Image
Credit: J.R. Mann Photographer Auckland Weekly News
19 May 1902
Reproduced
with the kind courtesy of
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland
Libraries, AWNS-19020529-10-3
These days with the advent of growing opposition against the use of animals performing in circuses an image like this would be frowned upon. Below is a brief summary I wrote up about the animals in this act.
Prince and
Pasha[1]
are harnessed to the chariot, with Kitty the Tigress playing the part of ‘Jehu’[2]
The trainer was known by the name Monsieur Ragoul[3]
or Rogalle in some publications.
The act
debuted as a finale on 28 August 1901 , where Wirth Brother’s Circus and
Menagerie were conducting performances at Rockhampton in Queensland Australia.[4]
The trainer at the time was referred to as ‘Monsieur Soueki’. The Bengal tigers Prince, Pasha and Kitty
performed with the two male tigers harnessed to the chariot and Kitty riding in
the vehicle.
“…A new act is to be
put on to-night as a finale to the programme M. Soueki who has entered the
tigers' cage nightly, will show his animals in a sensational act in the centre
of the ring. A large wire cage has been erected around the ring and M. Soueki
will enter it with the three tigers. After repeating their various tricks, two
of the tigers will be attached to a chariot and draw it round the ring, and the
third will jump on to the box seat and act as driver…” wrote The Morning
Bulletin (28 August 1901).
Philip Wirth later wrote from Queensland ,
to his brother George advising him that the act had been successfully performed
at Rockhampton and had gone off ‘with a hitch’.[5]
During the latter part of 1901 the circus traveled
extensively through Australia
to showcase this spectacular act.
“…Royal Bengal tigers, Prince, Pasha, and Kitty, ferocious forest-bred animals that
perform on awe-inspiring act. The entire circus arena is enclosed with a steel
cage, the tigers are let loose, Mons .
Ragoul, their trainer, enters the cage and makes them seesaw, play leapfrog,
jump hoops, roll barrels and globes, and finally harnesses two tigers like
horses to a chariot, and a third drives them rapidly around the arena..”[6].
In 1902 during the New
Zealand tour, the trainer had some trouble
with one of the male tigers, when the animal refused to stand up during a
performance in Auckland .[7]
The act was performed in New
Zealand tours in the years 1902 and 1904
respectively. No further performances using the tigers in this manner were seen
in this country after 1904.
The Act was
discontinued around 1906 when the last advertisement of Wirth Circus mentioning
the performance appeared in January of that same year.[8]
After 1906, no further references are made.
[1] ‘Pasha’ who was reported in May 1901(Taranaki
Herald 16 May 1901) attacking Carl Wirth. Wirth had sat on the tiger during a
performance in Queensland . The tiger inflicted serious injuries to the
trainer’s leg. The animal was apparently to be held for exhibition purposes only.
Pasha had 5 previous incidences of attacking his trainer.
[2] Jehu was
a 9th century b.c. biblical king of Israel
[3] When, the act was first reported by
the Morning Bulletin (28
August 1901 )
the trainer was referred to as Mons . Soueki
[4] Morning Bulletin 28 August 1901
[6] The Register 14 December 1901
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