The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-22
suaD,aNe WILD BEASTS.
The Special DwnSers OF the Tanners 6f Lions
and Tigers.

Now and then. for no reason that a-y
one can find. a lion or a tiger that has
been doing his duty regularly and well
grows suddenly rebellious. He viii no
longer balance on the big ball, no, Ion.
ger stand uapfotestingly ON the seesaw
board, no longer ride the horse Or jump
the hurdles. He comes out instead with
Q plain, pointed. leonine mo for the
whole programme and proceeds to get
square with the game by tearing the
Life ont of some trainer or groom. Api
parently HIS pride and hate and revenge
are all stirred up together against all
surrounding conditions. and the people
TO whom he has been most obedient are
the very one he now desires most to
kill. When tanners meet d violent death,
it is often under one of these unforeseen
and inexplicable outbursts OF madness.
But there is another and perhaps
subtler source of danger to tanners.
Everything goes well for two or three
years, and the tanner, proud Of his sue.
cess and swelling bank account, becomes
nverconfdent One day he gets q nip
from d beast or d ssratch from q tigers
claw. This will happen inevitably, IN
less the greatest watchfnlness IS en-
ployed. and without any vicious inten-
ton On the part Of the wild beast. But
the wound fingers ON hand or arm, for
wounds from a wild beasts claws or
fangs, however trifing, are long in
healing and very painful. The member
swells to double its normal size. The
wound tears open again and again, and
months pass before the man is healed
The moral effect of such AN experience
is bad. Perhaps another bite or scratch
il incurred bsf0re the old one is quite
well, and after o number Of such nis!
haps the tanner, though heawill not ad-
nAitdit Il, perhaps even TO himseif, Is apt
20 become afraid of his animals.i Then
heshas recourse tostimulants to steady
his nerves. before going into the ring.
But by this treatment his nerves are not
steadied; rather they are the more
shaken And the more he drinks the
more unfit he IL TO face the danger and
the likelier to take some reckless step
which will result In his serious injury
or death, for ii 10 undoubtedly d fact
that tanners are not infrequently rnaimed
for life, and even killed. Such d case
was that Of the tanner Heigenreich, who
was torn to pieces some years ago while
giving an exhibition in Russia. A large
lion sprang upon him and literally tore
his life ont before the eyes of the spec
tators. Nothing could be done TO save
the man. Nothing can ever be done in
such d case.
Perhaps the best safeguard against
these dreadful accidents--a safeguard
better than hot irons or revolyers--is u
ready line Of hose, with 2strong pressure
OF water, which can be turned ON at D
moments notice. IL has been found that
q lion struck by . powerful stream Of
water will drop his bleeding victim
when prodding with iron hooks or SINH
lar measures will only make him hold ON
the tighter.
Thus II Ii absolutely fatal to the
tanner to fall into any fear. As D IS
ne gets the idea that heis going To DO
killed he had better givesup the work
nc once, or the chances are that he will
be killed. -Cleveland Moffets In Me.
Clureis Magazine.