Sells-Floto Side Show #2

You will notice the "Fighting Lion" banner to the left of the doorway. After Clyde Beatty left the Cole Show they never had a cat act as long as Zack Terrell owned the show. While we were there they had an act of this sort in the Side Show, actually it wasn't an act at all but more of a "bally". From the midway you could see a large cage wagon inside with a male lion pacing back and forth. Arthur Hoffman would say "Look thru the doorway! Where the man fights the lion and the lion fights the man!" As soon as the tip (audience) had entered, a curtain was drawn across the doorway and the Side Show band would beat out something from "William Tell" while Capt. Dwight Nyfong would enter and roust him around the cage, that was about it. I think the name and rank came with the job, being a grind show sometimes the Captain would have to wake up the lion before he could proceed with his exhibition, one day he decided to prod him with boot and was grabbed by the ankle and bitten pretty good. Arky Scott had to fill in for a few days.