A MODERN SAMSON.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 54, 2 July 1887, Page 4 (Supplement)

A MODERN SAMSON.

The Sensational Experiences of a Lion

Tamer.

Those who delight in sport of a dangerous yet exciting character have had bheir tastes gratified bo no libble exbenb of labe, since ab Olympia, bhe favouribe and fashionable resort of bobh afbernoon and evening, races, gladiaborial babbles and risky chariot racing have been indulged in sufficiently ofben bo gratify the most exacting. Bub all bhese pastimes have been corcplebely pub in the shade by the advent of Mr Seebh, the celebrated lion tamer, with his uncanny pupils, whose enbrance inbo bhe arena is the signal for the mosb inbense excibemenb and inberesb upon bhe parb of the audience. Then every eye is dilated and every neck sbrebched forward to view the performance of the intrepid tamer, whoso every motion in the lion's cage is watched with the keenest attention. After a performance the other night our representative had an interview with Mr Seebh, 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 perfect Hercules in strengbh. To this may be added a sturdy frame and a handsome face attributes which at once claim for their happy possessor the favourable consideration of bhe audience, " Whab nabionaliby do you claim?" ."-asked. " I am Danish by birth. My fabhe. "fas American and my mobher Danish, I b.ing born in Denmark." "I suppose your age is " " I am only 24, but people take me to be considerably more. I know I look older." " Can you speak English ?" " No, not at all. I only speak German, and just a word or bwo of French, which I have picked up since I have been associated wibh M. Houcke's hippodrome." "Has your experience as a lion bamer been very large ?" " Well, I think I may say that it has. I have been an animal trainer for the last 17 years. During this time I havo trained lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs and other fierce beasbs. I was only seven years old when I firsb commenced, my school being a largo menagerie kepb in Norway and Sweden by my uncle, who himself was a skilful trainer." "Is ib possible bhab you never feel bhe leasb fear when you enber bhe lion's cage?" "Nob the slightest, I do assure you. I may say bhab I have never known whab bhe word ' fear' means, and cannob even imagine ib." " When you jusb now sbepped inbo that cage the roars of the infuriated beasts made mosb of the audience shiver with ?.pprehension for your safeby. Ai_ you aware of thab?" "I believe it if you bell mo so, bub upon my life I cannob understand the feeling you describe. Ib is absolubely unknown to me." " I suppose were you once bo lose your presence of mind all would soon be over wibh you?" "Oh, yes; bhere's no doubb aboub bhab. The lions are only kepb in subjugation by bheir inbense fear of mo; bub were I once to show myself afraid of them they would gain courage, and I should be helpless. But such a bhing is never likely to occur." "Whab do you use bo keep bhe brubes in order ?" " Only a sboub whip, which I use prebby freely. I used bo "have the head of ib loaded wibh lead, bub I find bhab now unnecessary." "Is this the only weapon of defence you havo ever used?" "Yes. Bub in bhe evenb of bhe lions becoming albogebher unruly I should use a red hob iron. Albhough I have always kepb one handy, I have never had occasion bo use ib." "Have you ever been bibben ?" " Very many bimes, so many in facb bhab I do nob remember. Ab any rabe I have aboub 68 differenb wounds on various portions of my body. See here. My hands are freely marked wibh bhe scars, and a few monbhs ago bhe whole of my right arm was torn by the teeth of thab big lion you saw bo-nighb." " Whab do you use bo counberact bhe poison of bhese bites. ?" " My dresser always has on hand a preparabjon of carbolic acid,' aboub 10 per centr.l-.he mixture. This I use, and find thoroughly effective." " What_ is the worst attack you have ever sustained ?" " One by a big lioness in Paris. We foughb desperabely for aboub seven whole minubes, and I was berribly mauled. Bub I conquered in bhe end, bhoroughly thrashing her, and she died seven days after from bhe effects. During bhe encounter we rolled over and over, but I generally contrived to geb on bhe bop, and bhus gained tho mastery. Oh, thab was a fight, I can assnro you !" " So I should imagine. I suppose 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 quibe docile and bracbable, while on others just the reverse, wild and fierce in the extreme, rushing about thoir cage like so many devils. You saw that big lion, for instance, jusb now how he refused to obey me, until I used the whip very freely ? Well, this is the first time for many a day thab he has behaved like bhab. Generally speaking he looks very treacherous, as I believe he is, bub 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 enbertainmenb." " Certainly riot; for should I allow it one day I should have endless , difficulty in making them go through with it the next. I have bo observe bhe very sbricbesb discipline on all occasions." "How'many pupils have you here?" "Eighb in all. Three are lions and five are riones.es. Three of bhem are aboub eighb years old, and were born in Paris. They are, of course, very sbrong, but I consider my. own personal strengbh equal to that of one of the young animals." '"How is it that when you are so much engaged with one or two of them bhe others ; do" not seize, the opportunity of springing upon you ?" "I suppose they are too > much afraid of me to do anything of the kind.,, Besides, I continually keep my "eye upon the whole lob of them, and should detect any mischief lurking in their eyes.ab once. I am, 1 need scarcely tell you, always on the gui vive. This afternoon Tmeb wibh quite an opposition on bhe parb of bhat old lion there, who would not let, me geb into the cage at first. He then refused to lie down and let 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 I can.' " How horrible ! Suppose he were to snap those jaws together, where would your head be then ?" "I suppose very speedily inside the lion's stomach ; bub bhere is very libble fear of bhab, as I hold his jaws very firmly, and ab bhe slighbesb pressure I should immediately withdraw my head." "I see you'wear a claw as a scarf pin. Is there any history abbached to that?" "Yes. Thab is bhe claw of bhe lioness which abtacked me, as I have described to you. We were performing in Vienna, and she had cubs, all of whom she had eaten up. This made her terribly savage, and directly I got into the cage she flew at me, and a battle royal ab once ensued. I was very much mauled, and in bhe encounber bhe brube broke off her claw in 'my arm, and this piece I wear is bhe same. A report gob aboub bhab I was dead, and it is, indeed, a wonder that I was not." "Upon what do you feed your pupils ?" " Raw meat. They each have about 801b 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 nob touch any meat bhab was nob full of blood." "At what price do yon value the lions at presenb in your possession ?" " Well, bhe largesbl value, ab bhe leasb, ab 8,000. francs, 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 francs each. I value the entire collection ab aboub 50,000 francs, or L 2.000, exclusive

of the cage, which cost 6,000 francs, or L 2-0." "Are the animals long-lived?" "They live in this climate aboub 25 years, bub in Africa ab leasb 10 years longer, if nob more." " Have you bravelled far with your show?" "Nearly all over the -European Continenb, and I have performed before many crowned heads. This is bhe firsb bime I 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—nob far hence. I leave on 21 sb March, and go bo Paris, where I open wibh bhe hippodrome in April, and thence I go to America, and Brazil, and possibly obher places. I have received many brilliant offers from all parts of the world, some of which ib is my intention to accept." — "London Evening News."