The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-12-07
+ Romance OF a Lions Den :

7 Marble Falls, Tex, few days ago
the fortunes of two lovers were
united by matrimonial ties in a den
Of lions.
The ceremony which made Ramon
Angle and NADIA Dore man and wife
was performed in the presence of many
friends of the high contracting parties
and numerous patrons of travelling
menagerie.
The bride, who is beautiful, entered
the den of the lions with a stout whip
in her hands and drove the savage
beasts to the further end from the
door, and then held one delicate little
palm invitingly towards Mr.. Ramon
Angle, an ex-cowboy, who has recent
ly developed into a prosperous and
popular cattle man of southern Texas.
Looking a little nervous, the man
sprang lightly through the door, that
was barely swung ajar, while the ami
mails showed their white teeth and
quickly entered a or owing protest
against the intrusion.
A minister, who was standing on the
ground at safe dista nee, made assur-
ance doubly sure by stepping back a
little further from the cage.
Are you not com ing inside?" said
the smiling bride.
1T is not at all necessary" replied
the preacher as he opened the Bible.
You see, my de;ir young lady," he
added, manifesting a surprising dis
position to be ia cetious, "lions don't
seem to take kindly to me. Can't you
see that old king of the desert licking
his lips every time he looks over this
way? Thank you. l am we'll off out
here. The iron bars of the den will
in no wise affect the legality of the
ceremony. Pleas e join your hands,"
The bride laughed and the old lion
roared. Tie lion looked knowing
and sat up in hs.r corner-a model of
propriet'y-as if she had witnessed
hundrf DIS of weddings and was fully
impr .ssed with the Importance of the
occs sion and the honor conferred upon
be and her companion as witnesses of
N.he ceremony.
The minister did not detain them
long, and when he had finished the lions
set up roar. The bridegroom walked
slowly backwards over the floor of the
den to the door, which was quickly
opened by an attendant.
Somehow" said he, "the air is rath-
er oppressive in there. should not
mind being in corral with those
brutes if were mounted on a good
mustang and had my irons and rope,
but l did not feel as comfortable as
you might suppose with the door
locked and my guns as good as 40 miles
away"
The little bride played and romped
with the two ole monsters for several
moments, smacking their jaws and
pulling their tails after the manner of
a child engaged in teasing kittens.
When she retired from the den and
joined her happy husband and friends
the romance which led to the strange
wedding was told.
-Four years ago this same menagerie
made tour of western Texas. An
attractive feature of the street parade
consisted of an open den of lions drawn
by four white horses. Old Joe Craw-
ford, an accomplished animal trainer,
always occupied the den with the saw
age kings of the desert during the
grand march through the streets of a
town. When the show reached the lit
tie city of Marble Falls Mr.. Crawford
found himself full of southern malaria,
which incapacitated him for service.
In this emergency Miss NADIA Dore a
Texas girl, who was eager to master
some profession to make a living, Of
fered to take his place. The position
was not entirely new to the young
lady, for she had formed the acquaint-
ance of the lions on previous occa-
sion and they had regarded her with
manifestations of friendliness. Miss
Dore was raised on ranch in the west
ern part of the state, and she is de-
voted lover of animals. In her girlhood
she had collected a little menagerie
of her own, composed of pet coons,
wildcats, squirrels, prairie dogs and
deer. It was her ambition to become
an animal trainer, and she never lost
an opportunity to pet and caress the
animals in the menagerie. The young
lady was great favorite with the show
people as well as the general public.
Mr.. Crawford thought the daring
girl would incur little danger from the
lions, for they were old denizens of the
menagerie and docile. but he rather
reluctantly granted her permission to
take his place. prophetically remark
;nv. tsTf ;e o1Uavc fbo pra1v,oc< Al ~ ~
happens in affairs of this kind" Nc
on, would have ever guessed what real
~ did happen.