Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-05-10

In the Baltimore fire. all of Mr.. Bos-
tocks performing animals were de-
stroyed He had only three months
in which to get together and train the
greatest animal groups ever assem-
bled. BY morning Europe was being
combed with a fine comb to furnish
him with new animals. Training went
on day after day, night after night.
until trainers and beasts were almost
dead with fatigue.
Several of the groupa exhibited
there were memorable. Twenty leap
ards had been assembled and taught
to walk ropes, shoot guns. jump hur-
dies, ride bicycles, roll barrels and
pose in many positions. Another
group. which consisted OF seventeen
animals. included lions, tigers, pumas,
bears, hyenas, boar hounds. wolves
and one panther. In addition to the
difficulty of teaching these beasts to
perform there was the task of train.
ing them TO forget their natural in
sinCts and enter cage together with
out fighting
Most remarkable of all these groups
and in fact the most remarkable ami
NAL group ever assembled, was Cap
tain Bonavita's company of thirty
| lions. Everyone was a fierce black
| named Numidian lion. Yet Captain
Bonavita had complete mastery over
! them. Probably no greater animal
act will ever be seen than that pre-
scented when Captain Bonavita walked
into cage with the thirty lions and
put them through variety OF exer-
cises that eliminated in the forma-
ton of huge armchair of lions, In
which the trainer sat unconcernedly
and read his newspaper
Animals so schooled are often
! spoken of as tame" Animal train
| ers say there is no such thing as n
| tame wild animal. Performing ami
mails are trained, not tanned They
do not reason, but go through their
tricks parrot-like.
Serious indeed may be the outcome
of any innovation made while the
! trainer IS Gagged with his pupils On
one occasion an admlrer of Madame
Pianka sent her some red roses just
! before a performance. She thought
! lessly took them and entered the
/ cage A lion sprang forward and
made a sweep at the roses. fearfully
| decorating Madame Piankas arm and
/ chest She threw the roses from her
/ just I'm time. For other lions leaped
! from their pedestals and pounced on
! the roses. They had mistaken them
| for meat At another time Mr. Bos-
! took entered q cage TO help Madame
| Pianka with sulky lioness. He
/ thOughtlessly struck his whip against
/ his boot Instantly the mate Of the
! lloness. thinking no DOUBT that harm
was intended. sprang upon Mr.. Bos.
! took and downcd him. then picked
him mp I'm his mouth and carried him
TO Madame Fianka In the latter's
hand was a revolver. used in her act
She instantly fred two shots. which
was the cue for the next act. and the
/ lion dropped Mr. Bostock and fell into
| his accustomed pose To this hold Of
habit upon the lion. Mr. Bostock
| owed his life
or the hazards OF animal training
! u Is almost superfuous 20 speak
| Every animal trainer Is at times
/ clawed and bitten He expects 20 be
/ II IS all I'm the days work
! Animal trainers say that n they ex
/ ercisc proper care. they run no great.
or risk than DO miners. locomotive err.
gincers. iron-workers and other men
who follow hazardous ceilings. Per.
maps that IS true; certainly one mar
| IS on record who handled animals
with entire impunity His name was
Noah and be lived in the ark