The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-07-06

them the solicitous fondness which
makes him keenly observant of them.
He feeds them all every day in the
week excepting Sundays. As it is
found that animals are healthier when
they fast one day in the week Mr.. De
Vry decided not to feed them on Sun
day, as that enabled him to let his
helpers have at least a part of the day
to themselves. During the week they
are fed at four o'clock each afternoon,
and for half an hour before the keeper
appears with their food they devote
themselves to watching for his coming.
They move restiessly about their cages,
looking anxiously in the direction
from which he approaches They never
mistake the time of day and never
fail to keep their watch save on Sun
day, when they show not even the
slightest signs of restlessness when
their usual feeding time approaches.
Mr.. De Vry says that after the ami
mails have been in the park few
months they never make a mistake as
to the day of the week.
A little observation demonstrates the
fact that animals are as individual as
are human beings, and that there is,
for example, as much difference among
lions as there is among human beings
of the same race. Among those who
are wise as to lions and can judge them
as certain men judge horses, Major,
the splendid male lion of the Lincoln
park collection, is considered one of
the finest of his kind in confinement
He certainly is a superb picture of
might, ferocity and courage. tempered
with dignity and grace. Whether or
not he reasons, he does many things
which would seem to indicate that he
does, and he certainly remembers and
is essentially faithful to his friends.
He was brought up on a bottle by a
woman living in Chicago.
For months he had not seen her and
as every one knows who has visited the
animal house in Lincoln park there are
throngs of people about the cages from
early in the morning until late at night
every day in the week. One day she
came to see him, and almost as soon
as she entered the door, and long
before she could get near his cage, he
saw her and rushed against the bars in
his anxiety to welcome her. When she
came close to his cage a glad child
could not have evidenced more affec-
tionate regard than did this magnifi-
cent, regal king of beasts.
Major is very fond of Mr.. De vry and
his great amber eyes glow with pleas
ure every time he comes near him.
When he enters his cage, as he often
does, Major puts his wide. soft paw on
his shoulder and lays his big nose
against his cheek. Gentle and appar-
rently quite guileless as he is most of
the time, there are occasions when all
ahe savagery of his kind crops out. He
Is very fond of his mate Jennie and al
ways treats her with a gentle COM
plaisance and consideration worthy of
a knight-errant of old.
The keeper laughinglv SAYS that in
all the years they have been together
he does not think they have had one
cross word. At one time some new
Lions were brought to the park and it
was thought advisable to put one of
them with Major as his mate. When
she was put in his cage he deliberately
turned his back on her, and in day
or two became so cross that even the
keeper, of whom he is so fond, could
mot go near him He neglected his
food and was becoming quite wreck
when it was decided that Jennie should
be restored to him. No sooner was she
placed in his cage than his bad temper
vanished and soon he was quite him
self again.
In a cage next the one occupied by
Major and Jennie are two magnificent
tigers which exhibit at all times and
under all circumstances a hatred CT
Mr- De Vry which is in singular con-
trast to the fondness which the lions
exhibit for him This is not the result
of any trouble between the keeper and
the beasts, but was true from the first
time they saw him. Whenever he
comes within sight of their cage they
become the personifcation of ferocity.
They open their wide jaws until every
one OF their heavy teeth are visible,
their great eyes become green with
rage. and switching their great tails
they snarl and growl in a way to make
one shudder. As long as they can see