Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-01-10
II TRICK LIONS.
An Interview with Mr.. Darling, the Lion
Tanner.

A
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The lion tanner Is n highly intelli-
gent young a who. born in the
United States. went 10 Germany in his
youth. La Hamburg he associated
with a leading firm. the Jamrach. OF
Germany, aud SO, having animals in
his charge. became familiar with hand
ling them. Travelling for the bust
ness, he made frequent visits TO Africa
and Asia. collecting animals. In a
commercial sense. considering lions
and tigers as cattle to be bought and
sold. he became thoroughly acquainted
with their way and instincts. Ger
tainly it was the only school where
such quiet mastery over savage ami
mails could be acquired.
1t is a very long business" said
Mr.. Darling; ''all my animals have
been two years in training. Why. it
takes all of two months 10 make a lion
sit in a chair, and stay there. | can
lot vaunt general intelligence in lions;
it is rather individual. / have had
sorne fine young lions. superb ia body,
that had no brains. Not wicked or
cross. but simply stupid. 1t was a
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
nee ] gave him up and sent him off,
he was so dull; then took him to
school again; and know no lion Sec
ond to him now in intelligence and
docility. This Is the point. A lion
doesn't a 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
aud talk to him In English. for Eng
lish is the best language for command.
The seesaw aud the yelocipede are
difficult tricks. Not one lion ia a
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 a careful lion.
aud | 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 ! had one lion tearing
round alone. aud 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 | am not afraid
of them-that has done the business.
| have rehearsals all the time, for the
animals must be constantly at work so
as not to forget. The whelps are com.
ing on fast; one, | think. shows great
intelligence. Ifeed them eight pounds
of beef a day for the big ones and six
for the smaller ones, and they take
their supper after the performance"
You cannot reward your lions for
good behavior, like you would a
horse, with a lump of sugar or a car
rotp"
mo; they despise sugar. bat lore
beef tea. But il they behave very
well, | give them during the perform
ance a little tidbit of meat. and Nero
would think | was not doing the right
thing with him if he didn't get his NOR
sci. My whips indicate the positions
for the animals. You could not hurt a
lion, who has a tough hide. with u
lash. but a whip acts as a protection.
You might belabor n lion with a big
stick, and he would not feel it. But he
does not fancy a stick, the point OF
which, like n spear, is held in his direc-
ton; so If n threatened me, / could
keep him off. An act | had to give up
was where a lion rose and put his fore
paws on my shoulders. The claws are
very sharp, and any display of eudear-
ment would cut through my coat. and
wound my shoulders, aud a new coat
every night was toe expensive. All
the lions are fond Of me. and we re-
spect one another. -HGrper's Weekly.