The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-12

parade set Wichita all agog with wonder
and interest, and at night the tent on
/ South Main was crowded
| The Gentry show is the greatest Of its
kind in the world.
The following story Of Tampa" the
new somersault dog. is told in a recent
issue of the Indianapolis Journal:
| II will doubtless be remembered by
many who saw the Gentry dog and pony
show while it was here last year that
/ the ringmaster nightly introduced into
/ the ring a handsome dog that ne was
/ teaching to do very difficult feat of
turning a complete back somersauIt. At
that time the work had been going on
some four months. and the dog. Tampa
by name, was apparently as far from
becoming a canine acrobat as before the
training had commenced As a rule. five
or six months is all that is necessary
for Professor Gentry to perfect first
class somersault dog. but Tampa was an
exception. Although a bright looking
fellow, his ideas Of gymnastics were ex-
ceedingly dense. So from the time they
left here until the season had finally
closed It Athens. Ca. in November. Prot
Gentry had spent hours daily in vainly
trying to teach Tampa to turn a back
somersault. But al the seasons end the
work was still unfinished. He couldn't
catch the idea. SO after the show went
into winter quarters at Bloomington and
the long, arduous work OF training ami
NAL actors was commenced. Tampa was
auffre1x- FNr-aAtar
and the fire scene took up too much of
the professors time, consequently the
fact that a new somersault dog was need
ed TO take the place Of Barney, who was
growing too old to perform the feat with
grace and agility. was overlooked. Tam
pa, in company with dozen or more
poodies was placed in a large stall IN
the training barn, and one day while the
rest Of Gentrydom stood around g1lvi1g
Tampa over his perpetual failures sud-
denly for the first time he caught the
trick. and while all the rest sat around
looking on. but not saving word IN
their ungenerous modification. Tampa
was discovered in the act All that WAS
clearly disceruibIe was Il ring OF white
and a ring Of black OF some fluffy stuff
revolving like an electric <an. II was
Tampa turning hack SomersauIts. while
the rest Of the dog sristocracy was sim
ply eaten I'd with jealousy and confu-
sion. Consequently Barney was left AZ
home this year and Tampa occupies the
position. TO HIS intense delight Barney
IS now one Of the pensioners. and there
are many. too, on the Gentry farm. who
have helped r. 3. Gentry 70 make his
fortune Barney was one Of his first a.
tempfs al animal training lie was only
a little mongrel cur. but an exceedingly,
bright one, He had a keen intuition. ara
what Barney could not - taught was
rea!iy not worth a cannes conterurl7
ton He now roams az VIII over The
broad acres Of the farm. unkenpt hrs,
happy Ha was formerly very sristocrst-
ic and took great pride IN his daily ba.h
and whom The sIIken ribbons we're FAST
ened about his neck ne locked very a-,s-
tocratic in The dafly 7srades. b., all r
changed. for Rarnev s. only enc a. .rs
pensioners. or. - Tire tern gs used IN
a theatrical connection. Simply ''has
beer
Professor Gsu;-y's dog and pozy show
vas 3 good attraction here lazs year for
three weeks