A MODERN SAMSON. The Sensational Experiences of a Lion Tamer.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 210, 9 July 1887, Page 8

A MODERN SAMSON. The Sensational Experiences of a Lion Tamer.

Those who delight in sport of a dangerous yet exciting chai»tt<tter have had their tastes gratified to no lifcfcla- extent of late, siuco at Olympia, the favouuitG and fashionable resort of botli aftei'noon and evening, races, gladiatorial battles and risky chariot racing have been indulged in sufficiently often to gratify tho nvDsfc exacting. Bub all these pastimes have been coirpletely put in the shades by the advent of Mr Seebl), the celebrated lion tamer, with his uncanny pupils, whose entrance into the arena is tho .signal for the most intense excitement and interest upon the part of the audience. Then every eye is-dilated and every neck stretched forward to ' view the- performance of tho intrepid tamer, whose every motion in the lion's cage is watched wifeh the keenest attention. After a- performance tho other night our representative had an interview with Mr Seeth, who> it may be mentioned, is quite a young man, and of decidedly prepossessing appearance, straight as a dart, as an ash, and evidently a pet feet Hercules in strength. To . thH may be added a sturdy fitune and a handsome face - attributes v. Inch at once claim for their happy possessor the favourable consideration of the audience, "-What nationality do you claim ?" I asked. "I am Danish by birth. My farlior was American and my mother Danish j I being born in Denmark." "I suppose your age-is ""I am only 2-1, but people take- me to be considerably more. I know I look older." "Can you speak. English ?" " No, not at all. I only speak Gorman, and just a word or two of French, whiuh I luv\e picked uj) since 1 have been associated with M. IToucke's hippodrome." "Has your experience as a lion tamer been very large?" "Well, I think I may say that it has. I have been an anynal trainer for the last 17 year?.. During this time I have trained lions tigers, leopards, cheetahs and other tierce beasts. I was only seven year.* old when 1 first coiwinenced, my school being a large menagerie kept in Not way and Sweden by my \tnclo, who himpelf was a skilful trainer." " Is\ it possible that you never feel the least fear when you enter the lion's cage ?%>? %> "Not the slightt^t, Ido assure you. I may sfvy that I ha\ c never know n what the word" ' iear' means, and cannot even imagine it." " When you just now stopped into that cago the loans of the * infuriated, beasts made most of the audience- shiver with r.ppiehension for you-r safety. Are \ou aware of that ?" " I 1-xalieve it if you tell mo md, but upon my life I cannot understand tiie feeling you describe. It is absolutely unknown to me." " I sujipo.se were you once to lose your presence of mind all would soon be over with you ?"' " Oh, yes ; there's no doubt about that. The lions are only kept in subjugation by their in ten -e foar of mo ; but were T once to show myself afraid of them they would gain courage, and 1 should be helpless. But such a thing is never likely to occur." " What do you use to keep the brutes in order?" " Only a stout -whip, which I use ptetty freely. I used to have the head of it loaded with lead, but I find that now unnecessary." "Is this the only weapon of defence you have ever used?" "Yes. But in the event ot thclioYi^ becoming altogether unruly I should use a red hot iron. Although I have always kept one handy, I have never had occasion to upc it." "Have you ever been bitten ?" " Very many time^, so many in fact that I do not lemember. At any rate I have about 68 different wounds on various portions of my body. See here. My hands arc freely marked with the scars, and a few months ago the whole of my right arm was torn by the teeth of that big lion you saw to-night." "What do you use to counteract the poison of tho>e bites ?'' "My dresser always has on hand a preparation of carbolic acid, about 10 per cent in the mixture. This 1 use, and find thoroughly effective." " What is the worst attack you have ever sustained?" " One by a big lioness in Paris. We fought desperately for about seven whole minutes, and I was terribly mauled. But I conquered in the end, thoroughly thrashing her, and she died seven days after from the effects. During the encounter we rolled over and over, but I generally contrived to get on tho (op, and thus gained the mastery. Oh, that va> a fight, I can assure you !"' "So I should imagine. I suppo.se you never can tell the character of your lion until you have trained him for some time ?" " And not always then. They are thoroughly feline, being terribly fickle and uncertain in temperament. Some days they are quite docile and tractable, while on others just the reverse, wild and fierce in the extreme, rushing about their cage like so many devils. You saw that big lion, for instance, just now how he refused to obey me, until 1 used the whip very freely ? Well, this is the first time for many a day that he has behaved like that. Generally speakinghe looks very t\;eacherous, as I believe he is, but he very seldom refuses to go through his performance as he did just now." "I notice that you do not stand any nonsense with them, and do not allow them to .shirk a single feature of their entertainment." " Certainly not ; for should I allow it one day I should have endless difficulty in making them go through with it the next. I havo°to observe the "very strictest discipline on all occasions." "How many pupils have you here?" "Eight in call. Three are lions and five are lionesses. Three of them are about eight years old, and were born in Paris. Thoy nic, of course, very strong, but I consider my own personal strength equal to that of one of the young animals." *" How is it that when you arc so much engaged with one or two of them the others do not seize the opportunity of springing upon you ?" "I supposo they are too much afraid of mo to do anything of the kind. Besides, I continually keep my eye upon the whole lot of them, and should detect any mischief lurking in their eyes at once. I am, 1 need scarcely tell you, always on the gui viva. This afternoon I met with quite an opposition on the part of that^ old lion there, who would not let mo get into the cage at first. Ho then refused to Ho down and Jet mo lie across his body ; but I soon broke him in. I hold open his jaws, aad place my head right in his mouth as far as 1 can." " How horrible ! Suppose ho were to snap those "ja\vs together, where would your head be then ?" " I' suppose very speedily inside tho lion's stomach ; but there is very little fear of that, as I hold his jaws vevy firmly, and at the slightest pressure I shdfild immediately withdraw my head." "I see you -wear a claw as a scarf pin. Is there any history

attached to that?' "Y«fc'>«- That is the' claw of the lioness which' «&taaeked me, as I have described to you; <-W£ were performing in Vienna, and -'She* had cubs, all of whom she had eaten upu This made her terribly savage, and '-directly I gob into the cage she flew at mo v and a battle royal at once ensued. I wa» very much mauled, and in the encounter the brute broke off her claw in my- arm, and this piece I wear is the same.- A report gob about that I was dead, and it is, 'indeed, a wonder tluat I was not." " Upon what do you feed your pupila?" "Raw meat. They each have about SOlb once a day, at 11 a.m., as soon as our working rehearsals are over. They also receive about one litre or two quarts of milk a day. They would not touch any meab Uiat was not full of blood." "At whab price do you value the lions- at present in your possession V" " Well, the largest I value, at the least, at 8,000 franc, or L 320. He is African by birth,, and he is a splendid specimen of his breed, The others range about 5,000 to 6,000 irancs each. I value the entire- collection at about 50,000 francs, or L 2,000, exclusive of the cage, which cost 6,000 francs, or L 240." "Are the animals long-lived !" ' ' They live in this climate about 23 years, bub in Africa at least 10 years longer, if nob more," " Have you travelled far with your show ?" " Nearly all over the European Continent, and I have performed before many crowned heads. This is the first time T have ever visited England, however." "And how do you like us?" "Very much indeed, and I hope to come back here to you some day — not far hence. I leave on 21 sb March, and go to Paris, where I open with the hippodrome in April, and thence I go to America, and Brazil, and possibly other places. 1 have received many brilliant offers from all parts of tho world, some of which it irf my intention to accept." — "London Evening News."