Waterbury Democrat., 1901-07-31
TAMING ALLOW

The wild beast tanner, as generally pictured, is mysterious, person Wno stalks about sternly in high boots and possesses a remarkable power of the eye that makes lions and tigers quail at his look and shrink away. He rules by fear, and the crack of his whip IS supposed to bring memories of tortur- ing points and red hot irons.
 Such is the story book lion tanner, and I may as well 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 conquest by fear. It is no more fear that makes lion walk on a ball than it is fear that make a horse pull a wagon. It is habit The lion is per fectly willing to walk on the ball, and he has reached that mind, not by cruel treatment, but by force of his trainers patience and kindness and superior in- telligence.
 Of 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 rush from behind; and it Is important that he be a sober man. for alcohol breaks the nerve 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 genuine fond ness for his animals. This does not mean that the animals will necessarily be fond of the tanner; some will be fond of him, some will be indifferent to him, some will fear and hate him. nor will the trainers fondness protect him from fang and claw. We shall see that there is danger always, acci- dent often. but without the fondness there would be greater danger, and more frequent accident. A fondness for lions and tigers gives sympathy for them, sympathy gives understanding of them and understanding gives mastery of them, or as much mastery as is pos sible. What but this fondness would keep q tanner constantly with his ani- mals, not only in the public show the easiest part), but ill the denS, in the treacherous runaway, 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 toner's own joy in it?
 z I do not purpose now to present in detail the methods of tanning wild beasts, rather what happens after they are. tanned; but may say that a lion tanner always t begins by spending weeks or months in gaining a new animals confidence. aft
 Day. after day he will stand for a long time outside theb cage, merely looking at the ilion.r talking to him, sr,1 ,,s,I familiarity with his voice and person. And each time, as he goes away, he is careful to toss a piece of meat as 3 pleasant memento of his visit.
 Later he ventures inside the bars, carrying some simple weapon-a wn1p, a rod, perhaps broom. which is more formidable than might be supposed, through the jab of it's sharp bristles. One tanner used common chair with much success against unbroken lions. If the creature came at him, there were the four legs in his face; and soon the chair came to represent boundless pow ed to that ignorant lion, i, He feared it and hated it. as was seen ,on one oc- casion when the tanner left it in the cage and the lion promptly tore it into splinters. z
 Days may pass before the hon will let his tanner do more than merely stay inside the cage at a distance. Very well; the tanner stays there. He waits hour after hour; week after week; until a time comes when the lion will let him move nearer, will permit the touch of his hand, will come forward for piece of meat, and at last treat him like friend, so that finally he may sit there quite at ease, and even read his newspaper, as one man did.
 Lastly begins the practice of tricks; the lion must spring to d pedestal and be fed; he must jump from one nedes- tai to another and be fed; must keep certain pose and be fed. A bit of meat is always the final argument, and the tanner wins Gf he wins at all for some times he fails)a by patience and kind ness.
 | s'There is no use getting angry with a lion," said we'll known tanner to me, and there is no use in carrying a re- volyer. If you shoot a lion or injure him with any weapon, it is your loss, for you must buy another lion, and the chances are that he will kill you any way, if he starts to do it. The thing is. to keep him from starting. ."-St Nicholas.