Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-07-06
GENTRY BROS SHOWS
Will be in Wausau Saturday, July 10.

"THEKING of animal wage earners
is the horse. Next to the horse comes
the elephant" remarked w, w. Gen
try. '"The horse is versatile: he will
perform in the ring or on the stage,
and after leaving the lime light he
will at pinch turn about and help
move the paraphernalia of the show.
If a circus breaks down on the road,
the horse is there to help out. The
elephant will do the same thing, but
these two are the only salary earning
animals that can turn their talents
to genuine usefulness while they are
acting. One of the elephants now
with our shows that visit here has
trunk that is partly paralyzed from
constant pushing against the animal
cages and wagons that he helps to
move"
The number and variety of four
footed creatures on the stage or in
the circus and earning good salaries
for their trainers is astonishing.
Lions, tigers, elephants, bears, horses,
clown mules, Shetland ponies that
dance the lanoiers in sets, acrobatic
dogs, horses that do fractions, and
monkeys that accomplish some
features that require almost human
intelligence and ability are legion.
Good animal actors are always in de
mand, and the salaries they command
are powerful incentives for trainers
to rack their brains to hit upon some
new and amusing act. 1t is not the
cleyerest act that wins approval 50
much as the most original and anus
ing. This year with our show, one of
the clown acts that met with instant
success and shouts of laughter was
that of trained pig, which in reality
did nothing more than to suck milk
from bottle; yet the act was popu-
lar and has since had many imitators.
1t was the originality of the trainer
and the RIGHTEOUSNESS of the act,
rather than the cleverness, that
caught the public fancy. The little
white pig was brought into the ring
wrapped in swaddling clothes. Sit
ting upon a chair the clown grayely
laid the little fellow upon his lap and
began to undress him, the pig all the
time kicking and squealing, and con-
vulsing the mothers present, who had
had similar experiences with their
little babies The bottle of milk with
a rubber nipple was brought into the
ring by another clown, the baby was
fed, and, amid laughter and applause,
the clown and his charge left to give
place to the next turn.
With patience and understanding
horse or a dog can be taught to do
anything that it is physically able to
do. A horse is nervous and sensitive,
and requires different treatment from
other animals, but, when approached
in the right way, he will respond with
astonishing intelligence. A horse is
taught in simple and humane man
ner to roll an object or to push open
a door. He is stationed in narrow
hallway where he cannot turn. A
man is placed in front of him and
another man is at the back. The lat
ter urges the horse forward, and the
man in front readily permits himself
to be showed along. In this way the
horse quickly understands that by
pushing against ali object it can be
forced out of his way. There are two
universal rules among animal trainers.
The first is to become familiar with
the animal and to know his tempera-
ment and to make friends with him.
The next thing is to make the animal
understand thoroughly what it is that
you want him to do and to make him
do it. The animal must be made TO
feel that man is his superior; then I'M
remitting labor and infinite patience
are required if successful result is
to be obtained. A judicious system OF
rewards and punishments is adopted
by the majority of trainers, much as
a school teacher Furnishes and rewards
her charges. Choosing the right ami
NAL for the stage or circus is one Of
the important things, for it is only
about twenty-five per cent of animals
that can be successfully taught TO act.
Gentry Bros shows will visit Wau-
sau Saturday, July 10. For this Ell
gagement only the price of admission
win be twenty-five and thirty-fve
cents.