The Portland daily press., 1898-03-03
TALES OF The CIRCUS.
Things Which Make Life Lively
for big Top Followers.
DAREDEVIL DICK MCCREARY'S
HOT STRUGGLE WITH A ZEBRA.


/ CIeverer Act Done by Jumbo I'm Rescuing
Child From Being Crushed to Dea tn
PAIRING Bears Claws.
"Circus life has changed" said the old
circus man to the Chicago Inter- ocean
reporter. "It's no longer putting up tent
from 10 q. N. to 10 noon, dressing for
the parade, snatching few hours for
rest, and at 10p. m. 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
finn when the animals wanted special at
| tention.
| II 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 continuing, we
| had to place the animals in the armory
building, and, it being two night staho'
the stay was taken adantage OF to nG up
things bit. Among the chores was the
pairing of the grizzly bears claws, for ne
had scratched the bottom boards OUT Oh
his cage twice. So, early in the morn
ing, a sort of platform Of boards was pre-
pared, twelve feet long, five feet hlgh'
with holdfasts on one side, and then the
hear was brought out with collar and
chain on each side, and half dozen men
carrying the board rushed him along TO
the wall, where there was an IRON plllar'
and planked him against the wall. a
rome was placed around one paw and nve
or six men hauled on it to draw it out
straight between the pillar and the wall,
| so as TO pare his claws. Well, 1t was q
tug. and Just as the keeper got his shears
| to work the bear WINGED and gave pun.
Some one trod on banana skin OF some
thing. the tension on the rope was slack
ened a second, and, quicker than can
tell it, the board men were on tnelr paohs
with the board on top OF them, ana pne
bear making tracks down the place Win
his COLLAR chains dragging after him.
1
pillar, watching the operation, was
Young doctor belonging to the prlncipai
family of the town. When he saw the
hear coming he made sure it was special
Inv 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 ana was naii
way out on the girder right under Vhe
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 tnau
doctor down to the floor. He had losb MS
nerve and could only cling tight with a
certainty of falling sooner or later unless
helped.
..Another Job that time was trimming
the hoofs of the zebra, and for THIS we
borl owed the yard at the gas WORKS. inls
hoof cutting is the worst job a circus
hand can be mixed up in. Iebras are
deyilish, unconquerable, and untamaple'
kindness having no effect on thom. We
took the brute there and suddenly selzhs
him. hobbled and threw him, and, as
usual. srraightway, he went into fit and
had to be loosened to keep his oussed
temper from killing him. Directly ne
came out of the fit we threw him again,
and down he went in another fit, and this
, continued until he tired of it. Then
muzzled and held, the whites OF his eyes
, flashing like flag waving and telling
what he would do If he could, the hoofs
were Clipped, about three inches coming
off. Then the hobbies were limited to q
, single lashlng that tug at the lead
string would let loose and everybody
cleared out, for all knew what to expect.
Dick McCreary, Daredevil Dick, We
5 called him, was the man left in the In
closure to pull the string. He did So
and the brute, watching him, let out 6
3 snort TO scare any brave man, and rushed
straight for him, not giving him second
to reach the gate and get out, so with {
, quick turn,he reached the tankhouse ant
} was inside like shot. Talk about buck
ing bronchos, elephants on rampage
. what you like; 1t was ohild's play to thai
, zebra. who kicked the walls, bit them
! rushed at the fence, and started even 1T!
solid timbers, biting the fence support
: kicking iron barrows and everything IL
, his way for about fifteen or twenty min
utes and then dropping painting and tiret
out to the ground. Then the boys got q
3 hold of him and led him like a lamb bach
to quarters.
, "Snakes were another queer lot of Gus
i toners. Feeding and cleaning them was
all right, but to keep them healthy they
had to have bath once every two weeks
I remem Der once I, as a lad, was detailed
to help the keeper at this job. and WE
went to the big glass case with th'
| pythons in to begin. We had big tul
of tepid water, clean blankets being IL
another case close by to put the snakes II
when washed The case had q sprins
, catch door at the side as we'll as an open
ing at the top. We would catch q pythoI
. round the neck, grab him with tine othe