Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-01-08
TEACHING LIONS;
A Celebrated Lilo, To ner 81 . the B.fst 10 Net
Very lntelli2ent

4 Celebrated Lio1 To ner ii tbs Befst 10 Net
Very lntsllisent
The lion tanner, Daring, is a highly |
intelligent young MAJ. wlo. born in
the United States, went to Germany in
his youth. In Hamburg says Harpers
Weekly, he associated with II lead
firm. the Jamrach, Of Germany. and
so. having animals in his charge, be-
came familiar with handling them.
Travelling for the business. he made
frequent visits TO Africa aud Asia. COL
lecting animals. In commercial
sense. considering lions and tigers Us
cattle to be bought AMI sold. he be-
came thoroughly acquainted with their
ways and instincts. Certainly it was
the only school where such quiet mas
terry over savage animals could DO
acquired.
ut is very long business" said
Mr.. Darling; ''all my animals have
been two years in training. Why, it
takes all of two months to make n
lion sit in chair, and stay there.
cannot vaunt general INTEL gcnce 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
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 I 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. coax him
and talk to him in English, for Eng
llsh is the best language for COM
The seesaw and the velocipede arc
difficult tricks. Not one lion in Il
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 and to
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 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 tho rest scattered
about Now they all come up to time
They don't want to, bat 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 The
animals must be constantly at work 81
rs not to forget The whelps arc com
ing on fast; one, l think, shows grea
intelligence. feed them eight pound
OF beef day for the big ones and 81!
for the smaller ones. and they taxi
their supper after the performance.
"You cannot reward your lions To-
good behavior. like you would horse
with a lump OF sugar or carrot?'
mo; they despise sugar, but Low
beef tea. But il they behave YER,
we'll. give them during the perform
ance little tidbit OF meat, and Ner
would think l was not doing the RICH
thing with him il he didn't get hi
morsel. My whips indicate tn
positions for the animals. You coul'
not hurt lion. who has tough hide
with lash. but a whip acts as a prt
lection. You might belabor n lilo
with a big stick, and he would nc
feel it. But he does not fancy a stick
the point OF which. like n spear,
held in his direction; so II one threa
ened me. could keep him off, A
act had to give up was where lie
= rose and put his fore paws on m
o shoulders. The claws are very sharI
and any display OF endearment wou
cut through my coat, and wound n
shoulders. and new coat every nigl
was too expensive. All the lions al
fond OF me. and we respect Of
Q another.
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