The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
TALES OF A M%ENAGERIE.
AN ATTEMPT TO PARE THE CLAWS
OF A GRIZZLY BEhR.

talk OF Barnum's Show" said q retired circus
man. in most years at this time the young
ones arc talking about 1t and laying pipes to 500
1t, but this year they miss it.
'Circus life has changed. It's no longer nut.
ting up tent from 10 A. NJ. to IL noon. dressing
for tho parade, snatching n few hours for rest,
and at 10 +. NJ. starting TO take tents down.
and whom tho wagons started for the next place
sleeping as best one could on tho 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 special attention.
II remember some years ago up the State tho
weather was very bad, and one night a strong
wind played havoc with the main tent. The
rain continuing, wo had to place tho animals in
tho armory building. and, II being n two.night
stand, tho stay was taken advantage Of to hx
things up n Bit Among tho chores was tho
pairing of the grizzly bears claws. for he had
scratched the bottom boards out Of his cass
twice. So, early.in the morning n sort Of plat.
form OF boards was prepared, twelve feet long,
five feet high, with holdfasts on one side. and
then the bear was brought out with n collar
and n 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 plankcd
him against the wall. A rope was placed around
one paw. and FIVE or six men hauled on II, to
draw it out straight botween.thc pillar and tho
wall so as to pare his claws. Well, 1t was n
tug. and just rs the keeper got his shears to
work tho bear WINGED and gave n pull. Some
one trod on a banana skin or something. the ten
sion on the rope was slackened u second, and
quicker than l can tell it, the board men were
OH 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 a young doctor be-
longing to the principal family OF the town.
When he saw that bear coming he made sure
1t was specially for him and turned and bolted
down the hall, never looking behind 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 tbs
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 n GER
tainty Of falling sooner or later, unless helped.
Another job that time was trimming the
hoofs of tho 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. uncomfortable and I'M
tamahle. kindness having no effect on them.
We took the brute there and suddenly scizing
him, hobbled and threw him, and. as usual.
straighway the went into a ft and had to be
loosened to keep his cussed temper from killing
him Inn again and down 10 SaI he went Il IN another 1T ipa and
this continued until he tired Of it. Then.
muzzled and held, the whites of his eyes flash;
do II he could. the hoofs were clipped, about
three inches coming OF. Then the hobbies
the lead string would let loose and everybody
cleared out, for all knew what to expect, Dick
was the man left in the i%nclosure to pull the
string. He did SO and the brute, watching
nnd r ie. edt st r iREf' for % f Sim' n ahy ri pfaxe b imam a.
second to reach the, gate and get out; SO with a
quick turn he reached the tankhouse and was
elephants on a rampage. what you like; IT was
chiid's play to that zebra who kicked the walls.
its solid iimbers. biting the fence support. Kick.
ing iron barrows and everything In his way for
ping. painting and tired out to tho ground. Then
the boys got a hold of him and led him like a
LAMB back to quarters sn9 = o,osr II. ., ou.,o,,.r.
Feeding and cleaning them was all right, but
to keep them healthy they had to have q bath
lad. was detailed to help the keeper at this Job
and we went to the big glass, case with the
Water clear Blankets being in another case
close by to put the snakes in when washed.
w Nef G as an n open a ast at The ss sop. aG %e AZ YOU'D onf Si s"ts as
u 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 scales. stopped his
equirming in a iiffy. and his snakeship would
around in the water any way you liked. The
side door was always banged to when a python
We'll. one day we had the big python in,tho
f% 0rsofi. and d the br,n ne9 tBe oI said to TO- me, Bob iast T 1--we
and fetch them while | hold tn 8 fellow in the
tub, 90 on tfo ! went, and md there was ss sSmo little dc;
hack md fhnn ! hanrd n Val NUhIR cha ma
with one python in the water all right. but With
the head being caught in the keepers iefl hand.
There was a smaller python on the floor about
head Just out Of the side door Of the case.
SMI anEet ! banged t6s cat the S door Ito to before going Ing for hGI the
a Fop9nd.i his lg p w before 1ro the i keeper wo5 n2tised ,d it
It. p cked up the loose one the same way, and
one, coming out over the snoot, so that he wenp
back, and by that time the keeper had fallen IN
bathed was trying to wriggio out from under
aim. 1t was a pretty close call for him, and
no "% %35s snake %a Ss ss.s at Se was o SHns th she az 81 pan.
Their got out Of his cage, biting his way through
at the base Hss Of the bars. where the sheqtntns
the big tent. There was just that strip OF can.
Nuo. ocLNccu nm dnl INC CFONu Oulollit. ~
rushed Col. Woods, the lion tanner, IN his bare
feet, Just as he was dressing for the parade.
One fellow offered him a revolver. another a
whip. He showed the revolver in his waist:
band. ,grapped the whip. picked up u barrel
hoop lying in his path. strobe into the cent.
cracked his whip. and next minute had that
devil doing his show stunts through tho ho)p
in the middle OF the tent. That was a sightl
shall never forget.
"soon Col. Woods called for a follow named
Pete. a cowboy. and he came with his lariat.
and another came with a horse rug. and W9ols
SAID, NOW, Pete, when | make him do the dead
act, get close in behind and make sure OF your
drop. This Is the close of his tricks, and ihs
chanCes are my command over him will end.
Drop the rope right over his neck and run for.
ward quick, not ackward or he will chase
you instead OF fighting back on the moose; then
you fellows with tho rug smother him and AZ
pile into get him tied up and back in The cage
That was done just like shuffiing cards; one or
two Of the fellows got badly scratched; but the
panther was housed. and II was II week or two
before.the Colonel tried him through the hools
or put him back in the main cage. -
"Elephantsi Half the elephant stories are
ghost stories. We never had any trouble with
them except when mice got in their neighbor.
hnnI Tho bic 1,t,a a.n V,,An0nl nfantl 80 Ion tEt