Show 3 V h t r a. a w. w ROLL OVER PET Terrell Jacobs noted lion trainer has one of the big biff cats do his stuff He once appeared with animals In one of Johnny Tarzan pictures AT THE CIRCUS Lion Tamer Has Stitches Where Big Cats Clawed and Bit By AL JEDLICKA Features There is no doubt that the lion reigns as the king of beasts I says Terrell Jacobs of Barnes Brothers circus which opened its summer swing in the Chicago stadium On the question Jacobs w who has broken over beasts in 26 years is even led to philos philos- a 0 The lion is king l ng says Jacobs be be- because because because cause the Creator made him to be beking beking beking king by supplying him with a great bushy mane underneath his neck which prevents other beasts from ripping his jugular vein while he claws laws them to pieces Expert that he is Jacobs has had his close calls in the cage and he can show stitches on his body to prove it Where the scarred flesh is depressed that's where he was bitten and where its it's jagged that's where he was clawed No less than 54 wounds were in in- inflicted inflicted inflicted up in Minneapolis Minn i f where a leopard frightened by the collapse of a wall of the arena leaped from its stand and mauled Jacobs around before it was driven off oft On another occasion one lion came at him in Peru Ind and three others joined in to clamber atop of him one before before one cat came to his res res- rescue rescue rescue cue and snapped at his attackers No it wasn't any case of loyal loyal- loyalty ty he adds The rescuer just saw sawa a good chance to rip into some of the others it didn't like Cats Are Not Loyal Cracking his whip and firing his 38 revolver Jacobs enters the huge circular cage to get the roaring and snarling cats to climb up onto their stands and sit and then clamber down to lie be down in a cluster be be- before before before fore Him mm While shaggy Sammy walks a tight-rope tight and rolls a barrel to him Sheba rises on her haunches to follow Jacobs in a pon pon- ponderous ponderous ponderous derous waltz Born to the circus the stocky mus mus- muscular muscular muscular cular Jacobs is the coolest person in inthe inthe inthe the house when he steps into the cage Precisely because of the dan dan- danger danger danger ger which confronts him with each performance and the prime importance importance importance tance of headwork in handling beasts he must remain cool to as as- assure assure assure sure his own safety Young Ones Easily Injured When it comes to taming lions and tigers headwork plays the chief role Jacobs says By studying the antics of a cat a trainer can obtain a knowledge of his peculiarities and then strive to counteract them For instance when Jacobs first sought to teach a lion to roll a barrel to him the cat would slide off the sloping end and upset it Failing to get the animal to push the barrel ahead Jacobs then fastened an angle iron flange around the center to cut into I the dirt and hold it straight In that way the lion was taught to keep an even course In training lions Jacobs starts a 7 s ti KITTEN Jacobs who as a aboy aboy aboy boy ran away from his home in Peru Ind to join the circus is shown here holding a young circus cat out with cats over two years of age since cubs up to two possess deli deli- delicate delicate delicate cate spinal vertebrae injury to which may result in permanent kidney kid kid- kidney kidney ney trouble Lions fresh from the jungle are preferred since native native- born animals used to the fawning of crowds are easily distracted and lack the single mindedness of wild beasts First the cats are taught to walk down the ramp with a collar and chain being applied to animals in incases incases incases cases where they are slow to re re- re- re spond Once the lion has learned to walk down the runway he is next drilled to take his seat with from six weeks to three months required for this training Finally the ani ani- animals animals mals are taught to mix Some Are Good Some Bad Broken in at 2 the lions attain their full maturity at 7 and are retired from the show at 12 though they may live to be 18 or 20 They are very much like people Jacobs said some being good some bad some bright others slow While only so much can be accomplished with animals daily year-round year association association association with them enables a trainer to perceive their capabilities more closely and discover new qualities for exploitation Jacobs' Jacobs attachment to a menag menag- menagerie menagerie menagerie erie when he first joined the circus led led to his employment as an ap ap- apprentice apprentice ap- ap apprentice prentice to a Swiss tamer lion-tamer and the experience he acquired permit permit- permitted ted him to take over the act when his boss returned to the old coun coun- try Starting with 5 lions he stead stead- steadily steadily steadily ily broadened his act the high point arriving when he appeared with animals in one of Johnny lers ler's Tarzan motion pictures American Circus Is Years Old The great circuses of America are on tour our again just as they have done for more than years And again they include equestrian exhibitions gymnastic and acro acro- acrobatic acrobatic acrobatic batic performances with variety added by the quips and fooling of the clown cl The modern circus dates from the close of the l th century Traveling circuses were heard of before 1830 in both England and America and after 1850 assumed great dimen dimen- Among the earlier ones were Hengler's Sanger's and Barnum and Baileys Col William F. F Cody Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show traveled all over the world and gave performances before the crowned heads of Europe Now a Big Business The construction of permanent circuses known as coliseum and hippodromes has given new life to the circus furnishes a variant on the itinerant show of enormous dimensions which moves about the country on special railway trains Barnum and Baileys Bailey's circus is still in existence and along with Barnes Bros Beattys Beatty's and others continues the grand tour every summer The 1946 season is expect expect- expected ed to be one of the biggest in his his- history history history tory since most circuses were un- un abl to travel during the war years Wild animals most of them trained to perform for the crowds continue to be the foundation of most circuses |