Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-04-05
TANNING BEASTS FOR THE SHOW.
Not by Kindness are They subdued, but
Throagh Fear of the Lash-Can't BE
Awed BY the Eye-Requires Nerve and
Pluck


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, slapping them on
their saliva dripping jowis and fearless
ly lashing them with their whips II
necessary. 1t is well enough to say,
"Oh. the beasts are trained; they would
not touch anybody" Such a weak ex-
PLANTATION is about as satisfactory as Is
the bare statement that mad dog will
not bite il you look him straight in the
eye.
Tt is a mistake to suppose that the
wild beasts that one sees In the menag-
erie are trained in the sense that they
have been taught not to attack. Train
ed is hardly the word. Mastered ex-
presses better what has been accom-
plished with them. Talking with Head
Keeper Conkin on the subject yesterday
be said to me:
1--WE have q tremendous amount OF
work to do with the wild animals up in
the winter quarters in Bridgeport OF
which the public knows nothing. You
see we are getting new wild animals all
the time, and as they come to ms 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?'
MPoTENT RAGE.
"Well, 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 out all that is
ugly Ia them. They will spit and growl
at anybody who gets near their cage
and Jump at the bars until they exhaust
themselves. We begin TO teach them
manners the very day we get them, and
they take lesson in etiquette every
day after that until the show starts
out"
What do you do to them"
"My men catch the end Of the chain
fastened TO the collar around the new
beasts neck and fasten il to the bars in
such q manner that the beast can only
move short distance. Then l take a
good rawhide whip and stout club and
enter the cage. take chair and sit
down in the corner"
"Feeling perfectly cool, 1 suppose?"
Eyes, so long as know that chain is
solid and securely fastened. Well, the
instant get in the beast will give a
roar and spring for me. | would be
torn TO shreads if l were within reach,
but the chain holds, and instead of get
ting at me the lion, tiger, panther or
leopard simply comes to the end Of his
rope, as it were, is brought up with a
shock that sends him in a heap to the
floor of the cage, and 1 give him lash
with the rawhide.
1.-THE beast is at me again in an in
slant, and again he goes down and l
lash him. l never have used the club
on an animal, suit always keep it handy
in case it is needed. 1 keep drawing
my chair a little closer TO him as this
goes on until get so close that they
can touch me with their noses but can
not bite me. Then l just sit there and
talk TO them, and you would be sur
prised 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 a
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 and
stood glazing at their master with eyes
that looked as though illumined by in
candeScent light.
$50 over to the other end! Go overt"
Immediately this order was obeyed by
the leopards, who cringed in the further
corner of the cage.
"Do you thiuk they understand your
words, Mr.. Conklin?" I asked. "Well,
don't know" he answered. "You can
see they understand something, and do
what l tell them to. But to go on with
how l break a wild beast.
"While l sit talking TO one, just out OF
reach of his teeth, If he gets ugly and
attempts to spring at me give him the
rawhide. l keep this up and after a
dozen or fifteen lessons they get so that
they only snarl and growl at my en-
trance. AS soon as / think it safe try
the beast without chain. IL is little
ticklish business at first, but | have
plenty Of help ready for the first effort.
IF il is n success the first time you
generally have your beast mastered, al
though once In a while brute that has
been tractable enough will break out
and 60 for his keeper. We had such a
case here in the Garden two years ago,
when Joseph Foster, an experienced
lion tanner, was clawed by lionesS and
nearly killed."
Mr.. Conklin modestly refrained from
adding that Keeper Foster would I'M
Questionably have met horrible death
on that occasion If had not been for the
fearless and prompt manner in which he
attacked the lioneSs with an iron prod.
Generally in the course OF winter
we can get beast so that be will not
attack his keeper when he enters the
cage" Mr.. Conklin continued. 1--WE
not only have TO get them so that they
will not attack their keepers, though,
but so that they will not attack each
other. and that is mighty hard job.
Sometimes we can never do that. There
is an old tiger there, one OF the most
savage b.utes / ever handled, and 1
could taGe you into the cage with him
now without The slightest danger. II l
dared to put him in the same compart-
ment with that big Bengal there,
though, l would have dead tiger on
my hands in two seconds. Notice the
long mark on the belly. That is where
the Bengal ripped him two years ago,
when tried to put them together, as