The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-28
DANGERS of a Lion Tanners Life as Admitted by a
49, Woman Who IS in the Business *
~ ~

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
/ saw a comely woman In the prime Of
health and personal charm face six wild
leopards in an arena cage larger than any
other cage OF the kind in this country or
abroad. The decollete evening gown She
wore displayed the rounded grace of her
arms. her neck, her shoulders: but the evil
nature OF the leopards saw no beauty there
except that it was human flesh and made
TO tear with wicked claws, to lacerate and
wound with great sharp teeth.
The tender flesh of her arms when you
saw them near by was SCARED in a dozen
places where these sleek, spotted demons
had clawed and even bitten her. Her neck
betrayed the ugly marks of wild claws.
cruel evidence of all but deadly conflict
between human will and devilish instinct.
/ saw her fight one of these animals, step
by step. round and round the huge cage, her
only weapon an iron fork attached TO a
strong wooden handle about four feet long,
a whip with leather thongs and deter
mination and courage that suhdued the dew
IFS passion of the wild beast TIL he could
only smart and Spit striking at her with his
claws. catching the iron fork in his mouth
and grinding il between his strong jaws.
then leaping high above her mead, clinging
10 the bars of the cage, and again leap
ing almost upon her from its height, and
fooled in his desire by her own quick wit.
Frank Stockton wrote story called The
Lady or the Tiger" l wish he would turn
his great literary gift to tell US this re-
markable psychic battle of the lady and the
leopard-tet it seriously, accurately, 1
might say reverently, as il deserves to be
told.
This one woman, who has dared to face
the treachery of leopards nature. to force
this widest and wickedest of cat beasts to
do the tricks performed by less dangerous
animals. is as modest about her achieve
ment. as womanly in her persona! nature
and as gentle as women aspire to be-as
most of them are.
The finger of fate pointed out for her this
life among wild animals. She could not es-
cape it.
Some day, perhaps, gay will kill mel!
said she to me, with an Indifferent shruS OF
her shoulders and a smile as alluring as If
the thought she had just uttered expressed
a paltry vanity, feminine form OK en-
chantment.
The snake charmer has lost her mysteri-
GUS Significance; she inspires but casual
ave- since We know that snakes are more
or less unconscious of sensation; some OK
them harmless; but the cringing, monstrous
leopard cat is the most alert fend by nature
that the life OF this world creates.
It took Nine Morelu Just three-quarters
OF an hour to drive her leoparos into the
arena cage, to force them to mount tne2r
pedestals.
During that time q vicious fight occurred
between the largest leopard and TINS woman
trainer, % violent that when i. standing IN
perfect safety outside the arena cage, I'M
plored her TO let him 60 back into MS own
email compartment and give up the ngnt'
she did 20, must reluctantly, however. al
though she WAS shaking IRON rom h ssr 10 io''
There is no fake" about an inturiateo
leopard locked up in a large cage with a
woman whose physical strength against ms
is as . ny against mans hand. When 1t
WIS all over ana We We're sitting together
OUTSIDE the cage the perspiration still stood
Whole BODY was trembling and weak.
him do what I want she said. slight
culver IN her voice. FAINT smile on her
"A bau leopard I said, shortly. 1 was
only a trihe less excited, although l had
II thought ne was my best friend Yes
terday ] take him in my arms and he kiss
That beast." I said. with an uneontrolla-
BILE revulsion Of feeling at this unexpected
reyeiati9n of treachery.
Oh! You nevaire can tell. A leopard is
there. They bite and scratch me ali over
Aren't you ever afraid!'
Eth bien! take re chance"
But why-why? There are other things
you could do surely besides taking sucn
chances as this l said warmly.
OIL. so ONE ines, L think so.yes, l think so. "
ing In the deep shadow OF her mornings ex-
perfence. The vivid recollection OF the main
those healed-up scars on her white. fan
neSh had given revealed itself for q second
or two in the sensitive lines of her face
but 1t did not last long. The sinister infiu-
ence OF fatality that marks the score of
AL lives silenced the normal reason of the
matter. and the old. alluring smile came
pack g she threw up her head and said
'.If no do this work would be miser-
able: 7 would not know what TO do with
myself: I would be lost
So the line OF sympathetic argument was
dismissed. as most arguments with the fair
sex should be. What limitation to debate
can there be on q question involving such q
startling choice of vocation as that OF :
woman trainer Of wild animals?
The fact Of her nine years labor in this
strange profession. and the scars on her
seems 10 me psychologists could weave =
broad. wide area Of essay space out Of such
She knows the danger far better than ~.
who watch her from a safe distance. She
was nearly killed in Indianapolis by thess
same leopards short while ago. Any mo
ances she may be torn to pieces, but Abe
keeps at her work. keeps on taking chancas
keeps on with her conflict between woman
and wild cat.
It IL her business, her profession, her liy-
ing. and her husband, who is a weli-known
lion-tamer, apparently fears little for her.
since he Is rarely with her.
There il SO much romance in this bust
neea yet 50 little Of 1t acknowledged by
the principal actors in the arena.
Once during her fight that morning the
leopard got his claws in the lace overskirt
OF har dress and ripped 1t in a Hash. Then
he sprang At her again. and she dashed him
A. Il he had been q thing that could not
Kill her: but only q wild and angry pet
''ZQY know yoice /" she Sstd ssv,1,ov !
rpeak to zem. When say. wife, Cartouehe!
siions. Rupiere! vite la, wife lar zen cay
1ho nesi,,0ass