Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-06-20
EASY IL YOU KNOW HOW
CHAIN THEM UP, TAKE A WHIP AND
DON'T SHOW ANY FEAR.

| When They Jump at You Hit EN-, Talk
to EN-. Hit EN- Again IL They Jump at
You and Let EN- Know You're Their
Msster-That's the Way to Train Tigers.
$50 you think there amt any work
done in winter quarters, eh?" said George
Conklin, superintendent of Barnums
menagerie, as he chewed bit of straw
by the big stove in the middle of the
wild animal room in the quarters at
Bridgeport. mo 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 it. Do
you see that den of tigers over there?"
Mr.. Conkiin and his visitor ap-
preached 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 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-
fnement was similarly harnessed.
"Well, +" said Mr. Conklin, ''Pn 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 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
ell let me go into the cage. / give them
lesson every day. That's one thing we
do during the winter"
HOW TO TRAIN TIGERS.
"How DO you tame the1n?" asked the
visitor.
''Its 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 a certain dis
lance. Then arm myself with raw
hide whip and stout club and enter the
cage. | take chair with me and sit
down iii 4 corner.
The minute | get in the unframed
tigers spring ut me. No doubt they
would chew me to shreds If they got at
ne, bat the chains hold them back and
they only tumble on the floor. hit
them Smarily with the whip and they
crouch back and suarL After little /
s;IGye ny chair closer. Then they jump
81 re- again, but again are thrown down
by their chains.
II shove closer and repeat the pro- |
g~aIuIne. and finally | get SO close that |
they can tOuch ne with their noses, but |
not bite me Here sit for a long time. |
talking to them as long as they remain |
quiet. and switching them with al the |
fierce pOsSib! when they become fierce |
In the course OF few weeks they be |
come used to my entrance, and only |
cringe and snarl at Inc. Then | try them |
one 10y one. without chain.
Il have never so far used the club. Now |
| hold it ready to deal mighty blow il |
necessary, but it is seldom necessary |
The tiger is su6dued and permits my en-
trance whenever | choose. | have got |
these tigers here nearly trained. They |
snarl yet, you see, but next week | 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.
eff 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"
''Is there any basis of truth in the
many stories that are told of the power
of the human eye over wild Beasts"
''Not the slightest, said Conklin dis
painfully "Of course it is true that a
man who aims to subdue wild beasts
must show q 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
a mans heart is sturdy he need not care
4 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,
a stout heart, stout arm and a stout
whip or club is all that is necessary.
never have known fear"
''Do you always clip the claws of your
ferocious aniInals?''
''Those of the cat tribe always" said
the trainer. 1T is quite job, too, and
requires number of men, You've got
to get your lion or tiger bound in such
way as to throw MIN on his side and ..
then reach in fhrough the bars and grab :
ms four feet. These you pull out be-
tween the bars and hold tight This is
no small job in the case of a -5Ty 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
muscle, he strained SO in his efforts 10
free himself that he broke blood YES
sci and died almost instantly."-New
York Sum. IA