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Show DUROFF, THE ANIMAL TRAINER. A Maa Who Prfrrrl 10 T.aeH Fit. O..I. lltth.r Than On. Huy. New York Sun. Signor Domino, biographer of clown, bare-back rulers autl circus people R;n-erally, R;n-erally, lias written acurious lot of rem- j iniscouces of ttiu llussian, DurofT, the moat famous tr.iinor of trick animals j in the pre-ient g 'Deration. Duroll was oiigiually an instructor in Latiu an l moilorn lauuaes iu a Hnssian hijiu school. He practiced thon his powers over domestic animals first of all, his do? aud deridod that the docility of dos, cats aud geese was far greater than tlio tlocility of school children. He ha never altered his judgment iu this respect. He unit tw aching boys, therefore., ami joined an itinerant cireus, to the scaudalizing of his former colleagues. Domino met him one morning iu the empty riirj of the Circus hchuniauti After talking a few minutes, Duroll said : 'And now you urns! t jense mo for an hour, n I have a class to inxtruet nt this lime." "Uut surely you haven't gone back to teaching?" cxciainied Domino. "No, no: you don't understand. I have just begun teaching in fact. The recitation in question is by my rata aud uiice." Domino got permission to listen to the reeilutiou. I ) 1 1 toll' fetched a lead chest and set it down in the middle of the ring, lined tin; cover a l.ttlo, and then began chirping, trilling and whirling on a hlilo lead llute. A mouse stuck it head through tlio crack underthe cover, tumbled out and trotted trott-ed gaiiy over to Dui oll's feet. Auother mouse followed, atul then a big rat plunged out into the ring. It marched gravely up to Duron" and scrambled roibid thu bottoms of his trousers. More rats and mice followed till some thirty were scratching ut,d squealing t DnrofT's feet, 'i'hu clown stepped a few yards Lackv. anl ami his little llock followed. fol-lowed. He ft; 1 them cake ami retreated uiMin. 1'huy followed anil he rewarded reward-ed them as before. Thus he led them round the t iug .several times. When three or four of them fell behind the procession to play or light, he attracted their attention by tewing sand at them. 1 inally he invited them to come up, autl iu nn instant they were on his shoulders, in his coat pockets, and racing rac-ing up and tlown the back of his Ik ad. lie. caught thrje tats by Ihe tail, swung them round, and t hen let t'lem shoot oil intofpace. The instant they strut k thev were up strain. They ran back t j Durou, climbed to his shoulders and got the same treatment again. After an hour of this tin! Huts wns laid nido and the rats and mice were packed away for the day. Duron" was tho first man to train a pig to giuut accompaniments to thongs, dance round a l iug. kijiI jump and wait, tti orders. He had then also taught a rooster to crow to command, and had instructed successfully a goose in the business of fetching and carry i 1 1 sr. Domino, after discufsiiig these triumphs of training, a?ked Dttrolf whether or not he ever tired of his new occupation ami wished to return to in-slriicting in-slriicting boys, as be bad once, done in the Kussian hiu'h school. Duroll did not catch Domino's exact words, and answered: "Instruct children? Instruct animals? These are two processes which can hardly be compared. The dilliculties vary sothere ii no comparison." "You misunderstand me," explained Domino. "1 acknowledge that your work now is much more dillieult " "More dillieult? More dillieult?" shouted Duroll. "You must be crazy. Why it is easier, indescribably easier. I would rather teach ten pia than a single child. I would rather teach five geese than a boy. A pig or a goose never forgets, is never impudent, is never noisy. But a child: With it you never kuow where or how to begin, ami when you stop-bumps! all forgotteu?" |