The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17
.1 !.!!!!.A rs C[ASElESS
FIGHT with LIONS:
Bostock Trainer Talks of Work
and Recalls Some Past
History.
ny A SPECTATOR.

If you want to sit stolid and I'M
thrilled through tho champion lion act
In Bostock's wild Animal Arena take
my advice and don't begin by getting
acquainted with the lion trainers.
When first / saw that show i soothed
my nervous heart-beats by the assur-
ance that the worst lion, which seemed
SO savngely refractory. was really
trained to slap and snurl during the
two daily performances, and that of
danger there was none. Yesterday
watched again that lielslish brush be-
tween man and lion; and this time,
because the man had become to me a
breathing personality, | came out of
1t was not really the lion trainer
that went to interview. but Mr..
Fred Miller. But he had an uneX-
pected but quite pressing engagement
with Consul the SECOND, the learned
chimpanzee and later with DIR.
Shook, and when lie came to
apologize he had a frightfully bitten
hand and had to turn me over to
Substitutes l+
The lion trainer was at his morn
ing task training. He had four SUI
perb African, heavily named lions in
the steel arena taking their first les
sons In their irksome education by
peiiiS litlue 10 SIT up ana look kdlBnl-
fled on pedestals. The lions got q
recess while their instructor came to
talk to me.
Not being in "evening clothes" the
trainer was not in the fine uniform
or the cowboy costume he wears in
the arena. but in full fatigue dress,
minus coat.
The Man Himself.
Now Signor Rinado, the Italian
cattle puncher-llon- king of the arena
may be u very dazzling figure but
| for my part l find the American YER
sion of him-plain Mr.. Thomas Talon,
of RoXbury. Mass.-by far the moro
the lion trainer that's different,
The military figure, the commanding
eye, the hard mouth we thought typi-
chl We're all wanting here. Plump
and comfortable, with large, almost
lazy-looking eyes, frank, pleasant
mouth ne looks too easy going ever
to manage even FESTIVE Sunday
school class. SO much for appearances
From man who had the right to
Drag, never heard SO little Dragging.
Signor Rinaldo crrs rather on the
side of understatement. A quiet III
rect manner, equally free from en-
|barrassment and swagger marks lis
conversations. Plenty of men whose
acquaintance with wild animals al
bullet distance have made more of
The achievement than he GOES OF his
-to-heart conferences with his
Hons.
l began In the middle: lis your bad
lion really bad?" said l.
He nodded "Theres three bad ones
put different ones on on different
days. They're what we call 'untrain.
able lions You can't get any worl;
out or them"
TOO stupid" hazarded.
no they're not stupid; just ugly
There's u one-eyed lion over there
lie knows his work, but you can't
make him do it.. He Just won't be a
trained lion, that's all"
J., the trainer smiled indulgently a
the powerful beast, as IL excusing til,
shortcomings of a spoilt child.
But won't your ugly lions soon be
come so tame as to be unintere stin,
II you show plem twice dally?'
The trainer shook his head
I've been working 'em quite awhil
already They're just as ugly as ever.
There isn't much real danger, i
there?"
Ugly Scars.
For answer tine lion trainer held on
his left hand. deep, twisted scar
angry looking, hideous, scanned tn
back from thumb to index finger
"one of 'em got me there last sum
Z mer," he said simply. but I got ava
from him. 1t bled like anything, b,l
didn't have to stop the performance.
He regarded the scar thoughtfully
Z THAT was pretty deep" lie said, wit
a little shake Of the head. I'm gen
: orally pretty lucky. / heal up rlgl1
u AWAY"
9 GENERALLY" said I, you don't &c
. many such tcars?'
: "A good many little ones he ar