The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-07-29
A LION TAMER.
Observations of q Man Who Sub
dues Wild Boasts.
How He Came to Adopt His Dangerous
Profession The Nature of Lions
and How They Arc Taught
to Perform

Profession The Nature of Lions
and How They Are Taught
to Perform
NO, everyone cannot be n liOn-tamer,
neither can every lion be tanned
Col. Boone-big Col. Daniel Boone.
once of the confederate army, for many
years superintendent of the National
Geological gardens of Peru, and at one
time military instructor in the Peruvian
army-waS talking about liOn-taming.
lie had Just finished an exhibition with
his trained beasts in the thcatcr near
by. In one corner of the round perform
ing cage the great eats had slept un-
til the coloncIs step on the iloor walked
thcm-slcpt much as house eats sleep,
rolled together gracefully, their paws
INTERVIEWING and their heads thrown
backward for comfort
At the word of command the lions
reused themselves, and after Il glance
At their master they Sprang to their
feet. crOwding on each others heels in
their frightened haste to escape from
their sleeping pen into the performing
ring. Then they went through their
tricks while the band played, and the
audience kept very still Only once did
the people applaud, and that was when
from the mouth Of the ugly, snarling
lioncss. But all was quickly stlllc,l
when the colonel threw himself full
length on the floor and rolled and
played with the biggest Of the lions as
though he had been Il Schoolboy and the
lion a dog. Had one of the brutcS choS-
en- ut that moment 10 vent the rage that
ne really felt against his master, in
one quick blow of his great paw-but
he didn't.
Il knew ne wouldn't when / lay
down" said the trainer afterward;
otherwise / should never have lain
down. ] can tell. Of course. whether
il is safe 10 begin my performance or
not. There are ways Of knowing. l
shall tell YOU later on There was once,
though. when / went through a per
fOrmancc without that knowledge. 1t
was shortly after the close IF the war.
/ was living in Lynchburg. Va. with
my folks and was trying 10 rcpair the
family estate 10y dealing in tobacco.
CostcIIo's circus came To town one day.
Among the performers was Herr EuecI,
who was killed by a tiger the ncxt year
in IIayti, "A great tiger trainer IN his
day. lie had Il cage Of trained tigers.
After the show, in the village hotel /
met him. and he asked me if | was
afraid Of tigers. / said ! was not.
Have you ever handled tigers?' he
asked
About six hundred Of them re-
piled. l had been colonel of the Louisi-
ana Tigers.
This talk led TO 4 foolish wager that
on the next day, which was Sunday. |
should go into the tigers den. The
next morning I met my friends, and
they asked me whether | was going to
70 into the cage.
- of course | said. but / really had
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thought | was. The buffer can be
tanned sufficiently TO let me go into the
cage without danger in weeks time,
but there is never any safety with a
sneak lion.
Another thing. The lion must be
! not over two years old and he must be
/ STRAIGHTFORWARD and strong. a weak
! lion breaks down very quickly during
training. Such a brute Is worth from