The Progress., 1894-04-07
WHISPERS HIS PRIDE.
A Tiger Died of a Broken Heart Because
lie Had Lost Them.

at is all we'll enough. > said FRO
iossOr Darling, "tO Oblge many
Young women who are anxious 10
have a lions whiskcr as a sort OF
talisman, but | do not propose TO
render the five animals which l nave
positively useless.
Professor Darling stood III 'front.' or
his cage at IIagenbcck $ with his BIG
brutcs huddlcd up closely to the iron
bars waiting to be carcs5ed. For
somc time he has been pesterod to
death by personal applications and
by letters asking for "just one hon
whisker" until his mail has become a
burden to him. and, as he pulled the
long bristIc-liko appcndages from
the mouths of his lions, he said:
"Once q lion loses his whiskors he
is practically ruined, not only so lar
as his appearance COOS, but for his
usefulness as well. | know one little
instance of this" added the PROBES
sOr. ~ was IN the Imperial
geological garden a, Schonbrunn, in
Germany. Carl Hagonbeck had pur-
chased at the command Of the I'M
perial government one of the hand
soonest tigers | ever saw in all my
life. He was most beautifully mark
ed and had long flowing whiskerS.
The beast was very fcrocious and
had to be handled with the utmost
care. At Mr.. Hagenbcck's request,
| went with him to help put the
tiger in the permanent cage ID
the 700.
1.-The tiger Travelled in box with
bars IN front, and when the destlna-
ton was reached the box was packed
up against the permanent cage and
the door opened to allow the tiger to
enter, but bulge he would not. We
worked at him for hours and nothing
would induce the animal to move out
of his travelling cage. 10 make a
long story short, we starved that
animal for three days, with great
pieces of meat lying just outside Of
his cage, but it did no good. We
then tried that remedy which is
often tried on wild beasts, although
few people know of it, the hose
pipe and we drenchcd that tiger,
but this did not have any more effect
upon him than the use of an atomizor
on a woman's hair.
Things were getting in d very
desperate state, for with the starva-
ton and chill Mr.. Hagenbeck feared
that he would lose his tiger, SO he
determined to try the last resort
fire. A newspaper was lighted and
thrust into the cage. The tiger
turned with spring and grabbed
the fire right in his mouth, and as
he did so sinsed Oft all of his whis-
kers. The fire proved remedial and
the animal dartod into the cage in
tended for him, and you may believe
me or not, but that animal with the
loss Of his whiskcrs lost all of his
pride. The imperial government
paid an enormous price for him, but
from the day that he lost his whis-
kers he never would face the crowd
of people who came to see him, but
he would hide his face in actual
shame, and finally died. Mr.. Hagen
beck, than whom there Is no greater
authority on such subjects, declared
that he died of a broken heart
caused by the humiliation of his
pride.
ga lions or tigers whiskers,
when once taken off, never grow out
again. These beasts shed their hair
once a year ordinarily, all except
the whiskers. Their shedding de-
ponds entirely upon the climate, and
there is a very peculiar fact con-
nected with the shedding of this
hair, and that is that | never knew a
lion or tiger or any other animal
of the cat species to 60 through the
Red sea without shedding. | have
seen animals shed at Suakim and
come out with hair as fresh and
glossy as silk, and yet going through
the Red sea they will shed again.
No one can account for it, but it is
fact nevertheless. This explains to
you" said the professor, as he gave
q parting pat to his pet Leo, "why |
have been accused of being ungallant
in not giving whiskers from my pets
to ladies for charms, but | do not
propose to have my lions injured or
their pride humiliated."