Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1878 — Herr Driesbach. [ARTICLE]

Herr Driesbach.

The death of Driesbach, the liontamer, at White Plains, Ohio, has previously been noted. His career was somewhat of a remarkable one, and, though he retired from public notice some fifteen years ago, he is well remembered by the middle-aged generation. A reporter of the Telegraph this morning had a little chat with Yankee Robinson about Driesbach. Robinson iu >ir» a]i| uliAwnHlll hau floliffhtful —IB evil vttt oho -v innu, it a its mo iifiax wvt vuo public himself many a time, and tells many amusing incidimts of professional life HtTKadhotheard of the old lion-tamer’s death, but was glad to talk about Driesbach. Raid he: “He was a little before my time, but I knew him very well, and remember some of his exploits. He was the second man in the country to enter a cage of lions, and the very first to introduce beasts in spectacular plays upon the stage. He did it at Barnum’s old Museum, in New York, and other similar places.” “ How did he get into the business?” asked the reporter. “The usual way in that line,” said Robinson. “He engaged to travel with a menagerie when he was a young fellow, probably as canvasman, or, perhaps, to take care of beasts, and drifted into it. He never had any head for business, and so never got anything more out of showing except his salary, but he saved enough to buy himself a little home down m Ohio, and has been keeping a hotel there. Before he obtained nis great reputation he used to travel with Raymond & Waring’s Menagerie. In those days, when the lion’s cage was entered, it used to be done with the canvas down, and the dens of other animals removed. A rope used to be stretched to keep the people awav from the cage, and there, out in the open field, with the people pressing up at all sides, the then unprecedented and astonishing feat used to be accomplished. By the way,” con-

tinued the old actor, "Raymond went out of the business with a good deal of money, and what do you think he did with it?” The reporter disclaimed having any idea about it. “Why,” continued Robinson, “ho built a female seminary with it in Putnam County, New York.” i• Tiere.yy&s anothey thing Driesbaeh was original in,” said Yankee, after getting through with his chuckle over the idea of devoting menagerie money to feminine education; “that was driving a lion in harness. He did that really as an advertisement.” “He was rather smart in advertising, was he not?”-asked the reporter. “ Yes, indeed; one of the cleverest in the business..... Years ago. when exhibiting in New York, after a fight in a cage with a tiger, he was taken out covered with blood, and apparently dreadfully injured. There were shrieks from the audience and much horror expressed, until a physician announced that his wounds were not dangerous. For a fortnight after Driesbaeh appeared with his arm in a sling and his face covered with strips of plaster; then it was discovered that the wounds were,, imaginary— the gore had come from a sponge tilled with rose-pink, and the whole performance was nothing but a clever piece of advertising. I saw him seven years ago at White Plains, and he was getting very old. I suppose his hard life must have brought him down. So he’s dead, you tell me; well, well, It’s curtain-down for us all, sometime.” —Pittsburgh Telegraph. On Monday the students of the Medical Department of the University of California, on Haight street, were surprised to find on one of the benches of the ante-room leading to the lecture ball a baby sleeping peacefully. Pinned to the clothing was a Card stating that the child's name was Eva Louisa, Brown, and that sh% was born the 27th of last June. After a consultation among themselves, these reckless young men - resolved to assume all the responsibility of a collective father to the little waif. Money was subscribed and a nurse hired, thestudents pledging themselves, individually and collectively, to support and educate the child until such time as (she shall be able to care for herself.— Sail Francisco Chronicle. If your furs get worn down short, whip them with forty rods; forty rod* js said to make a furlong.