Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-20

the profession Of animal training is of
the best, is no exception to the rule.
Sooner or later he will go bad He
usually shows symptoms of his mad
ness before 1t actually occurs. His
eyes grow bloodshot. He will stand for
hours, his trunk in his mouth and while
he sucks he plans. He may try to strike
his keeper with his trunk or else step
on him, but in way which will seem
entirely accidental. An elephant Is a
peculiarly sagacious and cunning an
imal. Once bad, after that always
good Is fallacy. He may recover his
senses but If he does he can be de-
pended upon to show his dementia at
some future time. A determined man
manage the most unruly Of the
beasts.
Kind and Firm
Kindness and firmness ara the
weapons with which the trainer holds
his power over his charges, but kind
ness must not be used when it Is in
order to use firrnness. Many trainers
make that mistake. A good elephant
is an elephant that has had a sound
drubbing. OF course, I do not mean
that nothing but force should be used
When this is the case, the animal starts
in planning revenge and at the first
opportunity he carries out his intention.
Enough force must be used to COW the
animal and make him know that his
trainer is his master.
Here Is little argument which will
appeal to members of the w. c. T. u.
A man must be temperate in his habits.
Animals, and the elephant above all
Others, can tell when his trainer has
been drinking. Immediately they lose
their fear of him and with their fear
goes respect They seem to know that
the man is not himself and the habit
ually hard drinker ends up with being
dead animal trainer. Many men lose
their courage and start in drinking
stimulants to make them brave. 1t is
all off with them then.
Watched by Big Ben
do you see the way Big Ben is
watching me?" Caldwell asked when
there came a lull in the conversation.
SHOULD that lion break from his cage
at this moment L would probably be
the first person he would attack"
Caldwell was $50 feet away from the
big lion and there were many persons
near the cage, but sudden motion
of Caldwells body would cause the
lion to look menacingly in the direction
of the trainer.
animals are like people in a great
many respects" continued Caldwell.
Sometimes they take an intuitive dis
like to a person and Ben has decided
! ly poor opinion of me. Three days ago
when I came to the zoo, wore pair
of dark spectacles. cinder had
lodged in my right eye and I was not
very good trainer for an animal to
look at. When 1 approached 'Ben's'
cage he let me know his opinion of me
by a growl. have not changed in his
regard" With this Caldwell walked
over to the cage ''Ben" had Just been
fed and was crunching big bone hun
gerily, but he left off Immediately to
look up at the trainer.
what value would you place on the
animal?" Caldwell was asked. II
should say that he is worth from $1,000
to $500 to any ZOO" he replied. and
perhaps $4,000 to a Snowman, as he
could easily be taught to do line of
stunts. So far as know. he Is one
of the finest in the United States. and
he is an animal that is in excellent
condition at the present time"
Seagsby-There a little summer ro-
nance dished. all right, bet.
Rigsby-Yes; she made believe she
was drowning. and the chump called
life guard instead Of pulling her out
himself.--Judge.