The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-24

and Royal Bengal Tiger.
Direct from eJungles Of india
For days before the exhibition CONVEX
saton In the CAFE along the Escolta in
varIably turned to the subject OF the
coming exhibition. and 1t was evident
that the managers fully Intended both
TO reap n large harvest OF heavy dollars
and to wind up the career OF the bull
ring association in a blaze OF glory.
A hot afternoon In carly February
found everybody directing their steps
toward tho wooden structure, which
consisted OF lot OF rickety seats piled
up around q circular arena. The re-
served sections were covered with
light roof TO keep of the hot afternoon
sun. but the "bleachcrs," for those that
held only "BilleteB dc SOL" were expos
ed to the binding glare. The audleuce
"a crowd of 5000 persons with dark
faces showing above suits OF white
sheeting-fouEa the center OF the ring
ornatnerted with. u huge iron cage some
two rods square, while of at the side
were smaller cages containing the,
'ieras' or wild beasts.
The show opened amid breathless ex-
element with an exhibition OF panthers
and man dressed inSpink tights ate
dinner in their. big cage, utter setting
of a bunch of flrecrackers under one
OF the 'ieras." which did rnot seem in
clined to wake up enough TO lick his
chops or to pretend to want to cat
somebody. The daring performer lived
TO digest his glass of water and one
cracker, and deer was next introduce
ed into the enclosure. The panthers,
even at the command OF the keeper,
seemed unwilling to attack his gentle
foe, and on continued Kissing from the.
big audience, the animals were With
drawn. ~ ~
Then great shouts OF Eel toro, el to-
TO-" arose. as off at the small gate to
one side the bull appeared calmly walk
ing forward under the guidance oftwo
natives. and renewed applause arose as
the small heavy cage containing the
royal Bengal tiger was rolled up to the
sliding door OF the central structure.
The bull was showed into the iron
Jail. q dozen or. more punches OF fire.
crackers were set Off in the small box
holding the tiger, in order to wake him
UP, tho slide door connecting the two
was withdrawn. and with deafenlnG
roar the great Indian cat rushed forth
and tried to swallow man who was
standing outside the bars holding 4
heated pitchfork. The bull stood quiet
~ In one corner wagging his tail and
after blinking his eyes once or twice,
proceeded to examine his antagonist in
most friendly. spirit In fact there
seemed to be no hard feeling at all be-
tween the two beasts, and the tiger APP
parently only wanted to get at the gen.
tleman outside the cage-not at the
bull.
The audience howled and jeered at
the tiger, bet on the bull, and criticized
the man with the pitchfork as he gave
the tiger several hard pokes IN the RIBS.
This angered the beast so that he made
n dive for the bull and promptly found
himself tossed into the air. But as he
came down he hung on TO the bulls
nose and dug his claws into the tough
side. Curiously enough the bull did not
seem to mind that in the least and the
two stood perfectly still. locked in
close quarters for some five minutes.
And to make long story, short. there
occurred some four OF these mild at
tacks-always melted by the man with
the pitchfork-during which the bull
stepped on the tiger. making him howl
with pain. and the latter badly bit the
bull on the legs and nose. After the
fourth round both beasts seemed to be
in want OF a siesta; It was growing
dark. and the dissatisfied audience cried
Tor another bull.
The first animal was finally dragged
away after the tiger had gladly retreat
ed to his cage, and fresh bull with.
more spirit was introduced. Now. how
ever. the tiger was less game than ever,
and no amount OF frecrackers would
Induce him to stir from the small cage.
He seemed far too sensible, and literally
appeared to be possessed of an asbestos
skin.
1t was now getting really dark The
audience Joined in n chorus of howls.
People began to l!r:s matches to see
their programmes, and the circus-ring
looked as IL Il were filed with flreies.
Then the programmes themselves were
!snited TO get more light; cries OF GIVE
US back our money" and others Of a
less printable kind arose, and 'pande-
monlum relgned. Men Jumped into the
ring. but the tiger refused TO move for
anybody. a couple Of panthers were
agaln hastily introduced into the cage.
With the bull in the hope OF stirring
things up.
Hut the bull merely licked one pam:
Their on the nose and wagged his tall at
the other, while the show was declared
off on account OF darkness. Then every
bodg filed out IN disgust, and the man
with the tiger, Danthers. md pitch
forks sailed for foreign shores BY the
hFst steamer. Such was the last per-
iormance in the plaza de Toros dc
MANILA" and nowadays nothing marks
me spot where stood the arena except
!he little tIcket-oflcc. over whose win
COW are the words "Billetes dc Sol.
While the Philippines are strangely
destitute OF wild beasts on the whole.
yet the wild boar Is found In the
mountain 3unules and the wild noun
tam caribou or buffalo Is said to exist
N certain remote districts. Had itbeen
possible TO have put one OF these Wild
oxen with the tiger In the cage there Is
NO doubt that, no matter how active the
!a.ter. the caribou could easily have
5 maze away with him; for these untam-
90 brothers OF the patient beasts OF
nufden that do all,the pulling and haul.
+ ing In 3aniln's streets are furious In
.aeir onslaught, and. with their short,
saarp horns, will speedily put IN end to
marty every foe. y {as'
ne tame .carlbou--or dray-horse of
ne rnllippines-ls n peculiar animal to
mus domcsticated. His skin Is
, S'aooth md black. his horns fiat and,
,Ty"I,ssISometlmes reaching six feet from
Tin H. 10 point-and his Ealt as SLOW as
r me LtSeir in the Philippines where
Wv mix is scarce that OF the. caribou
Sv,ne' into! the market, and there have
N.Y., usen Jays at n time In Manila when
G ~ ~ peculiar oily taste to ones tea be-