Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-10
LION TAMER.
He Should Have a Quick Eye, Delicate
Hearing and Fondness for Animals.

The wild beast tanner. as generally
pictured. is a mysterious person who
stalks about sternly in high boots and
possesses remarkable power of the
eve that makes lions and tigers quail at
his look and shrink away. He rules by
fear. and the crack of his whip is sup
posed to bring memories of torturing
points and r>-d-hot irons.
Such is the tory-book lion tanner.
and ] may as we'll say at once that out
side of story books he has small eX-
istence. There is scarcely any truth in
this theory of hate for hate and con-
quest by fear. 1t is no more fear that
makes a lion walk on ball than it is
fear that makes a horse pull a wagon.
1t is habit. The lion is perfectly will
ing to walk on the ball. and he has
| reached that mind. not by cruel treat
mcnt. but by force of trainers pa
thence and kindness and superior in
telligence.
or course Wild-beaSt tanner should
have a quick eye and delicate sense of
hearing, so that he may be warned of a
Sudden spring at him or a rush from
behind: and il is important that he be a
or gives a false courage worse than
folly: but the quality on which he must
chiefly rely and which alone can make
him a great tamer-not second-rate
bungler-is a genuine fondness for his
animals. This does not mean that the
animals will necessarily be fond of the
trainer: some will be fond of him. some
will be Indifferent to him. some will
fear and hate him. .,or will the train
er's fondness protect him from fang
and claw.
We shall see that there is danger al
ways. accident often. but without the
fondness there would be greater dan
ger and more frequent accidents. a
fondneSs for lions and tigers gives
sympathy for them. sympathy gives
understanding of them. underSta ndng
gives mastery of them. or as much
mastery as is possible. What but this
fondness would keep tanner con-
stantly with is animals. not only in
the public show tthe easiest parU. but
IN the dens. IN the treacherous run
away. in the strange night hours in
the early morning romp, when no one
is looking, when there is no reason for
being with them except the tanners
own joy in it? =.
do not purpose now to present in de
tail. the methods of tanning wild beasts
rather what happens after they are
tanned: but | may say that lion tanner
always begins by spending weeks or
months in gaining new animals con-
tidenCe.
Day after day he Will stand for a long
time outside the cage, merely looking at
the lion. talking I" him. impressing upon
the beast a general familiarity with his
81 inn. no
goes away. he is careful To toss a piece
OF meat as pleasant memento Of his
Later. he ventures inside the bars.
carrying some simple weapon-a WHIP
a rod. perhaps broom. which is more
formidable than might be supposed
through the iab of its sharp pristleS
one. tanner used a common chair with
much success AGAINST qnbroken lions
the tour legs in his face. and soon the
chair came to represent boundless power
TO that ignorant lion. He feared it and
hated 1t. was on one occasion
when the tanner left in the cage ana
thu lion promptly tore it into splinters.
Days may pass before. the lion will
INSIDE the cage at distance. Very
well: the tanner stays there. He waits
hour after hour. week after week. until
n time comes when the lion will let him
move nearer. will permit the touch of
his hand. will come forward for a piece
OF meat, and at last treat him like a
quite At ease. and even read his news
paper. as one man did.
Lastly. begins the practice of tricks,
the lion mast spring to a pedestal and
be fed. ne must jump from one pedetaI
to another and be fed. must keep Il Ger
tain pose and be fed. a Bit of meat is
tanner wins Gf he wins at all for some
times he fails, by patience and kindness.
:, There Is no use getting angry with a
lion. said well-known tanner to me-
anu there Is no use IN carving 90
TolNer II you shoot lion injure
nm nm with any weapon, il is your loss.
chances are that he will kill you any
way if he starts to do it. The thing is
To keep him from starting.
Presence of mind is the one thing es-
sential II person aspires to be a tanner
of wild beasts.
This recalls a story that Mr. Bostock
told me. showing how, Blanca's fondne,s
Tor her lions persisted even in the face
of fierce attack. 1t was in Kansas CITY.
and for some days Spirhre had been
working badly. So that on this particu-
lar afternoon Blanca had spent two
hours in the big exhibition cage irving
70 get the lioness into good form. But
Il" one perfectly easy thing, Il jump over
a pedestal.
Ask Mr.; Bostock to please come
mere: called Blanca. finally. quite at her
approaching. and hers the chief act 20
60 on with Spitfire in rebellion would
never 90. ,for the spirit OF mischief
spreads among lions and tigers as among
children. Spitfre must be forced to lamp
over that pedestal.
Mr. BoStock arrived. presently. and at
once entered the cage carrying two
whips, as is the custom. There is some
thinG in this man that impresses animals
and tanners alike. 1t is not only that he
is big and strong and loves his animals
and does not fear them: that would
scarcely account for his extraordinary
prestige. which is his rather because he
KNOWS mons and tigers as can only Ii
man who has literally spent his life
WIN them; From father and grand
father he has inherited precious and lIn-
usual lore OF the cages. He was born
in menasere he married the daughter
OF a menaSt RE owner. He sleeps always
with roars of lions in his ears And his
principle is and always has been, that
he VIII enter any cage at any time If n
real need calls him-which has led to
many situation like that created by
Spitfircs disobedicnce
1t should be borne in mind that there
were many groups in the menagerie al
this time. each with its regular tanner
and while Bostock. as owner and di
rector. watched over all of them In
| often happened that months would pass
| without his putting his foot inside this
or that particular cage. And in the
present case he was practically a
| stranger TO the four lions and t1ie tiger
now ranged around on their pedestals in
a semicifcie 80 feet in diameter, With
big Brutus in the middle AM. the snarlin.
a