The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-24
TALES OF A MENAGERIE
AN AITEMPT TO PARE THE CLAWS
 OF A GRIZZLY BEAR.


 Zebra-A Moment of Danger While Bath
 Ing Some Pythons-Capture of an Es-
 capped Panther-A Clever Act Done by
 Jumbo in London.
 Tt doesn's seem like spring, with no advance talk of Barnum's show" said a retired circus man. Tn most years at this time the young ones are talking about it and laying pipes to see it, but this year they miss it.
 Circus life has changed. It's long CT putting up tent from 10 a. m. to F noon, dressing for the parade, snatch ing few hours for rest and at 10 p. in starting to take tents down, and when the wagons started for the next place sleeping as best one could on the wagons loaded with poles, blocks, and such like feathers in the only bed available. Pretty rough gang, too. Dangerous work also at times, but lots of fun when the animals wanted spec ial attention.
 T remember some years ago up the state the weather was very bad, and one night strong wind played havoc with the main tent The rain continue ing, we had to place the animals in the armory building, and. it being a two- night stand, the stay was taken ad
 vantage of to fix things up bit. Among the chores was the pairing of the prfzZ1U hao oy,se oJa for ho boI scratched the bottom boards out of his cage twice. So, early in the morning sort of platform of boards was prepar- ed, twelve feet long, five feet high, with holdfasts on one side, and then the bear was brought out with a collar and chain on each side, and half a dozen men carrying the board rushed him along to the wall, where there was an iron pillar, and planked him against the wall. A rope was placed around one paw, and five or six men hauled on it, to draw it out straight between the pillar and the wall so as to pare his claws. We'll it was tug, and just as the keeper got his shears to work the bear winced and gave a pull, Some one trod on banana skin or something, the tension on the rope was slackened a second, and quicker than can tell 1t, the board men were on their backs with the board on top of them, and the bear making tracks down the place with his collar chains dragging after him. Right in his path, standing close to the pillar, watching the operation, was young doctor belonging to the principal family of the town. When he 60, Lo+ ll I, was especially for him and turned and bolted down the hail. never looking be- hind him. Up the stairway he went to the gallery, two steps at a stride, and reaching the top he skinned up an iron pillar, and was half way out on the girder right under the crown of the roof before he stopped to look where the bear was. The bear had gone straight back to his cage, and we had to send two men up to the roof to lower that doctor down to the floor. He had lost his nerve and could only cling tight, with certainty of falling sooner or later, unless helped.
 Another job that time was trim ming the hoofs of the zebra, and for this we borrowed the yard at the gas
 works. This hoof cutting is the worst job a circus hand can be mixed up in. Zebras are devilish, unconquerabe and untamahle, kindness having no effect on them. We took the brute there and suddenly seizing him, hobbled and threw him. and, as usual, straighway
 he went into a fit and had to be loos- ened to keep his cussed temper from
 killing him. Directly he came out of l,i ix,.o J,, he went in another fit and this contin-
 ued until he tired of it. Then mug
 zled and held, the whites of his eyes flashing like flag waving and telling what he would do if he could, the 1 hoofs were clipped, about three inches | coming off. Then the hobbies were limited to single flashing that tag | at the lead string would let loose and everybody cleared out, for all knew
 what to expect. Dick McCreary, Dare Devil Dick we called him, was the
 man left in the inelosure to pull the string. He did so and the brute, watching him, let out a snort to scare any brave man, and rushed straight | for him, not giving him a second to reach the gate and get out; so with a l quick turn he reached the tankhouse | and was inside like shot. Talk about bucking bronchos, elephants or ram
 page, what you like; it was child's play | to that zebra who kicked the walls bit them, rushed at the fence and started even it's solid timbers biting the fence support kicking iron barrows and ev- | erything in his way for about fifteen or twenty minutes and then dropping | panting and tired out to the ground. | Then the boys got @ hold of him and | led him like a lamb back to quarters. | Snakes were another queer lot of customers. Feeding and cleaning them | was all right, but to keep them healthy | they had to have a bath once every | two weeks. I remember once I, as a | lad, was detailed to help the keeper at 1 this job and we went to the big glass case with the pythons in to begin. We | had big tub of trepid water, clean blankets being in another case close by | to put the snakes in when washed. The | case had a spring catch door at the | side as we'll as an opening at the top. | We would catch a python round the | neck. grab him with the other hand | three feet further down and drop him quick into the water, which, as soon | as the warmth was felt through his 1 scales. stopped his squirming in a jiffy, | and his snakeship would just lie stretched out and let you twist him l T