The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-06-17
1AuIne BEASTS foR SHOW.
They are Subdued Through Fear
OF the Lash.

more wonder than TO see the keepers OF
the lions. the tigers, the leopards, the
panthers and other wild beasts sitting in
the cages among them, patting them on
their ugly heads, slappinQ them on their
saliva dripping jowls and fearlessly LASH
ing them with their whips if necessary.
It we'll enough to say, "Oh, the beasts
are trained; they would not touch any
body" Such weak explanation is about
a. satisfactory a. is the bare statement
that mad dog will not bite if you look
him straight in the eye.
1t is mistake to suppose that the wild
beasts that one sees in the menagerie OF
the Barnum s. Bailie show are trained in
the sense that they have been taught not
to attack. Trained is hardly the word.
Mastered expresses better what has been
accomplished with them. Talking with
Head Keeper Conklin on the subject yes
terday he said to me:
"We have tremendous amount of
work to do with the wild animals up in
the winter quarters in Bridgeport of
which the public know nothing. You
see we are getting wild animals all the
time, and as they come to Us there is not
q man living who would dare to go into
the cages with them. During the winter
we have to break those beasts so that we
can handle them as you see US handle
them on the road"
And how do you do it?"
IMpOTENT RAGE.
Swell, when they come to US they have
thick leather collars around their necks,
with heavy chains attached. They are
more savage then than they were before
capture, their capture only having served
to bring oat all that is ugly In them.
They will spit and growl at anybody who
gets near their cage and jump at the bars
until they exhaust themselves. We be-
gin to teach them manners the very day
we get them, and they take lesson in
etiquette every day after that until the
show starts ont"
"What do you do with them2"
"My men catch the end of the chain
fastened to the collar around the new
beasts neck and fasten it to the bars in
such manner that the beast can only
move short distance. Then I take 0
good rawhlde whip and stout club and
enter the cage. l take. chair and sit
down in the corner"
"Fecling perfectly cool SUPPOSED"
''Yes, so long as know that the chain
is solid and securely fastened Well, the
instant get in the beast will give roar
and spring for me. would be torn to
shreds if / were within reach, but the
chain holds, and instead of getting at me
the lion, tiger panther or leapord simply
comes to the end of his rope, as it were,
is brought up with shock that sends
him in heap to the floor Of the cage,
and give him lash with the rawhide.
'The beast is at me again in an instant,
and again he goes down and l lash him.
| never haye used the club ON an animal,
but I always keep it handy in case it is
needed. keep drawing my chair little
closer to him as this goes on until get
so close that they can touch me with their
noses but cannot bite me. Then I just !
sit there and talk to them, and you would
be surprised at the power the human
voice will finally be made to exercise
over wild beasts. Just look"
POWER OF THE HUMAN VOICE.
With that Mr.. Conklin went over to
cage in which were three leopards
stretched out side by side on the floor.
"Dick! Niger! Fanny! Get up!'
The three leopards got up at once aud
stood glazing at their master with eyes
that looked as though illumined by incan-
descent light.
''Go over to the other end! Go over!"
Immediately:thls order was obeyed BY
the leopards, who cringed in the further
corner Of the cage
"Do you think they understand your
words, Mr. Conklin,"I asked. swell l |
don't know" he answered. You can see
they understand something, and do what
] tell them to. But to 60 on with how
break wild beast.
"While sit talking to one just out of
reach of his teeth, if he gets ugly and at
tempts to spring at me l give him the
rawhide. ! keep this up and after
dozen or Is lessons trey get so that they
only snarl and growl at my entrance.
AS soon as.I think it il safe l try the
beast without . chain. 1t is a little tick.
lish business as first, but have plenty
of help ready for the first effort.
''lf it is success the first time YOU
generally have your beast mastered, al
though once In while brute that has
been tractable enough will break out and
go for his keeper. We had such case
here in the garden two years ago, when
Joseph Poster, an experienced lion tanner.
was clawed by a lioness and nearly
killed"
Mr.. Conklin modestly refrained from
adding that Keeper Foster would unques-
H1 L.