The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-12-30
ev LEWIS EDWIN THESIS.

train him to stand over my PROSTATE
Such was part of an order once given
by Madame Planka to Frank Bostosk,
the animal king, who not only exhibits
wild animals himself but also trains
them to order for other people.
Three weeks after giving this or
der Madame Planka exhibited her
fierce Numidian lion" The audience
shivered as the savage beast dashed
against the bars of his cage in an at
tempt to get at a man standing just
out of reach--the husband" whose
wife" Madame Planka, was cover
ing in a corner of the lions cage.
The lights went out, and the audi
ence sat breathless until sudden H.
Elimination showed the lion standing
over Madame Planka's PROSTATE and
apparently lifeless body but holding
her baby safe in it's mouth. When in
the next scene Madame Pianka,
dressed as the Goddess of Liberty,
sat with her arm round the erstwhile
savage beast--now the dignified Brit
ish lion-the house went wild with
applause.
During the time between the re-
ceipt of Madame Piankas order and
her first exhibition with the fully
trained lion, Mr. Bostock's trainers
had busy three weeks. First of all
I the lion for the act had to be chosen
Every animal has its peculiar char
acteristics, and before any attempt at
training is made these must be
known. With rare exceptions all fe-
lines are untrustworthy and more or
less treacherous. They are afraid of
man only as long as he stands erect.
The minute he is down they will at
tack him. For such delicate act as
Madame Piankas, therefore, it was
necessary to select the steadiest, most
docile, and Trustworthy lion that
could be found.
Mr.. Bostock had forty hons. Among
these was a magnificent animal
which had outlived most of his fierce
ness, and which, by much posing had
become as steady as the stars. This
lion was chosen. The trainers task
was to make this lion simulate rage
without being angry-in the parlance
of the profession, to make him
bounce; to teach him to stand
harmlessly over PROSTATE human;
and to hold in his mouth whatever
was placed in it. Upon the man who
was to appear as Madame Pianka'e
husband" fell the first task. He ac
complished it thus. From outside the
cage he leased the lion until the beas
sprang for him. The minute the liol
jumped, the trainer threw him
, piece of meat.
1t took the lion only few days :
understand that the appearance of tn
trainer was a cue for him to bounce,
and that the fiercer he ragged, tn
more certain he was of his piece {
meat To get the lion to stand owe
a PROSTATE person, the animal wa
first put upon high pedestals, viii
the trainer walked around and undt
him. Gradually the height of IL
pedestals was lowered until the lie
was standing on the floor itself, wit
the trainer under him. The THU
trick was also easy of accomplis
ment. A lion, like a dog, has na
ural tendency to carry things in i
mouth. One of Mr.. Bostocks liol
always worked" with a long-stel
med rose in its mouth Madame Pia
ka's lion was given roll Of pap
to carry, and each day the size of tn
roll was increased. In time the lii
would patiently hold a large bund
The baby used for the exhibitio
needless to say, was not real.
From a fierce lion TO a tame goo
is far cry, but it is no farther thi
the range of skill shown by Mr.. BE
tock's trainers. One of these trai
ers used to be Clyde Powers, now
stage manager at the New York III
podrome. Perhaps you may recall t
man who used to make you laugh
he walked about the Hippodror
stage accompanied by a goose and
pig. That man was Mr.. Powers, a
the goose was famous old bird.
Once a woman wanted a goo
trained like this goose. "Ill char
you dollar an hour for training i
said Mr.. Bostock, with a maXimu
charge Of $50" The woman agre
to the price, and Mr.. Powers train
the goose This is how he did it. F
twenty-four hours he let the goose
without food The next twenty-fo
hours he spent with the bird, try
to gain its friendship The remaini
thirty-two hours were devoted to ira
- ing To teach the goose to follow hi
he dropped grains of corn as
walked gradually lessening d