The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-01-30

p,ae,an professor Prefers q
. ,na Animals to Children.
s;o. Domino, biographer OF Clowns
rehock riders and circus people, lat
written q curious lot Of "reminiscences
" the Russian Duroff, the most IAN
N trainer Of trick animals ! el'e
present generation. .or
Dnroff was originally an instructor
IN latin and modern languages IN 9
Russian high school. He practleea
them his powers over domestic ant
~ma1s-6rst OF all his dog-and oe-
c;dad that the docllity of dogs, cats
and geese was far greater than tne
aoci,itv of school children. he mas
~never altered his judgment in this re-
spect. He quit teaching boys there
fore, and joined an tinerant circus TO
the scandalizing of his former COZ
leagues.
Domino met him one morning IN the
empty ring OF the Circus r.
After talking a few minutes Duron
said:
"And now you must excuse me ZOE
an hour, as l have a class to lnstruc'
at this time" :,
"But surely you haven't gone back
to t~eaching?" exclaimed Domino.
"No, no; you don't understand. !
have lust begun teaching, in fact. The
recitation in question is by my rats
and MICE" -.
Domino got permission to listen to
the recitation. Duroff fetched a lead
chest and set it down in the mldale Q,
the ring, lifted the cover a little ano
then began chipping, thrilling and whist
ling ON q little lead flute. A mouse
stuck it's head through the crack un,
der the covers tumbled out, and
trotted cayly over to Durotf's feet
Another mouse followed, and then
big rat plunged out into the ring l,
marched gravely up to Duron ano
scrambled around the bottoms OF hls
trousers. More rats and mice FOL
lowed till some thirty were scratching
and souealing at Duroff's feet. Thu
clown stepped a few yards back
ward and his little flock followed
He fed them cake and retreatet
again. They followed and he re
warded them as before. Thus n
led them lound the ring several times
When three orfour of them fell behint
the procession to play or fight he at
tracted their attention by tossin
sand at them. Finally he invited
them to come up, and in all instan
they were on his shoulders; in his Goa
pockets and racing up and down hi
head. He caught three rats by tn
tail, swung them round and then lie
them shoot off into space. The in
slant they struck they were up again
They ran back to Duroff. climbing t.
his shoulders, and got the same trea,
ment again. After an hour OF this tn
flute was laid aside and the rats an
mice were packed away for the day.
Duroff was tho first man to train
pig to grunt accomplishments t
songs, dance round a ring, and jun
and waltz to orders. He had then ais
taught a rooster to crow at comman,
and had instructed successfully
goose in the business of fetching an
carrying. Domino, after discussil
these triumphs OF training, asked D,
rolf whether or not he ever tired of h
new occupation and wished to retul
to %instructing boys as he had at on,
done in the Russian High School. d
rolf did not catch Domino's exa,
l words, and answered:
Instruct children? Instruct al
mails? These are two processes viii,
. can hardly be compared. The Difficult
I les vary so-there is no comparison
"You misunderstood me-" explai
: ed Domino. II acknowledge tn,
your work now is much more diff
cult"
"More difficult? More difficult
4 shouted Duroff. "You must be Graz
, Why, it is easier, indescribably easie
| would rather teach ten pigs than
single child. l would rather teach fl
geese than a boy. A pig or. a goo
o never forgets, is never impudent,
0 never noisy. But a child! With it v,
never know where or how to beg
t and when you stop-bumps!-all
>. forgotten" -.