Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-13

oy taking charge OF the animal act.
He said he had watched it every day,
and knew how to do it, and he could
dress up in the clothes of the regular
trainer, and the animals wouldn't
know the difference. Gee, but | was
scared to have pa try to run that ani-
NAL show, and think everyone in
the show believed it would be pa's
finish. | felt like an orphan when pa
camo out of the dressing-room with
the trainers clothes on, though pas
stomach was so big you would think
olindfolded horse would know pa
was no trainer.
Well. pa went in the round cage,
made OF bar iron, and motioned to the
attendants to send the animals into
the cage through the chute from the
animal quarters. The first to come
were two tigers that were to ride We
loclpedes. | trembled for pa when
they went in and waved their tails
! and looked at pa as much as to say:
20, We won't do thing to you" They
actually looked at each other and
wlnked;' but pa motioned to the We
locipedes and looked fierce, and when
they hesitated about getting on, pa
said: You won't, won't you and ne
took a club filled with lead and start.
ed for the biggest tiger. He hesitated
moment, and then he jumped on the
machine. and the other followed AND
they raced around, and then pa made
them get off and jump hurdles. Finally
ne motioned to shelf for them tc
Jump up onto, and when they hest
tated, he kicked one in the Stats, and
hit the other with the club, and they
/ went UP on that shelf too quick, bu,
they stayed there and snarled at pa
and was afraid they would jump VI
him when his back was turned
Tncn they brought in the blind
morse and the lion, and the lior
was onto pa, and he struck right off
He got up on the pedestal from
which he was to jump onto ths
horses back, but when the horse came
around the lion wouldn't jump, ant
| pa said: "Ill give you one moro
chance" and the horse went unde'
The lion, and he wouldn't jump. S,
| pa stepped the horse and took an iror
lar and knocked the lion off onto tn,
floor, and he growled at pa, but ps
kept mauling him, and finally tn,
lion jumped up on the pedestal ant
4 seemed to say: Bring on your horse,
L acto no
made his jumps all right, and the au
dience cheered pa.
All the animals went through thei
stunts all right, but l thought coult
see they were laying for pa, and
wished he was out of the cage. Til,
wind-up came when the lions wer,
seated on benches, and the elephan
! was between them, and the tigers ant
leopards made pyramid, and thu
monkey was clawing around pas legs
The signal was about to be given To-
the animals to return through tn,
chute, when the monkey tackled pal
legs like football player, the e.e
phanL pushed pa over, and the lion
paved him and snarled, and tn,
tigers took mouthful out of pa.
pants, and the leopards snatched hi;
red coat off, and the signal was give.
for them to get out of the cage, ami
they went out like boys at recess
leaving pa in the cage with the blint
horse, with not clothes enough LET
on him to wad a gun He was no
even scratched, however, the animals
having just combined to humiliate pa
The audience cheered Pa said
well. wouldn't that skin you" They
threw him an overcoat to put on, an,
he bowed like hero, and quit the RIM
cage, and was met outside by the whole
show management, and congratulated
on having more nerve than any mar
| alive.
Pa said: eff you will give me ,
shotgun loaded with bird shot, l will
make those animals get on their knee
| at thenext performance, and beg mypaY
don. You can discharge your trainer
J. ana l will teach them a lot of new
stunts"
Say, pa is a wonder, and he has al
ready got old Barnum beat a block