The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-16
SMASHING TRADITION
WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY ARE NOT
DANGEROUS.
James A. Bailey Says Any One Can Safely
Enter and Leave Cage Full of Lions and
Tigers, and Any Man Who Knows the

Said Mr.. James A. Bailey recently
1T is the general belief all over the
world that man who goes into den
Of wild carnivorous beasts takes his life
in his hands, and that each time he
does so and escapes unframed he has
won by lucky chance. Some persons
believe that if the trainer who handles
the animals in their acts were to turn
his back upon them for single instant
they would leap upon and devour him.
Others again believe that the lions and
tigers only wait an opportunity for
concerted action to destroy their keep |
err, while there are still others who de-
clare that it is only through the power
of the human eye that the beasts are
held in subsection. To all Of these
opinions and beliefs and as final an.
swer to all questions on the subject
wish to state here and now that there
is no danger whatever to any person en-
tering a cage of wild beasts Such
statement, however, will scarce be be-
lieved without some further explana-
ton and proof
1T is fact that many men have
been manned and some killed by lions
and tigers in menageries and geological
gardens throughout the world, but in
every case, venture to say, the causes
leading to such accidents and deaths
were of their own making. Unmerlted
or too severe punishment is the most
frequent cause. Nearly all animals, no
matter how small and insignificant,
will turn and fight when cornered and in
fear of their lives A cat will make
desperate and determined fight IL so
placed that it cannot escape from what
! it believes is dangerous enemy. just
so with larger cat animals. And nearly
all of the accidents that have occurred
have been brought about by the brutal
ity of trainers who, having lost temper,
have pursued to extremes an animal
that did not understand what was want
ed of it. Trainers of the present day,
however, have come to realize this, and
accidents are of rare occurrence. And
maintain that any man or woman, an
entire stranger to the animals, can 60
in with them and in perfect safety.
"a case in point comes to my mind.
A few years ago employed an innocent
sort of German to work in the menag-
erie, and one of the first tasks assigned
to him was cleaning the lions den. In.
stead of taking an iron scraper and
working through the bars as custom
airy, he took broom. opened the iron
, door, went in the cage and began to
sweep the floor When a lion got in his
way, he would punch it with the broom
, and tell it in German to got away, and
it did so. The man repeated his expert
r ence every day ard was never harmed.
now make this positive statement
that in both the handling and training
: of these animals there is no more dan
3 ger than attends the training of do
0 nestle animal. The snarling and grow
C ing of the beasts are no more indicative
4 of q desire to claw and devour than
n expressed in the bark or snarl OF ca
@ nine house pet or the hiss of sleel
n tabby when its tail is stepped upon
S The big brutes may growl and crouc
about their cages, look dangerous an
j. act ferociously and all that, but l con
n tend, and experience has taught m
O that my belief is correct, that it is onl
n through desire to escape from the ma
g rather than TO attack him.
IS ''It takes time and patience, NOR
+ than any one not in the business ca
q imagine, to perfect the training of thes
ls animals, and every trainer has meth
l. cd of his own. would further explai
,. that trained animals will not perforI
t. the tricks taught them until the cue
I. given them. Even trained horses, whic
IN are supposed to have great intelligence
will only go through their performance
N when the rngmaster supplies the cue
~ whatever it may be- Sometimes 1T is
0. motion of the whip, at others ste
backward or forward, when Instant
the animal will respond. Now, all tia
is necessary for any one to put throug
ID his performances any kind of traine
r. animal or number of them is for him
is know when to give the proper cue
tie 81 do not believe the animals kno
n one trainer from another unless OF
st has been with them for long time, II
es when some of my trainers have bee
m taken sick, been discharged or for 9th
re causes have left my service the train'
y. animal part Of my show has not BET
ay interrupted, but has gone on just Il
We same, new man having been substitu
ST. ed, and it is safe to say that the al
nd mails never knew the difference betwe
nd the men. have changed the men as
lis ten as five times in season, and O
er man has put the beasts through the
tricks quite as well as another. Al
ch person who will enter tho arena fes
he lessly and confidently can take t
ms trainers whip and make the animi
perform as well as a person who b
handled them for months, provided
ways he knows what tricks the bea
ng are required to do and can supply t
ad cues.
Of 81 am aware that this statement IN
per appear to most people extraordinary,
led cause it is at variance with their precc
of ceived notions concerning the brn
nm nature of all wild beasts, but am fl
les in my belief and have no hesitation
st, making it public. New York Sun.