them. The tiger in solitary con-
finement was similarly harnessed.
s.Well, said Mr.. Conklin, "Pll tell you
one thing we do besides feeding these
tigers. We train them. Those fellows
in there who have chains on them, and
are just now splitting and growing at us
in such savage style, are new. Wehave
had them only a month or two. The
others are old boys who will let me go
into the cage and not say word to me.
BY the time we go on the road they will
all let me go into the cage. give them
a lesson every day. That's one thing we
do during the winter"
HOW TO TRAIN TIGERS.
elbow do you tame them" asked the
visitor
"It's easily done," said the trainer
carelessly. Every day have the men
catch the ends of the chains which hold
the new tigers, and fasten them to the
bars so they can only move certain dis
lance. Then arm myself with a raw
hide whip and stout club and enter the
cage. I take chair with me and sit
down in corner.
1.-The minute l get in the unframed
tigers spring at me. No doubt they
would chew me to shreds if they got at
me, but the chains hold them back and
they only tumble on the floor. I hit
them smartly with the whip and they
crouch back and snarl. After little /
shove my chair closer. Then they jump
at me again, but again are thrown down
by their chains.
~ shove closer and repeat the pro-
gramme, and finally get so close that
they can touch me with their noses, but
not bite me. Here 1 sit for long time,
talking to them as long as they remain
| quiet, and switching them with all the
force possible when they become fierce.
In the course of few weeks they be-
come used to my entrance, and only
cringe and snarl at me. Then try them,
one by one, without a chain.
sIhaye never so far used the club. Now
l hold it ready to deal mighty blow if
necessary, but it is seldom necessary.
| The tiger is subdued and permits my en-
| trance whenever L choose. L have got
these tigers here nearly trained. They
snarl yet, you see, but next week l will
tackle them without chains. That fell
low in the other compartment is tract
able enough, but he persists in fighting
with the big Bengal, so we have to keep
them separate. Do you see that long
mark on his belly? He and the big fell
low had particularly hard fight the
other day, and that is one result.
| POWER OF THE HUMAN EYE.
''If we hadn't had the big fellows claws
clipped beforehand he'd have ripped open
the new one from end to end. So there's
another delicate job for me. I've got to
| get those tigers on good terms"
sis there any basis of truth in the
many stories that are told of the power
of the human eye over wild beasts"
s'Not the slightest" said Conklin dis
painfully. ''Of course it is true that a
man who aims to subdue wild beasts
must show fearless front, and no doubt
the eye shares with the body generally
the task of impressing the beast. But
the real requisite is real fearlessness If
mans heart is sturdy he need not care
a rap about his eyes. He can leave them
to themselves, just as he leaves the other
members of his body. The secret of
tanning wild beasts is the realization that
all wild beasts, however ferocious, are at
heart cowards-particularly if they be-
long to the cat family, as lions, tigers,
leopards and panthers do. That granted,
stout heart, stout arm and stout
whip or club is all that is necessary. !
never have known fear"
| edo you always clip the claws of your
ferocious animals?'
| ''Those of the cat tribe always" said
the trainer. at is quite job, too, and
requires number of men. You've got
to get your lion or tiger bound in such a
way as to throw MIN on his side and
then reach in through the bars and grab
his four feet. These you pull out be-
tween the bars and hold tight. This is
no small job in the case of very large
lion or tiger.
"They struggle violently, even after
they are helpless and while the operation
of clipping is going on. killed a fine
panther clipping his claws, or rather he
killed himself. After we had him Sc
curely down so he could hardly move Q
muscle, he strained SO in his efforts tc
free himself that he broke blood yes
sci and died almost instantly. ~