The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-17
DOG THAT PLAYS A PIANO.
A Knowing Animal With "A Remark
able Ear for Music.


A jolly faced. rotund Franco-German
stood on the roof of Roster & Balls music
hall, back of the stage, the other night,
and gathered about him was as strange a
collection of animals as has ever been
taught to amuse the public.
He was Jean Clermont, once a circus
rider and now one Of the most famous
animal trainers in the world He wore
costume strange to this country He says
it is that of clown in his native land. The
ordinary native of this region would de-
scribe 1t as a jumper and boomers OF
blue overall cloth and cap Of white cloth,
in shape resembling nothing In the world
so much as salt bag.
Clermont rested one hand affectionately
on the long, ferocious snOut OF a wild boar
from the forests of the Princess of Hesse-
Darmstadt He leaned at ease against
donkey that, with lowered head, blnked
lazily in the glare of the colored lights.
At his feet was a tiny dog. Clermonts
wife was eareSsing 1t and at the same time
keeping. a watchful eye on four roosters
that seemed about to declare war with
two on each side. Two dogs, with open
jaws and tongues extended, lay against
the guard rail of the roof, drinking in the
breezes, and Il diminutive pig, putting on
the airs of animals Of more nobility than
he strutted up and down, paying not the
least attention to the other members of
his happy family, and not even deigning
to grunt according to the manner of his
kind.
no" said Clermont, laughing in his
hearty way, in answer to a question of
reporter for the New York Times, II
don't think there is any hope that 1 will
ever succeed in getting any OF my animals
to talk 1 am thinking of teaching ms
boar to write, and perhaps he'll be an apt
scholar but, at any rate, I've succeeded
in educating dog to play piano, and
that means a great deal OF work"
The trainer stopped and patted the head
of his tiny pupil, who climbed on his knee
and would not be satisfied until he had
found for it in his pocket a lump Of sugar.
Just then the stage bell rang, and it was
time for Clermont and his animals to en-
terrain the great crowd on the roof garden.
The boar the dog, and the ROSTERS are the
only members of the strange company
which are on the bill at present. There is
rot room on the stage for all, but the per
Torrance will be complete when the reg
ular season in the music hall downstairs
begins, Aug. II.
The animals seem almost to read the
mind of their master. The boar sits on n
small pump, lies down, stands on his head
on his hind legs, rolls, and goes between
the legs of Clermont at command. He
seems as docile as a kitten.
Crow" calls Clermont to the boosters,
and those barnyard rulers obey with an
alacrity sufficient to convince one that
daybreak was at hand, and so vigorously
that if chandeliers were numerous in the
vicinity of Thirty-fourth street a respon-
sive chorus would be started that might
change the life current of the hens Of the
country.
But It is in the dog that the perfection
of animal training has been reached. and
at his act the public marvels. Clermont
puts into it an element that puzzles ana
causes one to wonder whether 1t Is in
telligence or habit of training that moves
the beast to act
A piano that has eight broad KEYS is
brought on the stage, and the dog is plac-
ed on a stool with his front paws rest
ing below the keyboard. Clermont stands
facing the canine player with uplifted
baton
"Now!' he cries, and down comes q
paw on a key, and then the dog goes
steadily on pressing out the notes of IA
miliar airs. Now and then he falters
starts TO strike a key, seems to know
that he is about to make an error. catches
himself, and looks up knowingly at mis-
master. 1t is then that Clermont in
creases the mystery. He is not much of
a singer, but he manages to intone the
proper note, and the dog promptly re-
sumes his solo. Is the singing nv tba
master the suggestion for the pupil? Does
find the key to fit II? The public won
ders. Clermont will not tell. 1t NAV be
a clever trick, that hesitation by the
animal. but the whole performance Is
certainly marvellous.
After the performance the other night
Clermont told the reporter how he came