The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-28
HARDEST ANIMAL ID TRAIN IS ANTEATER Has Less Sense Than Any Other
 Animal in the World JESS A WONDERFUL BEAR ApdaIe Tells How He Trains His Ami maIs-WllI Have Boxing Bear Next Year to Use With
 Ills Act.
JESS A WONDERFUL BEAR

"Of all the animals in the world hard to train, the anteater is the hardest, said J. F. Apdale, who has fifteen or sixteen animals in a vaudeville act at the Bijou this week. "Dick, my anteater. has about as little sense as an animal could have, and I spent months training him to do his few stunts, and he is the only animal of his species In the world that can do that much. In fact he is the only anteater fin training, the only one civilized. I might say. l considered that had accomplished something when I trained him so that he would not bite me, but now Dick and myself are friends
 Apdale was preparing for his act while he talked. He was putting medicine on the ear of a dog who had indulged in a Friendly dispute with a big German poodle a few days ago; fixing the eye of another with rose water; betting one here scoldng another there, but speak ing to all with an affection which was marked. His dogs he says are almost hu- man. He loves them as he would a baby, kisses and fondles them. but all the time he Is training them.
 Black Bear.
 "'The smartest animal l have, consid- ering their relative sense, is Jess the little black bear. She is the best trained bear l ever saw, as gentle as she can be and a hard worker. Jess is the bear that lies on her back and juggles a ball in the air with her four feet with a dog balanced on top of the ball.
 Jess has an ear for music also, She plays the banjo and rides a tricycle. at the same time. When you come to think that Is something remarkable No other bear can do those stunts. But Jess does a still more difficult stunt. She stands on one foot on top of a ball and nurses a baby dog in her arms.
 DO my animals fight? Well. not ex- acty. They have gentlemanly differences and scrap over them, cut these troubles rarely amount to much. I teach them at the start that they must not fight but must keep their temper and live to- gether like one big family. As rule they do so but like other well regulated fam files they have disputes but none of the animals ever resort to fire arms. They fight with their fists or with their claws and teeth.
 By the way. am going to have the greatest act on record next year if my plans work out right. I have two black bears fin New York. just like the two here and 1 am training them for a three round boxing match to put on in my act next year. If I can do so, It will be the best trained animal act on earth What did l name them?. Why Teddy G and Teddy B of course. What else could I name a pair of boxing bears?
 "In treining animals I gain their con fdence first. I want them to know that I am not going to hurt them. When an animal thinks you are going to hurt it, it Is sulky all the time and is slow in act Ing When they love you they are willing workers and are never sulky. I associate with my animals constantly. Every morn ing I come down and work a couple of hours with them.
 Patience Required.
 Tt takes as much as six months to train some animals. Jess was six months learning to balance and revolve that ball while lying on her back. She was will ing to learn. but 1t is no easy task and she had to work a couple of hours every