The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-19
HOW THE LIONS ARE tanned.
Mr.. Darling's Methods-Curious Incl
dents.
FrOm ID NeW ~ Pns

FRAMED animals in this city, much inter-
est has been excited IN regard to the
methods employed in the preliminaries
necessary before the animal can be pro
duced in public. OF the beasts now per-
forming at Tattersalls, the lions are I'M
oouotedly the most interesting. An &C
count OF the education of his formidable
pets was given to-day by Mr. Darling, the
chlet trainer, who has been engaged for
the last eighteen years in that branch of
his profession
The lions TO be trained must be taken
wnen young. About nine or ten months
is the usual age, as the training can rarely
De impaired after they have begun to get
their second teeth. Lions born in cap
tlylty are nearly or quite useless for ex-
nl0ltlon purposes, as they are generally
very stupid and lacking in spirit, the re-
suit frequently of inbreeding The best
lions come from Nubia and Abyssinia
The females are much more clever and
teachable, but the males present the most
imposing appearance, and are therefore
more sought after.
The natural emotion which the beasts
feel towards man is fear. Consequently,
the first step in their education is to
teach them that the human beings they
see have no intention of hurting them
This confidence being established by IA
mlIlarlty with the trainer, they are
taught to wear collar with a chain at
tached This is often a difficult ma tier to
teach, for the lions will kill themselves if
they are chained up, and must be con-
stantly watched until they have become
accustomed to the collar Having
established in some degree at least
the entente cordiale, the trainer
begins with simple tricks, teaching the
beasts to sit on chair or lie in certain
nOSitiOO ENoY, thiu "A i
gentleness are requisite; the animals
rarely fail. to show signs of temper at the
restraint, but the trainer gives them no
peace until they have realized that it will
be better for them to do what is required.
II lion has become too large and strong
the work is doubly difficult; for if he
turns out to be rogue, the efforts of the
trainer may be fruitless. On very rare
occasions lions whose training began at
the age of or 3 years have been made
into successful performers.
Lions are very obstinate and sulky
brutes, and their training is generally one
of fear; but they learn to detect the diff
ference between harsh and kindly words
"a sign of marked progress in their edu-
cation. When this is learned and the
animal has gained some idea of Obedi-
ence and is thoroughly familiar with his
trainer, the real work begins. The lions
special qualities are soon discerned, and
he is set to learn that speciality for which
his build and degree of cleverness fit him.
For example. the riding lion. when about
six months old. is put in a cage next to
that which contains his special horse.
and the two beasts soon grow &C
quainted with each other They also
nave a better opportunity, for the young
lion is taken when hardly larger than
cat, aud made accustomed to the horses
back. Once this is learned, the elabora-
Ulon or the performance is easier: but so
much does the success of the trick depend
on the accord existing between lion and
horse that it has been found possible only
when the same lion and the same horse
are always exhibited together. In time
the lion grows too heavy for the horse,
and this performance then ceases to be in
the lions repertoire.
Although lions grow until they reach
the ageiof six or seven years, what NAV
be termed their prime of life is reached
when they are three. years old. At this
age, however, they are not yet perfected
in their traits and seem to lack the cour-
age seen in, older specimens. Almost all
the fights with lions are with the old
ones, although brother of Mr.. Darlings
favorlte Prince, when only eighteen
months old, attacked man in the hip
podrome at Paris.
Experienced trainers rarely have anv
difficulties with their charges. for to a
watchful man, accustomed to the WAYS of
the beasts, they rarely fail to give warn
ing of an impending outbreak. They are
always obstinate and inclined to shirk
their work, and rather fitful in temper.
This is most noticeable when they have
been too well fed, for then they object to
being disturbed and if forced to work
are, as Mr.. Darling expresses it, nasty
They are more obedient in cool weather;
it is found also that they are apt to sulk
If called upon to perform too often. The
secret of success in training is care In the
diet and general condition of the crea-
lures.
The use of the whip varies among diff
ferent trainers. The long lash Is used
when working at a distance; some train
ers also use prongs or bars. The great
requisite, however, is confidence. Sev-
eral trainers have been killed because. in
moment Of danger, they were seized
with trembling in their limbs, and could
not save themselves; once down, with no
help at hand, their position was utterly
hopeless. Others have lost their lives
from lack of experience. They have
been men who did not take up the
work from liking of it, and so were
half dead before they entered the
cage.n
In the Harvesting of the trio of lions to
a chariot, Mr.. Darling frequently finds
some difficulty. The lions do not like the
operation, and frequently get tangled up
in the harness. While exhibiting in Chi
cago one of the lions jumped on his back
as he was arranging the harness of an
other; the audience screamed, but the
lion was only playful, and Immediately
sprang away without harming him.
Some difficulty is found in going
through the, performance if any unusual
sight or sound abstracts the attention of
the animals. A few days ago, at a matt
nee, one of the boxes contained, besides
some grown persons, lively little child
dressed in a cloak of white fur. The lions
were attracted, and kept their eyes
fastened upon her as she moved about in
the box. The furry white creature ex-
cited their curiosity, and it was with
great difficulty that they were induced to
go through their performance.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S FAVoRITE.