Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-08-13
Employed to Clean Out Cages He
Went About II in Bust.
ness Like Way.
"SHooED" EN- With BROOM
The Lions, Taken Back by the Audaci.
ty of the Performance. Shrink Away
: Into the Corner In Astonshment.
t Could Not Appreciate Danger He
Ran.

You know. of course" began tho
old circus man. as he ran n parlor
match carefully up his trousers leg.
linen in our line meet with some pc.
cnliar and amusing Incidents
while we were in city IN the
southwestern part Of Ohio last season
an incident occurred which shows to
what danger an ignorant man will OK
pose himself and how he may escape
all injury
while in the city the mcnagcrie
manager was asked for work by II big
German named Hans, and as somebody
was wanted To clean the cages of tho
animals he was engaged.
He was told to go to the cages con-
tanning the lions, tigers and other ami
mails and clean the cages thoroughly.
both inside and outside. The man
went to work and the manager went
about his business.
"Hc came back some time after
ward and was wondering what had
become of the new man, for he was
nowhere to be seen. On making Il
close search he was Mortified to see
the man inside the cage with
five llons He was going about his
work In a mcthodcal way, sweeping
the Ilopr vigorously with his broom.
which lie occasionally shoued' into
the faces of the lstonishcd lions when
ever any Of them came near him.
"Thc animals were evidently so sur
priscd ut the mans utter Indifference
to them that they kept hnddlcd up in
one corner until Hans wanted To clean
out that particular part of the rage.
They were unccrcmOnously cvictcd
Ill 1, Al
scampcrcd around utterly forsciful Of
their proper dignity.
THE manager never expected HE
man to come out alive, as he felt sure
the animals would attack him as soon
as he started to leave the den. lie
hastily got some of the hands together,
and then ordered the German to come
out of the cage.
The fellow wanted to finish his
work, and laughed at the idea Of the
lions hurting him. but he finally
ohcyed orders and came out without Il
scratch. What prevented the animals
from tearing him to pieces was n mys-
terry, for nobody darcs to antcr The
cage in which these particula. lions
arc kept as they arc Il very savage
and unruly lot.
THE GOODNESS of the deed must have
utterly astOnishcd the lions, and his
steady use OF the broom, which was
polied in their faces every now and
then, must have conviccd them that
they had 10 deal with new species
OF animal and under the circumstances
discretion was the better part of
valor.
1T was some time before the man
could be convinced OF the great dan.
ger he had been in and persuaded to
use rakcs that are always used for
cleaning out the inside OF the cages.
These are provided with long handles.
and the man using them can stand
safely ont of danger while doing his
work"
That reminds me of a similar Incl
dent that happened while ! was trav-
cling with the Il. p. Arlington Circus"
Clipped in circus hnn MS he gazcd
for moment at the lions in Il nearby
cage
In one of the side shows connect.
ed with the circus wus cage with a
single lion In it, On the cage was a
placard which stated that the beast
had killed 10 men. and $1,000 offered
to any man who dared enter the cage
A big sign was hung outdoors to the
same effect. and those who didn't go
In To sec the fat hoy and the mermaid
surely wanted to gaze on the lion.
One day there was large crowd
In, and the lecturer was about to
begin on the mermaid when a little
man, who was bow-legged and hump.
f.------v------------