The morning news., 1892-01-25
A VETERAN LION TAMER.
JOHN COOPER THE TRAINER OF
1000 FBLINES.


Age Of 51-His Methods, His Career
and Ais Many Perls and Escapes.
He Began the Business Early in
/ Life.
From the Baltimore American.
| Lion tanning is very ancient industry,
/ says the New York EUenfng Sun. Marc
/ Antony is reported to have driven about
/ Rome in a chariot drawn by pair Of lions
/ Other great personegas had lions which
/ licked cheeks and made themselves socially
! agreeable.
| Tanned wild beasts other than lions were,
| of course. still more common. There was
the elephant mentioned by Muclanus that
could write Greek. There is no
doubt that Barnum's show could produce an
animal Of equal erudItion. At the same
time profitable field Of labor for American
college men might be provided.
Early in this century in England the exhi-
bition of trained lions became very popular
and the industry was revived strongly. In
London man named Atkins per-
formed with lion, a tigress and hybrid
cub, their offspring. The man rolled over
the animals, aud then the two large ones lay
down while the cub rolled over him.
Then the famous circus man, Wombwell,
conceived that lion and dog fights would be
a pleasing diversion for a jaded public A
lion called Nero was first confronted with
six bulldogs. The lion. however, was good
tempered, and the sporting qualities Of the
dogs appeared to have deserted them for the
occasion. Later another lion, Wallace, was
brought out aud killed six dogs in short
order. As a dog seldom came out of one of
these fights alive. they were too expensive
and were not continued.
The man-and-tiger fights of another
| Snowman proved more profitable The tiger
was a large and intelligent dog, who sub
mitted, under compulsion, to be sewn up in
false tigers skin.
The most famous lion tanner now living is
said to be John Cooper an Euglishman. He
is now 81 years old, and in the active exer-
else of his profession. A famous tanner who
| flourished before him was the Dutchman,
Van Amburge who is seen surrounded by
his lions in famous picture by Landseer,
says the London Strand
Cooper is a strongly built, good-looking
| man OF quiet manners. At the age of 10,
after a vide and thorough experience in the
tanning OF mice, rats and rabbits, he obs
| tained employment in a circus When he
was II years old he went into the cage of a
most turbulent lion, who had got fres of his
| collar and was about to break down the
cage. and calmly put the collar on again and
CuhAucu ulll up his elupIOyeT, q
| miserable man OF the name of Batty,
spanked him for this, but shortly afterward
| advertised him as the boy lion tanner, the
wonder of the world.
After working in several meHageries he
acquired one of his own. He had a great
career as 2 tanner on the European cont.
nent, Victor Emmanuel of Italy having in
vtted him 20 see mis- own menagerie Cooper
offered to go among the lions, who had
| manl the aCnnainfanna Of IN
before, and did so. In recognition of this
| the king presented him with pipe.
AT st. Petersburg, after performance
| before the present cZar and cZarowitz an
| officer, member of the suite, paid an at
| tendant to pull aside the shutters of a
| lioness' cage. The animal promptly put out
| her paw aud tore the officers arm. which
had to be amputated. Cooper left the prov
| ince for time, but an inquiry righted him.
| The officer was after ward sent to Siberia as
a nihilist. In France the late prince impe-
rial was filed with desire to go into the
| cage Of one OF the animals, which was not
| gratified.
Cooper put the lions which had killed two
| trainers, Mccarthy and Lucas, through a
| performance for the benefit of the latter's
| widow Immediately after his DEATH He has
spent his life In this perilous business, and is
| stfll sound in health and limb, but the
trademarks Of it are plentifully scattered
about him.
For instance. he lost the top of finger at
| the hands of a wolf when was 10. The
| third finger of his left hand IS shortened
and the nail grows over the top toward the
palm. This was done accidentally in Italy
by lion whom he was persuading to open
| his jaws. In connection with this incident
| denies the good old tradition that the taste
of blood infuriates wild beast Iris lion.
he says, spat out the blood and piece of
finger and showed evident signs OF distaste.
Once when he was at Hamburg it wes
necessary to add two new lions to his stock.
He had never hesitated to go among strange
animals in public A fierce fight began be-
| tween an old lion and one of the new ones.
Cooper went in with whip to quiet mat
ters. He struck at the old one, but hit the
new one, which responded with blow OF
the paw on the tamer's shoulder, tearing the
flesh from that and the breast.
With his right arm he attempted to drive
off the beast but it seized that and barred
the bone from elbow to wrist. The other
|, lions drew round and began to chew him
surrepttiously in the legs and elsewhere.
| Still he retained his presence of mind, con-
tinued to hammer at the lions, saved his
own life and quelled his friends-the enemy
for this occasion only.
The injuries would have killed a man of
less strength and vigor, but in three months
he was well again and performing without
even having lost one of his mutilated arms.
The new lion became one of his most at
tached and faithful animals
In training Coopers object is to make the
animals fear him and to treat them kindly.
because familiarity teaches contempt of the
punishment which man is able to inflict on q
ton of muslce, bone and sinew. He can tell
the temper of an animal and the bent Of its
mind by glance at its face.
Some lions like to be stroked, others re-
sent it. He finds lions better tempered and
also more reliable than tigers.
be does not carry on in the lions cage
like bad actor, nor does he remain per-
petually upright with his eyes fixed on them.
he considers 1t very important that a lion
tanner should always enter the cage sober.
and for this reason he never drinks any,
thing stronger than light dinner wine.
The playfulness of the feline is apt al
times to be embarrassing to the trainer. A
young lioness two or three years ago gave
Cooper tap as he passed her and removed
the flesh from his arm for foot of its length.
IL a trainer, teaching an animal. for
instance, to jump on his shoulder, budges O
point it may slip and claw him. TO be
Knocked down in accident or in play is
dangerous in the extreme. The feline method
of walking may be fatal to person lying
on the fl lor
The veteran Cooper has trained 1900
members OF the feline family and many ele
plants and other animals.
SUBSTITUTE FOR GLASS.