NOTE: there's just no way around the fact that this is now considered reckless animal abuse, and thankfully has been eradicated around much of the modern world (but not all, sadly). Stark lived in a different time, though... is something that I hope can be considered in this case.

Mabel was thus considered America's first famous female tiger trainer. Amazingly, she practiced until the age of 79yo, when she was unceremoniously fired when her employer's insurer dropped her coverage. She died by suicide three months later, unable to bear life away from her big cats.

All credit to u/dannydutch1 for this discovery and the key text & facts. More here:
https://www.utterlyinteresting.com/post/mabel-stark-the-world-s-first-female-tiger-trainer

I can highly recommend Danny's site, which seems to specialize in controversial figures & happenings across the contemporary era. Always with lots of historical photos!