The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-27
HESAGREATLI0N tanner
JOHN cOOPER's WONDERFUL POW.
Err OVER WILD fEA SrS.

at IL He Was Already FamouI
as the Youngest Trainer of Animals
in the WorId-Feats of Daring Which
Seem Incredible.
From the London Strand Magazine.
John Cooper divides with Van Am
burgh the honor of king Of lion-kings, in
deed. one would be doing little justice tc
the memory of the brave Dutchman IL
placing Cooper alone at the top Of the tree.
Mr.. Cooper has not been killed by his ami
mails. of whom he has trained his thous-
ands. neither has be died peacefully in his
bed, as Van Amburgh did. He is alive and
we'll at the moment, 81 years Of age.
although he scarcely looks it, and
capable. one would imagine, of living quite
fifty-one years more. be is a man of about
middle hight, stout and powerful Oh
limb, kindly and intelligent OF face aud re-
markablv gentle and quiet of manner. he
loves his animals, and although he has re-
tired upon competence, cannot rest in-
active. and still, from time 10 time, as the
inclination seizes him, goes among the lions
and tigers again-for amusement.
At 10 years of age, having Ioet both
parents, little John Cooper ran away from
Birmingham, his native town, with Batty's
circus. Nov, one Of the Battys was pro-
prietor of a menagerie, and the lads strong
inclination toward everything to do with
animals soon led to his being transferred to
this service from the circus and being ap-
prenticed to the business OF an animal show
man.
A LION tanner AT H.
The first occasion of the many on which
he distin guished himself-after losing the
top of finger at the bars Of a wolf cage
took place when he was II. The show pos
sessed an awkward piece of stock in the
person of a very large and very savage
lion. Nobody could approach this animal
and as he made q regular amusement OF
breaking through the sides and back of his
cage, he was always secured by strong
collar and chain, which was let dowr
through the roof. At Leeds one day be
managed to get loose from this collar
and at once began high festival by
breaking up first the fittings, and then the
side of his residence. All the attendant
stood helplessly by, unable 20 do anything
But young Cooper-who, of course, at his
age, was never allowed In any cage, lei
alone this one-without a word to anybody
quietly went around behind, and was next
seen inside the bars The lookers-on we're
terrified, and Mrs. Batty tainted outright.
But the little boy calmly walked up to the
big lion and fixed on his COL
lar again, coming out unscathed.
When Mr.. Batty arrived upon
the scene his first impulse was to spank his
apprentice for foolhardiness, and this i'm
pulse he acted upon. But on consideration,
and when it became known that the lad
really could handle the animals well and
fearlessly the proprietor's attitu lie changed,
and at once Batty's bills announced, in The
most uproariously large letters possible, the
appearance nightly of John Cooper,
aged II, the youngest lion tanner in the
world
With Batty's Mr. Cooper stayed till of
age, and after three years with Mrs Ed
monds menagerie began long continental
career by accepting an offer Of Herr Renz
a well known German Snowman. For sew
enteen years he wandered about the CONT
nent, with one menagerie and another, until
he knew Europe all over as we'll as bis ma
tive Birmingham. His reputation on the
continent was, and still is,
immense-indeed, perhaps greater
than that in his own country.
In the first place, the best part of
his professional life has been spent in con-
tinental countries, and in the second, wild
beast performances, for some explained
reason or another, are, and always have
been, more popular in those countries than
in England. The English lion tanner was
everywhere treated like a prince, and in the
course of his travels made the personal ac~
quaintauce Of ''all the crowned heads"-in
much more intimate sense than falls to the
lot Of most showmen.
VICTOR EMNANUELs FRIENDSHIP FOR HIN.
Victor Emmanuel struck up quite per-
sonal friendship with Cooper and the
tanner always speaks Of that fine old king
with the very highest admiration and re-
Tvs a If ami
mails, and had very fine private collec-
ton OF his own. Cooper's animals were
generally his own property. and. fine
litter or lion cubs being born while he was
showing at Florence, he presented the new
corners TO the king, who was de-
lighted at the acquisition, and in
vited Mr.. Cooper to inspect his own
in q perfectly wild state; and when
the tanner expressed his willingness 70
go among them at once, and, if he pleased,
perform with them, the kings assonish-
ment was great. Go among them, however,
Cooper did, and handled them as they
had never been handled before At the
conclusion OF the performance the king
shook the tanner most heartily by the hand,
and, having heard that he was a smoker,
presented him with handsome pipe from
his own mouth. This pipe is now Mr.,
Cooper's most treasured possession. After
this he became quite an honored visitor at
the royal palaces.
Not long after his departure from Flor
ence, while working northward, the tanner
experienced a run of i'll luck in the loss
by death, in quick succession, of several Of
his most valued lions, aud this loss was
repaired, as soon as it came to the ears of
Victor Emmanuel, by q present of four
of the finest and largest lions from the
kings collection. Nor did Victor Ems
menueps generosity end here, camels. a
bear and two elephants following as occa-
sional presents in after years. These
proofs of the regard of il Re Gallant
uomo Mr.. Cooper values higher than any
that he has received, although they are
not the only royal gifts which came to his
share. Among other things, there is a very
splendid gold lion in the form of brooch
studded with diamonds, the present, accom-,
panied by an autograph letter, Of the'Queen
Of Holland. The old German Empero.
William took great personal interests in the
performances as Berlin. and witnessed then
again aud again, as also did Prince Bis
marck.
In England, while performing at the
Crystal palace, MIR. Cooper became 40
quainted with the late prince imperial, who
was completely fascinated by the wonderful
command the tanner exhibited over animals
which no other man dared to approach, and
who badly wanted to be allowed to enter
the cage himself. "I wouldn't allow you
to go into that cage, sir, said Cooper, 'fol
all France itself ~
LACERATED BY HIS CHARGES.
It must not be supposed that Cooper ha
come through all these years of daily and
hourly peril unscathed and il is instructive