Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-06-08

IR FRED D'OSTA, who re
\ II Gently exhibited IN Wash
v / ington his wonderfultrained
, lions, is the nephew Of the
noted Sir Charles Wombwell, who Il
known as 1.-THE Bsrnum of Europe,
and who supplies the geological gar
dcns in all parts OF the world with
animals. During his stay in Wash
ington representative OF the Star
called upon Mr.. D'Osta. He was
found in the cage with his three
"bahies. rs he calls them" Brutus,
Victoria, and "Spitlire" enIoying
himself apparently rs well as though
he were IN company with his most
trusted friends, while the three beasts
were growing and gnashing their
teeth, as though they might make
"hot sausage" of him Mt any minute.
Although Mr.. D'Osta does not appear
in the cage during the shows, he Is
the owner of the enimals, having
trained them and reared them 'up in
the way they should GO His wife,
who is known Ms Pauline Mana,
does all the honors of the stage, while
he does all the 'breukinR In. "
This plucky young EnglIshman gave
a detailed account of his eventful life
and of his methods of training all
sorts of Wild beasts, but especially
outlined the course of education of
his lions. His treatment, he claims, is
entirely original, and lie considers it
the only honest method of managing
the treacherous beasts There is no
such thing" he said, "as tanning Il
lion. You can raise them from cubs
and be with them every hour in the
day, but when they attain certain
age they are sure to he treacherOus |
always import my beasts from their
native countries after they have entirely
matured, and know they are healthy
and that their faculties are fully de-
veloped
MY first tanning, or rather, deceiv-
ing, process is to put them IN large
cages, IN groups, Just rs they are to
work throughout their careers, for II
strange lion would soon devour n
trained one if they came in contact
Through an opening Ill the top of tho
cage the dummy figure of man is
/ lowered with rope This is my time
to watch. II lion springs upon it
/ instantly and tears it to pieces then
know that he is to be looked out for,
/ but if he creeps up to it slowly and
then makes grab for 1t | know he
can be resisted by constant dodgiug
and moving about in the cage; and ii
he at once backs off in "A corner know
he is my man, and that | eau scare
hun into almost any KIND of submis.
sion.
This dummy he said, sis put
into the cage every day for several
days. or several months, until the
/ beasts are thoroughly understood One
day We dance 1t around, dodging
every attack of the animals, and no.
ticlng every characteristic OF their
movements: another time we appar.
emily walk the thing around, an see
if it is closely pursued, or whether the
beasts can easily overtake il while GO
Ing around the cage. Still another
time the figure is made to pounce
upon the beasts, ride them and cut up
all sorts of shines IN the cage, get.
ting them used, day by day, to this
sort of torment, which they finally ee
cant he resisted Thus the brutes
become more or less careless OF this
treatment, and then the interesting
part of the training begins
when man first enters cage
filled with strange lions he con
tinued, che must be on the lookout,
of course, rs this Is the most prtcari-
Gus period. The beasts by no means
take him for another dummy, as they
can smell the very blood circulating
in his body. Several men are station.
ell at the doors of the cage, which is
held either open or shut with strong
ropes, others are put at almost every
+ opening between the bars, with rails,
with which they can partition off the
man from the beasts, in case OF great
trouble.
AT first the actions of the brutes
must be studied again, but they are,
almost without exception, the same as
they were i'll the first place, with the
lummy. Thus, from day to day, |
have become thoroughly acquainted
with mahy of the widest lions, until
at last, after hard work and plenty
OF patience, | have made them Jump
over bars, set on their hind legs, and
perform all sorts of tricks. similar to
those which you have seen these fel
lows do. .
Mr.. D'Osta said he had been raised
among wild animals, having inherited
the love for them from his father and
his grandfather, who have all been in
the business, but none of whom have
ever been 50 intimately associated with
them as had he At the age of three,
he says, he was first put into cage of
cub lions, and ever since that time he
had not been satisfied unless he has
been handling them continually.
He also described the methods used
by most show companies, who have
cages, the floors of which are metal,
connected with an electric battery,
keeping the beasts benumbed and
scared as soon as the current is turned
on, although they were ferocious and
making hideous noises before the 80
called "tamer" enters the cage, and
starts the machinery going. In many
instances, he said. ether Is used to put
the beasts to sleep, and they are made
to perform just after they had awak.