The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-26
From the New York Mail.


The really exciting part of the animal
tanning business is not seen by the public.
There is danger of course, whenever
Lolita, the Queen of Leopards," and
"Morello the Lion King enter the
arena to make their pets do stunts for the
admiration of people who like to feel cold
shivers running up and down their
spines; but that danger is trifiing in COM
parison with what goes on every day be-
hind the scenes.
The writer spent a morning recently at
a big animal show now running at near
by amusement resort frequented by hum
dreds of thousands of New Workers. The
only other persons present were pho
tographer and several of the employees of
the show. These included two women
animal trainers, clad in low-neck circus
dresses. which looked curiousy out of
place IN the cold morning light. All
around the arena were ranged the cages
of the wild beasts-lions, leopards, PAN
Tiers, hyenas, bears and many others.
The elephant trainer was exercising his
charges by walking them round and
round the building. He walked first,
and the elephants followed in single file,
four of them, each one holding the tail of
the one ahead with his trunk. so that
they formed chain. Thus they walked
for two or three hours.
elephants need lot of exercise,
said the trainer "or they very soon get
out of condition. I have to walk them
up and down like this every day.
The Leopards Like Her.
The manager of the show wanted to
nave some pictures taken of the animal
trainers and their charges in thrilling
poses, hence the presence of the photog-
rapher. So one of the women threw off
her wrapper and stepped into the Gagged
Enclosure which served for a stage. A
door at the back was opened and two
beautifully marked leopards bounded in.
One sat down quietly in the corner and
began licking its chops; the other, with a
vicious snarl stole along the edge of the
stage and tried to work round to the
back of the woman. There was no mis-
taking it's purpose-it meant to spring
upon her
Her eyes never left the sinking, agile
form. Suddenly, quick as a flash, she
rushed up to 1t and dashed 1t twice with
her whip. 1t cringed and fled to its COM
panion on the other side of the cage.
There was no more trouble. Both beasts
were easily persuaded to assume the
poses desired for the photograph.
Don't they ever attack your" the
woman was asked when she left the
cage.
VERY seldom, and then they generally
get the worst of it. she replied, with
a grim smile. But they are fond OF
me. and l have practically no trouble
with them. No doubt you have heard
people say that the really wild beasts,
like lions. tigers and leopards, are in
capable of feeling affection for their
tanners 1t is not true. l have charge
of three leopards and ordinarily they are
all very fond of me. although some times
they are apt to get sulky. They have
their cranky moods, just like human
beings"
And what happens when they have
their cranky moods?''
She pointed to a small scar just above
her right eye. ut was lucky for me the
eye wasn't torn out that time she said.
oThat was a narrow escape"
Then she drew up the lace sleeve of
her dress and showed an arm covered
with terrible scars. extending from the
shoulder nearly to the wrist. II was
laid up in the hospital several weeks that
| tone of voice
II wonder you don't quit the business
after such experiences
| 1T is very seldom that one of us quits"
| she answered, unless a man gets to
| drinking and the boss finds 1t out before
! the beasts do. Then he is fired right
away, with a bad name that may pre-
vent him from ever entering cage
again. Two of the stable hands came in
last night after a tour of the town,
but they had been drinking They were
| fred on the spot. 1t is necessary.
But the rest of us stick to the bust
ness, whatever happens. If a wild beast
| downs us once. we are all the more eager
| to conquer it-as soon as we can move
| off a hospital bed. Oh | know very
well that they will probably get me in the
| end and kill me. That happens to most
Of us in this business. But what's the
| odd? We've got to die some time. and
it's better that way than diving in a
bed. Meanwhile the life is gloriouslv ex-
citing. All animal tanners love their
work. They couldn't do It if they didn't
Her Life in Peril.
| While she was talking the other femi
nine tanner entered the ring with another
| leopard. She was dressed in a black
| costume. with a low neck and no sleeves
i and her object was to take the leonard
4 N her arms and Irvine him around her
l'bare neck and be photographed in thai
| nosition. But the leopard was IN a
vicious temper and refused to do any