The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-06
TRAINING STAGE ANIMALS.
Some Learn Their Lessons With Sur
rTiSiNC QNicEEnss.

come Learn IHcif hcS5Ot4S "4Vu oul'
rriSing Quickross.
A farmer would scarcely believe that
n goose requires only about SIX hours
in order 20 prepare il for .hc tootllghts
and a critical audience. and that a com.
mon pig. which has been bought in the
market, will in thirty hours be COM
petenr 20 blossom forth as an actor.
According TO Clyde Powers, trainer
OF wide experience and much patience.
il takes a duck about three days 10
learn now TO march on tho stage, 10 fol
low the chorus and 70 march Off again
at the proper time; II takes chicken
n week or more, and a turkey cannot
grasp the art Of acting before six
months time. says n writer in Leslie S
Weekly. Mr.. Powers has tried 10 train
a peatowl, bur he finds that IL is i'm
possible. \ goose is tho most lntelll-
gent of all The feathercd tribe, and
a goose is also the only one Of the do
nestle fowls that shows affection.
During a visit of tho writer at n
dress rehearsal at the Hippodrome
three or four cub bears were being
schooled in the art of standing on their
heads, in driving an automobile, or at
least appearing 10 do so, and last. but
not least--for il amuscs an audience
greatly-to drink out of bottles. To
teach them this last act is not very
sweetened water; in fact, the difficulty
comes in preventing the cubs from
stealing these bottles and rehearsing
before II is time. So fond are they of
this particular form Of acting. Bears
are decidedly humorous. and while they
know perfectly well what they are do
ing, they often do a trick the wrong
way. APPARENTLY Just for tine humor Of
the thing, and they seem To enjoy the
scolding, which with baby bears is
seldom accompanied by punishment.
The trainer s pockets arc usually bulg-
ing with sugar and thc cubs are given
a taste every time they obey orders and
90 through trick with willingness. If
bear is good-tempered and of adapt
able disposition, a new trick can be
mastered III about four weeks.
An animal act which attracted a
great deal of attention in this coun-
try from lovers of the four-footed per
formers was that of Clara Heliot with
her troupe of ten fun grown lions. Miss
Heliot trained these animals without
assistance, but she continues to as
slst IN caring for them. The first
thing every morning she makes the
round OF the cages to see that her pets
are happy and we'll. In return for her
devotion the lions arc siavishly fond
of her, and she is one of the very few
trainers who have been in the work for
ten years without receiving even
scratch.
Ny lions are good in every
thing except in the matter Of dress
said Miss Heliot; "they will not let
me wear all colcrs. and they do not like
too much trimming. One day ! sur
prised them by wearing a new costume,
which was lavender and green with
green ribbons hanging from the
shoulders, and the skirt was cut in
loose panels Of green showing the
lavender underneath AS soon as / ap-
peared in the arena l noticed that
something was wrong. The lions were
all sitting up and gazing at me with
reproachful amazement in every line of
their expressive faces. When I ap-
preached King, my favorite and the
one carry on my back across the
stage, be struck at me with his paw.
The general temper of the lot of them
became so unfriendly that / decided
that it must be the dress, and at the
first opportunity ] changed and ap-
peared in the old costume again. much
10 the evident satisfaction of my criti-
cal pets, who condescended to receive
me on friendly terms once more,