Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-11-03
LION TAMER'S LESSON
HOW LIQUOR DESTROYS HIS POWER
OVER HIS BEASTS.

Animal Not a Judge of Morality, but
He Can Detect a Drunkard and Has
No Respect For Him-What Trainer
BostOck Says.
The New York Journal recently pub
lished the following instructive edito-
rial on the liquor question::
An old superstition says that the llon'
king of beasts, is instinctively fond OF
high moral character and can tell at
sight the moral nature of a woman 1t
is alleged that the lion would under no
circumstances injure one of the Vestal
virgins, as he could instantly recognize
her superior character. This is OF
course nonsense. The lion knows moth
Ing Of abstract morality.
But Mr.. Bostock, professional trainer
Of wild beasts, is perfectly right When
he says that lions and other savage an
finals can tell when the trainer who
controls them begins to drink too much.
Mr.. Bostock tells us that the lion and
the tiger, the lion especially, can tell II
a man is q drunkard or If he is addict
ed in other ways to bad habits that
ruin health.
Mr.. Bostock tells us of one trainer,
the best in America in his day, now re-
tired from business. This trainer be-
gan to drink, and, although he was al
ways perfectly sober when he entered
the cage with lions, he saw that they
were losing respect for him. He re-
ceived various warnings and decided to
give up lion tanning before the lions
killed him.
Does the lion know anything about
morality, chastity, drink, etc? No.
But the lion does know great deal
about firmness Of character, force IN
the eve, determination in the voice and
movement
A good lion tanner is man Of power
full magnetic force. He possesses alb
solute control of himself physically.
and this control of himself gives him
control of the lions.
The lion detects the trainer who
drinks, he detects the trainer who lives
immorally, because drink and immoral
ity destroy in man the qualities neces-
sary to be a good lion tanner.
A great majority Of our readers are
not lion tanners. We should not bore
them with this dissertation but for the
fact that Mr.. Bostock's observations
are useful to others than those who
train lions.
The qualities that make lion tanner
successful are the qualities that make
every other man successful. To do
your best work you need to keep at par,
to keep your vital forces at the highest
point.
Whisky and immortality take the edge
of human character. They weaken it
in every spot from top to bottom.
Firmness and self control are dimin-
ished by foolish self indulgence.
1t would be worth the while Of par
ents who take their children to see lion
tanners to read them lecture on this
subject.
Point out to the children the man
who stands in the cage Of the lions,
and lecture them as follows:
You see that man. See how straight
and steady he stands. You see how firm
his eye is and how the lions respect
him. Do you admire him? Well chill
dren, one bottle Of whisky, or half
bottle. would take all of that firmneSs
out Of the greatest lion tanner and
make of him such miserable spectacle
that the lions would be almost ashamed
to eat him.
If you want to have any Of the lion
tanners qualities, children, leave whls-
Ky alone-and go to bed early.