Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-05-23
TRAINED BY CRUELTY
Animals, as a Rule, Taught Tricks
Through Torture.
KINDNESS is NOT A FACTOR.
The Result of the Methods Employed,
Says an English Writer, Is the Tri-
umph of Brute Over Brute by
Patient and Persistent Cruelty.

one should never make a damning
statement unless he is prepared to
prove it up to the hilt. And so l am
confronted at the ontset with an al
most insurmountable difficulty-to the
layman who would accurately inform
himself of the methods of animal train
ing there is opposed Il bulwark of con-
cealment grim and silent as the great
wall of China" writes w. Rainton
Clarke in the Manchester Chronicle.
''The glib assurance that 1T is all
done by kindness has become a by
word No true lover of an animal be
lieves it, nor could any reasoning crea-
ture, lacking that particular affection,
If he will carefully examine such facts
as are obvious.
Granted there are animals of eX-
trcme intelligence and ductability.
Granted there are men and women of
extraordinary influence over birds and
beasts The best these twain can
achieve in combination does not pro
duce an effective stage show, nor can
one-hundredth part of the entertain
ment provided by the trainer be
ascribed to his abnormal ability or to
the especially acute intelligence of his
pupil 1t is more probably the tri-
,,,nrr Of . brrte o,.a, q brnta nv na-
tient and persistent cruelty.
THE public judges by what it sees
on the stage and remarks in admira-
tiop and approyal that there was no
sign or 81 0,bin' An animal exhibitor
who was avowclly cruel would be
pretty low down in tln ranks of show
men own q ragtfcularIv ferocious
looking bulldog who goes craZy with
delight at the SIGHT Of n whip. 1t has
been his pet TOW for wears and means
the beginning of q ronp On the other
hand q movement of the trainers fin
ger almost fmparccptillp to the audi
dence may Suggcst to the powerful
imagination of the animal fiendish tor.
ture If may recall the hot irons. the
agouizing Utilization of a nerve.
'Such appeals to the memory are. in
truth. the stock i'm trade of the animal
trainer What the wretched creature
has zone through during months of
daily preparation can never be known.
for the work is carrlcd ont in secrecy
ana seclusion. There is rarely second
peI.:n present and the brute cannot
snp That is the most hideous factor
of t.., case.
"Ther, is no cOucealment of the fact
that the training is ant TO be hard ana
uaiuful and blow is not uncommon
from the most humane and patient
trainer nnporcd If may he nv stupidi-
tv and fnsubordination. If 1t is so
with the hoy. what must il be with
the brutef
.,rhers ia no nossession so hideous
as that of the triumph. even momen-
tarilv of crueltv Touch child Il
horse or II dog with a whip and there
is n hideons sense of satisfaction. even
when the cause is righteous. The Joy
of infIictipa main is possible to the best
of us and grows by what il feeds on
.Imagine the situation between
coarse vulgarian and a helpless brute
and Won get the process of animal
training
81 have never known a disinterested
member of the circus community pre-
tend that the education of any animal
was pleasant to the animal. and | have
known them TO speak with horror OF
the methods of some trainers.
"It is NOT very long since an athlete
snotched the whfn from well known
dog trainer on the stage of London
variety theater and soundlv thrashed
him amid The plaudits of the company.
"Another DISTINGUISHED professor is
bIockIisted by one of the largest syn
dicates for uudisguised cruelty (off the
staoe, tn his LARGO and yurious family.
Two of our best known managers alb
solutely refuse TO deal with animal
Turns ana make no concealment of
their reasons And the editor. now de-
ceascd of nm fmportant professional
papcr for wears refused to attend any
nloce of entertainment where dogs or
birds or indeed any dumb crea ture
save conventional circus horses. an
neorad
IAN these mon knew what they were
about Most of the other performers
in q music hail fight keen shy of the
animal trainers The stage hands sneak
with horror of what they sea
."rbe mortality among performing
animals is nerfectly awfnl Ever so
Of 10 ssas s asaa Pn' c Of 50 ngS
"i4' ~ ~ " "