People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-07-14
FRIENDS WITH A TIGER.
How an Animal Tanner Oyercame the Dis
like of Brute.

like of Brute.
A noted wild-beast tanner, on being
asked how he successfully tanned, re-
lated his experience as follows: Il was
a bareback-rider in a well-known cir
Gus, and in my leisure hours found
great delight in playing with the mon
keys in the menagerie. One especially
pleased me, and | often fed him on figs.
One day, while standing near his cage,
about to hand him fig, heard fierce
growing near me, and turning saw a
herce-looking tiger stick his paw out
between the iron-bars of his cage and
reach for me. One inch nearer and he
would have struck me. This unex-
pected and unwarranted attack so az.
gravated me that | raised my metal
headed cane and struck the beast
such terrific blow that he quickly
retreated to the corner of his cage and
howled and beloved furiously. The
following day the whole operation was
repeated. The tiger was now my dead
ly enemy, and displayed such fierceness
on my approach to the cage that | be-
came interested in his actions. To test
his powers of memory | Intentionally
absented myself for several days, but
he seemed to know my steps, and the
moment he caught sight of me his eyes
flashed fire, he beat furiously against
the side of the cage with his tail, and
fairly shook the cage in his wrath.
Suddenly the thought of tanning the
animal came to me. My first step was
to cause the beastt to forget his wrongs,
and in this succeeded wonderfully. For
hours | would talk to him in soft ac.
cents and occasionally hand him little
bits of meat In few months we had
become so intimate that he ate out of
NY hand.
Little by little he permitted me to
cub his head, and when l spoke to him
he would close his eyes and lean his
head lovingly against the iron bars.
| now considered the time ripe to
take the last step, namely, to enter the
cage. | told the keeper of my inten-
ton, but he was frightened and said
had gone mad, but l insisted. Unwil-
ingly he consented. He opened the
door at the rear and allowed me to en-
ter, while tremblingly he held the
door la tch in one hand in order toopen
the door quickly in case of accident.
and in the other hand he held a long.
pointed rod in case of an attack by the
beast. As l hurriedly entered the cage
the tiger drew back in fright and star
ed me. He seemed to be expecting an
attack and prepared to spring. But
stood motiOnless and apparently care
less.
Then raped at the door. 1t was
quickly opened and l jumped out. Two
weeks later | repeated the visit, and
from that time daily. talked pleasantly
to'the tiger and each time he became
quieter. At my tenth visit | ordered
him to lie down and he obeyed. As a
reward for his obedience | gave him
little pieces of meat. This always had
a magical effect. But he soon expected
meat at every visit, and when it was
not forthcoming became restless and a
little vicious. But soon overcame
this. In fact, | treated him like a
spoiled child and did almost what |
pleased with him. Up to this time the
keeper had always stood back of the
cage, ready at a moments notice to
open the door. ! now ordered him to
lock the door and step around to the
front. The tiger had stretched himself
full length and allowed me to sit on
his back m-philadelnhia Times