Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-08-20
puROFf, THE ANIMAL TRAINER.
Man who Preferred to Teach Five
Geese Rather Than One Boy.

Man who Preferred to Teach five
Geese Rather Than One Boy.
Signor Domino, biographer of clowns,
bareback riders and circus people gen
orally, has written curious lot OF remi-
niscences Of the Russian Durof, the most
famous trainer of trick animals in the
present generation.
Duron was originally an instructor in
Latin and modern languages in Russian
high school He practiced then his powers
over domestic animals-frst of all his dog
and decided that the docility of dogs,
cats and geese was far greater than the do
cility OF school children. He has never
altered his Judgment in this respect. He
| quit teaching boys therefore, and Joined an
| itinerant circus, to the scandalizing OF his
! former colleagues.
| Domino met him one morning in the
| empty ring of the Circus Schumann. After
| talking few mintes, Duroff said:
"And now you must excuse me for an
! hour, ms have a class to instruct at this
! time"
But surely you havn't gone back to
| teachingP exclaimed Domino.
mo, no; you don't understand. l have
! Just begun teaching, In fact. The recitation
| In question is by my rats and mice"
Domino got permission TO listen to the
recitation. Durof fetched load chest and
set 1t down in the middle of the ring, lifted
the cover a little, and then began chirping,
/ trilling, and whistling on little lead flute.
| A mouse stuck its head through the crack
under the cover, tumbed out, and trotted
payly over TO DurofT's feet. Another mouse
followed, and then a big rat plunged out
into the ring 1t marched gravely up TO
. ] 1aI . no
of his trousers. More rats and mice
followed, till some thirty were scratching
and squealing at Duroff's feet.
The clown stepped a few yards back
ward and his little flock followed. He fed
them cake and retreated again. They fol
lowed and he rewarded them as before.
Thus he led them around the ring several
times. When three or four of them fell
behind the procession to play or fight he
attracted their attention by tossing sand
at them. Finally he invited them to come
up and in an instant they were on his
shoulders, in his coat pockets, and racing
up and down the back Of his head. lie
caught three rats by the tail, swung them
around and then let them shoot off into
space. The instant they struck they wer,
, up again. They ran back to Duroff
/ climbed to his shoulders and got the sam,
treatment again. After an hour of this
the flute was laid aside and the rats ant
mice were packed away for the day.
Duroff was the first man to train a pil
y to grunt accomplishments to songs, dane
around ring and jump and waltz to or
, ders. He had then also taught rooster L
' crow at command and had instructed SUE
= cessfully goose In the business of fetch
y ing and carrying. Domino, after discussin
u these triumphs OF training, asked Duro
: whether or not he ever tired of his new o.
u cupation and wished TO return to instruc
ing boys, as he had once done in the Ru
u sian high school Duroff did not cate
u Domino's exact words and answered:
,, Instruct children? Instruct animals
These are two processes which can hardl
II be compared. The difficulties vary so
ID there is no comparison"
"You misunderstood me-" explaine
Domino. II acknowledge that your wor
now is much more difficult"-
y More difficult More diflicultW shout
ed Durof. you must be crazy Why,
$ il easier, indescribably easier. woul
$ rather teach ten pigs than single chile
n | would rather teach five geese than n boy
l. A pig or a goose never forgetS, is never in
y pudent, is never noisy. But child Wit
a il YOU never know where or how to begir
a and when you stop-bumpsl-all forgo
- ten New York Sun.