Haveman’s Animals

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14 Mins.; Full Stage (Cage). In Haveman’s Animals vaudeville has secured an attraction well worth while. A wild animal act of mixed beasts has been seen about on the variety stage for a long time. Hammerstein’s has not held one for years, or in fact, since Haveman last appeared there about eight years ago. This German doesn’t “train” the beasts, he plays with them, going so far as to feed them raw meat while in the cage, feeding three lions, two tigers, two leopards, and two cross-breeds (lions and tigers). When you are familiar and popular enough to give the full-grown kings of the forests a lunch of raw meat while putting them through tricks, it’s about due to the man who does it that he be dubbed the King of Trainers. Maybe it isn’t much of a feat, but it has never been seen before, and there’s no one hanging around this part of the country who wants to try it. Mr. Haveman fondles one of the leopards while it is munching the meat. Others he teases with the food, passing it before their faces, but while pawing for it, they do not leave their positions. At the finish, Haveman stands under the largest tiger, which is on the top of a pedestal and allows it to lap his face and head with its tongue. Other little points of interest are wrestling with a lion, rolling over with three or four of the animals, and allowing a tiger to punch him underneath, the trainer face upwards. Pleasant little pastimes. It’s especially a fine act for children, as an example of superior animal training or mastery hasn’t been touched to date. Haveman starts off with such speed and beyond the usual animal training, the house can’t understand it for a few moments, then everybody is marveling. It is said about the theatre Haveman sleeps with animals. It needn’t be doubted, for from the expert work shown, he will soon have lions and tigers running errands for him.

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