The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-18
TIGER TANNING.
A STURDY HEART, STRONG ARM
AND STOUT CLUB NECESSARY.
The Vauated Power Of the Human
Eye a Myth-How the Tigers
Claws Are Clipped
Training Secrets.

A New York Sun reporter describes a
recent interview with George Conklin,
Superintendent of Barnum's menagerie.
We quote as follows:
Mr.. Conklin and his visitor approached
a long cage standing in line with many
other cages in a long one-story brick
building, which bounded the eastern end
of the great enclosure 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 a tenn.
porary iron grating. Two of the four
tigers which were in company had thick
leather collars round their necks and
stout chains several feet long fastened to
them. The tiger in solitary confinement
was similarly harnessed.
"Well," said Mr.. Conklin, ''Tli 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. We have had them only a month
or two. The others are old boys who
will let me 60 into the cage aud not say
a word to me. By the time we 60 on
the road they will all let me 60 into the
cage I give them a lesson every day.
That's one thing we do during the win.
ter"
elbow do you tame thema" asked the
visitor.
ssIt's easily done,' said the trainer
carelessly. every day I have the men
catch the ends of the chains which hold
the new tigers, and fasten them to the
bars so they "a only move a certain dis
lance. Then I arm myself with a raw.
hide whip and a stout club and enter the
cage. I take o chair with me and sit
down in the corner. The minute I 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
and they only tumble on the floor. Init
them smartly with the whip and they
crouch back aud snarl. After a little I
shove my chair closer. Then they jump
at me again, but again they are thrown
down by their chains. I shove closer
and repeat the programme, and finally I
get so close that they can touch me with
their noses, but not bite me. Here 1 sit
for q long time, talking to them as long
as they remain quiet, and switching
them with all the force pos
sible when they become fierce.
In the course of a few weeks they be.
come used to my entrance. and only
crinse and snarl at me. Then I try them,
one by one, without a chain. I have
never so far used the club. Now l hold
it ready to deal a mighty blow if neces-
sary, but it is seldom necessary. The
tiger is subdued and permits my entrance
whenever I choose. 1 have got these
tigers here nearly trained. They snarl
yet, you see, but next week I will tackle
them without chains. That fellow in the
other compartment is tractable enough,
but he persists in fighting with the big
Bengal, so we have to keep them sepa-
rate. Do you see that long mark on his
belly7 He and the big fellow had a
particularly hard fight the other day,
and that is one result. If We hadn't had
the big fellows claws clipped before.
hand, he'd have ripped open the new n
from end to end. So there's another
delicate job for me. I've got to get those
tigers on good terms"
els there any basis of truth in many
stories hat are told of the power of the
human eye over wild beastsa"
"Not the slightest" said Conklin dis.
painfully. "Of course it is true that a
man who aims to subdue wild beasts
must show a fearless front, and no doubt
the eye shares with the body generally
the task of impressing TIE beast. But the
real requisite is real fearlessness. If a
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 ferucious, are at
heart cowards-particularly if they be-
long to the cat family, as lions, tigers,
leopards, and panthers do. That granted,
q stout heart, a stout arm, and a stout
whip or club is all that is necessary. ]
never have known fear"
"Do you always clip the claws of you,
ferocious animals?"
"Those of the cat tribe, always" said
the trainer. "It is quite q job, too, and
requires q number of men. You've got
get your lion or tiger bound in such q
way as to throw him 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 a very large
lion or tiger. They struggle violently,
ever after they are helpless and while
the operation of clipping is going on. ]
killed a fine panther this winter clipping
his claws, or rather he killed himself.
After we had him securely down so he
could hardly move a muscle, he strained
so in his efforts to free himself that be