Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-03-06
A TALE OF A TIGER.

preparation Of skins for utiliiorian and
decorative purposes. Venerable Thomas
Dangcrield, who knows a vast amount Of
curious things had given the writer much
interesting information about seal skins.
bear skins, bird skins, monkey skins,
snake skins and nearly every other variety
Of cuticle that covers the flesh and bones
Of the fauna Of the world After the skin
question seemed to be about exhausted
the stream Of talk turned into the chan.
mel OF animated nature. and the old gen
tleman told about some live tigers he had
known
Before came to this country" be said,
81 spent good bit Of my time about the
geological gardens Of London ] was N
that way Of business, you know, and was
on the lookout for skins Manys the
pretty specimen l got too, and most OF
them now grace the walls Of dukes
palace For time [ made something o.
a specially of tiger cubs, on kittens,
should say. You know tigers viii breed
in captivity, but they won't rear Their
young Their instinct seems to teach
them that death is better for the chill
dren Of the forest than life ia cage.
did you ever hear Of Nina Shabby
Not Nina Shahib, the notorious leader in
the great Indian mutiny but his name
sake, the finest tiger ever brought to-
London-the one that ran amuck on Rad
cliiie highway, London, and alterWard
killed lion in single combat! Never
heard Of him? Well, he was a grand
beast, king among tigers double
striped monster from the jungles of Ben
gal His sides looked as large as a COW
and he had a head like a bull. l forget
his measurements, but they were enor-
nous. Jamrosch, the famous animal I'M
porter OF the old days, brought him to
England and was proud of him. He
named him Nina Shahib, because about
that time there was a rumor that the
original Nina was cOrnered some place
in the mountains Of India, and might be
captured, which / don't think he ever was.
"Well, Nina Shabib, the tiger, proved
himself to be nearly as hard a customer
to hold as Nina Shahib, the man, was
to catch The Jamrosch people were
loading the animals on a Great Western
train At Radcliffe highway, when Ninl
Sbahib escaped from his cage. How he
did it no one knew, and when the keep
ers missed him he was not to be seen
in the railway yards He was bounding
down Radcliffe highway toward the
Thames, as free and easy as if he ha /
the sanction of the lord mayor. People
scuttled into doorways, and horses ran
away, but Nina Shahib kept on toward
the Thames, jumping into the air oc-
casionally and curving his huge body as
If in Joy at his freedom. Once OF twice
he stopped to smell Of a post, and this
gave his keeper time to locate and almost
overtake him As the tiger reached an
iutersecting street he stopped to examine
a lamp-post, possibly thinking it was a
new kind of tree. just then boy
a small bit of a lad, like an American
newsboy-turned the corner. He saw tie
tiger, and thought it was a dog Boy
like he stopped and admired the beast,
aud tried to stroke him. Quick as flash
Nina Shahib's big teeth were sunk in the
boys shoulder. The Rext instant the child
was on the ground unconscious, with Nina
Shahib standing over him, as cat stands
over mouse waiting for him to move
before giving him the death blow with
his huge, armed paw. Fortunately, the
keeper was close at hand, and still more
fortunately, he was brave man-though
he didn't weigh more than nine stone
and was armed with a crowbar. Ruu'
ming up TO the tiger the keeper dealt him
a blow on the back of the head that
stunned him. Another keeper came up
at this iuncture, and the two dragged the
ferocious Nina Shahib back to his cage,
as subdued as a whipped spaniel.
ct was a brave act, aud no mistake.
but the blow that Nina Shahib received
was such severe one it is little wonder
that it knocked the fight out OF him. i
destroyed one of his optic nerves, and
he lost the sight Of one eye, but in a
few weeks he was ready for more oevil-
try. The boy was badly hurt, but got
well after awhile, and maybe the expert
ence Of having been attacked by q royal
Bengal tiger in the heart Of London was
sufficient compensation for the pain he
experienced
aJamroseh sold Nina Shahib to Mrs
Wambold, widow Of the great menagerie
man of that name. The price was fS00.
or about sl,OO0 Mrs. Wambold had the
big tiger placed in a large cage that had
been occupied by a large silver-maned
lion. The lion was placed in a cage that
was separated from the other by a par
tition Of heavy oak boards. He didn',
like the change, and wien he shifted the
tiger he sounded challenge. Nina
shahib was as anxious to fight as the
lion. and they both tore like mad at the
partition II seemed too strong for them
however and the keepers only laughed
"The London ZOOS are not open to tie
public on Sundays, and the animals arc
not fed on that day One reason for this
is that Il saves expense, and another Is
that a day Of fasting makes the animals
| Iivelier and, consequently, more entertain
ing. during the week One Sunday, when
the menagerie building was deserted, the
keepers on the outside heard a great
commotion Lions and tigers were roac
| ing. hyenas were screaming. elephants
we're trumpeting, monkeys we're chatter
ing. Every beast in the place seemed Ia
/ have gone mad with excitement RUSHING
! into the building, the keepers soon found
/ the cause Of the row. The lion and Minis
1 shahib had demolished the oak partition
/ that kept them apart, and there iney
were, engaged IN a struggle to the death
| It was a terrible sight, even 70 those mer
l who were accustomed to the beasts and
| knew their power, to see those two mighty
| animals in combat Both were wild with
rage The roars Of the lion shook the
/ building but above an could be heart
/ the fearful screams Of Nina Shahib. TIA,
/ keepers punched them with iron bars
/ but without effect. They had longed fol
a chance to fight, and, now they had Il
neither was willing to quit. Finally, thi
lion seemed to have the best Of It. Ia
/ had forced Nina Shahib to the hoor AMI
was trying to land a blow ON his head
/ But that was the tigers opportunity Th,
lion was standing directly over him. With
one swift, backward sweep Of his hind
claws, Nina shahib tore open the stomach
I Of his antagonist.
"The lion was dead before Nina shahii
was driven from him with hot irons ana
secured with chains. passed through th,