The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-20
Monsieur BlOMdin.

MI. w Ills, OF tne home journal, thus
describes NJ. Blondins passage over the
Niagara river in the character of an Indian
chief:
After being dressed in his fesh-colored
tights, wampum apron, bead necklace, and
mOccasins, he came out with his particu.
larly unc0mbed sandy hair uncovered as yet
by its crown of teathers) to look little into
the arrangement for his performance For
fifteen or twenty minutes the little Tecum-
sch was hopping about, trying the cords
which held the ropes to the stanchions, cock
ing the pistol which was to be fired to an
nounce his return, giving directions for the
music, binding the ligatures of his balance
pole, and answering very merrily all the
jokes and questions OF the lockers on. In
his motions, back and forward, be took no
regular step; he simply bounded. Like a
child's soap bubble, the difficulty seemed to
be to get to the ground-to keep from
floating away. During all this time, of
course, had the desired opportunity for the
study of his face. 1t was one which nine
teen people out of twenty, on seeing it in
crowd, would pass over as wholly uninter.
esting-the twentieth and more observant
man giving him a good look, as one of the
most coolly determined and honestly spunky
little fellows he had ever seen. The top of
his skull, of course, is very high with his
bump of frmness. His cheek bones are
prominent, his noise straight, and with thin
expanded nOstrils, his lips thin and firm, his
cheeks hollow and pale, and he wears
sandy moustache and imperial, a la Louis
Napoleon. Though anything but beau
ty, he is man it is impossible not to take
a fancy to. Retiring to his shanty for
minute or two, after all was arranged, bis
temperance was announced by a grand
utmost-iana from the band, and forward
came Tecumseh, with high crown of many
colored feathers on his head-not with
slow pace, as would be expected from an
Indian Chief, but dancing jig all the way
to the precipice. 1t was curious, however,
to see that the smile on his lip, and his 9TH
er signs of merriment for the many, were
altogether mechanical and artificial, while
the closely pressed eyelid, through which
his keen blue eye was hardly visible, showed
the inner minds utter absorption and con-
centration in the work he had to do. The
AOPO Woo uIoWu HOm SuOtc W SuOIC,
eight hundred feet across, and over two
hundred and fifty feet high over the Niagara
rapids-a perilous bridge for human feet to
walk! I took hold of his arm as he stood
trying the rope for moment with the ball
of his foot. 1t was like a bunch of iron
wire, wholly unimpressible. And away he
went-his moccasined feet hugging the two
sides of the swaying cable, his balance-pole
playing up and down, and his little figure
gradually diminishing as he walked steadily
on and reached the middle of the chasm,
where he proceeded to stand upon one leg
and hold the other out at right angles. The
spectators, of course, were all breathlessly
silent; though found it much more breath
less to think of afterward than to see done.
He did it with such apparent ease and cer-
tainty, that it was like seeing bird fly or
a spider walk the ceiling-not to be won.
dered at for that kind of creature. 1 am
inclined to think it would be more startling
(better enabling one to imagine himself in
the performers place. if he were to do it in
common clothes. Looking scarcely larger
than butterfly as he reached the opposite
shore, Blondin remained fifteen or twenty
minutes out of sight, and then the pistol was
fired to announce his return. He came
quietly on to the centre, where be stopped
to lie down at full length on the rope, and
execute various postures and gymnastics
and, between this and his reaching our shore
again, he made several pretended trips, as if
losing his balance-the screams of the
affrighted ladies, at this, very comically
varying the tune which was being endeav-
ored by the band. As be came up the slant
of the rope again saw that his lips were
tightly drawn together and his features were
rigidly set with the mental exertion, and it
was an expression of face that would be
worth painting as a type of determined will.
Through all the anxiety of spectators
suspense could not help admiring the lit
tie man exceedingly, and was the first to
give him hand as be stepped on the cliff.
1t was cold clammy grip that be gave me
in return, ard his fingers felt icy and wet.
Everybody who could reach him gave him
shake of the hand on his way to the shanty,
and the enthusiasm for him seemed universal.
And so ended " the show" of human life
put fearfully in peril. Mr.. Blondin, was
afterward told, has wife and several chill
dren, and resides at Niagara, having adopt.
ed it as his theatre of performance. His
professional profits amount to ten thousand
dollars year.