FORTY YEARS A SHOWMAN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17182, 27 October 1923, Page 10 (Supplement)

FORTY YEARS A SHOWMAN

INTERVIEW WITH CAPTAIN ADAMS. Captain Adams, owner and trainer of the Odiva Seals, which are at present appearing at the Princess Theatre, was in a reminiscent mood when a Dunedin “ Star ” reporter saw him a day or two ago. and for an hour or so machine-gunned anecdotes at a delirious rate at the note-taker’s head. They were stories garnered from a life rich in experience and spashed with the colours of many lands; and con-

cerned the doings of countless weird and strange creatures, both human and animat. Not the least interesting of them had particular reference to himself and his beloved seals. “ Well, yes, I guess I’ve been inter-

ested in ’seals all my life,” opened the captain, dangling a cigar from his lips, j “It was way back in 81, as a ‘ shaver,’ ! that I started the seal act, and off and on I’ve been doing it ever since. ‘•How came you to train seals? Well, £ had seen a gi*eat deal of them, both in the North Sea and in my native State of Maine, and it occurred to me that if I could get them to do what they were doing naturally there j would bo something 1a it. They are not particularly hard to train, and . everv one has its little peculiarity which one can exploit. They are very faithful, and can be depended upon not to let you down when they are well. On the average they are only * off ’ a bit once or twice a year, but they have to be carefully treated. One of the oldest of my troupe, ‘ Cap,’ died a month or two ago in Perth. He had a particularly good disposition, but the Perth water settled him the very first time he had a bath. ‘ Puggy,’ who is with us now, was taken from the same rookery, and lias a similar temperament. “ Oh, yes, I have trained other animals. 1 like the horse best for work. Cats are not hard to train in jumping and leaping, but the whole of the feline tribe is very treacherous. The tiger, tor instance, is always showing the ‘ yellow streak,’ and will get you when the opportunity offers. You can always tell when a lion is going to attack you, because it is kind enough to give you a few premilinary snarls and growls before it starts playing up; but never the tiger. I have heard of many a good trainer being killed by a tiger. Elephants are inclined to be nasty. A real nasty one is about as bad an animal as you can get; but a good one takes a tremendous lot of beating. They have wonderful memories, and the stories you read of them saving up a grudge for years are quite true. A “NASTY” ELEPHANT. “ I well remember the pranks of an elephant named Lallah Rookh in a circus with which I was connected for some time. O'ne day she got nasty in the middle of her act and left the ring and proceeded straight to the band tier. Away went the band—tier, trombone, big drum, and everything and she crashed through the back after inflicting sundry damage on anything in her way. She got into the road, and continued her unladylike behaviour. upsetting such little matters as vans and trolleys. She was caught eventually, and her trainer gave her a sound drubbing. This was unfortunate for him. as when a favourable opportunity arrived she crushed him against a wall and as he fell put her foot on him. She had a bit of a grievance against me. and T think it was due to the fact that one day she put I her trunk into the seal tank, and that J implement got a nice nip for its interferences. She struck at me several times when T approached, but she never got home. “ People have an idea,” added the captain, “that elephants raise their trunks and strike downwards. That is wrong. They twist their trunk up and then let it go at you, straight out. BARNUM AND JUMBO. “ I was with the celebrated Barnum for many years, and put on my seal turn witn mm at his celebrated Museum on Lower Broadway, where he exhibited Ins waxworks and * ireaks of -Nature.’ I can see that wonderful old showman yet, doffing the huge silk hat that ho was wont to wear on all State occasions at the head of his circus. And, oh, my ! couldn’t he just doff that headpiece of his and smile condescendingly upon his patrons!” Captain Adams said that lie was three months with Barnum in 188 S. He was also with him in 1885, when Barnum bought the famous elephant Jumbo from the London Zoo. “ He bail his eye on Jumbo for some time,” he said. “ Jumbo was certainly the tallest, though not the heaviest, elejihant in captivity, and, in addition, he liad a wonderful disposition. Barnum set up his slogan of having the * biggest show on earth,” and on that account considered that Jumbo was absolutely necessary to him. After considerable negotiation the Zoo authorities parted with this mighty mountain of flesh. Jumbo was well known to the kiddies of London, and the wily showman decided to exploit this fact to the utmost, and incidentally to give his enterprise o. rare boost in the States and in Canada. Barnum sprung a bombshell at the Zoo people a day or so after the negotiations had been completed by the statement that Jumbo would not leave the Zoo grounds. ‘lt is affection for the children who used to ride him,’ explained the American, and immediately there was a tremendous display of sympathy for the famous elephant. Subscription lists were started in order to buy him back and keen such a faithful and intelligent creature for London; but Jumbo wasn’t to be bought

back. Barnum, in apparent desperation, decided that the only way to get Jumbo away was to build a house around him and get him away on wheels. This was done, and witli the help of at least a dozen teams of horses he was safely stored away on ' the ship. Of course, what was happen- 1 ing was ‘ shot across ’ the length and * breadth of Canada, and when the elo- I phant did land he met with extraordin- i ary receptions, and unprecedented business was done for two years. Of course. « this was only an advertising dodge on the part of the astute Barnum. who | had paid ‘ Scotty.’ the keeper, hand- \ somely for what ho had done.” Cap- ' tain Adams, in addition to putting on his seal turn with Barnum, also acted as announcer for any special attraction. V GOOD SHOW PLACE. The captain's present tour embraces the “smalls” in both islands, and he states that he is delighted with tho business that has been done. “ For tlie size.” he said. “ this place will heat anything in the States. It is really a wonderful country, and it is remarkable the progress that has been made i iu so short a time.” He states that he will be leaving Auckland in February, and then will i go on to Honolulu and California. In i June. July, and August lie will tour Alasaka. “ but at the end of August.” ! he added, characteristically, “T'm away out —before the big freeze sets in.”