Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-08-08
The Rope Walker at Niagra.

ed tights, wamrum apron, bead neck lace
and lnoccasins, he came o1t with his
particularly uncombed sandy hair uncov.
Tered as yet by its crown of feathersi to
look little into the arrangements for his
performance For fifteen or twenty min
utes, the little Tecumseh was hopping a
bout, trying the cords which held the
ropes to the stanchions, cockinglired
pistol which was to be the 10 am
nounce his return, giving directions
for the music, binding the ligatures of his
balance pole, and answering very merrily
all the jokes of the look ers.on. In his
motions back and forward, he took no
regular step; he simply bounded. Like a
child's sosp bnbble, the difficulty seemed
to get to the ground-to keep from float
ing gaway. During all this time, ofcourse |
had the desired opportunity for the study
of his face, 1t was one which rineteen
persons out of twenty would pass over as
wholly uninserestirg-the twentieth and
more observant man giving him a good
look; rs one Of the most dete, mined and
honestly spunly little fellows lie had ever
seen. The top Of his skull, of course, is
very hiel with his bump of frmuess -
| His cheek bones are prominent, his nose
is straight with thin expanded ostrils
his lips are thin and firm, cheeks hollow
and pale he wearsa sandy moustache and
limperial-a la Napoleon. Though any +.
thing but beauty, he is man it is impos-
sible not to take fancy TO- Retiring to
his shanty for minute or two, after all
was arranged, his appearance was an
nounccd by grand display from The
1 band and, forward came Tecumseh, with
a high crown of many. colored feathers on
! his head not with slow pace as would
be expected from an Indian chisf-but
dancinga a jig all the way to the preciPice.
II was curloIs, however, to see that the
smile on his lip, ald his other signs of
merriment Tor the many, were altogether
mechanical and artificial, while the close,
ly 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
rope was drawn from shore to shore, 500
feet across and $50 feet above the Niagara
rapids peri!ous bridge for human .eet
to walk | took hold of his arms as he
stood trying the rope for a moment with
the ball of his fnot. 1t was like q bunch
of iron wire, wholly unimpressiba. 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 q
lie walked steadily on and reached thes
middle the chasm, where he proceeded
TO stand upon one leg and hold the other
out at right angles. The spectators ofI
course were all breathlessly silent; hpugh
found it much more brcathless TO think
OF aiterward than 10 see it done He did
1t with such apparent ease and certainty
that 1t was like seeng bird fly or q spider
walk the ceiling-not TO be wondered al
for that kind OF a creature. am inclin.
ed to think it would be more startling
DIETER enabling one to imagine himselfI
in the performers place. if he were to 90
it in common clothes. Looking scarcely
larger ,han butterfly as he reached the
Opposite shore, Blondin remained out of
SIGHT for fifteen or twenty minutes, and
then the pistol was fired 10 announce his
return. lie came quietly on to the cen,
ire where he stopped to lie down at full
lenth 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 endeavored by the
band. As he came up the slant of the
ripe again, saw that his lips were tight
" drawn together and his features were
rigicilv set with the mental exertion, and
and it was an expression of face that
would be worth painting as a type of de-
A al 1,o iaiy ~
of a spectators suspense, could not help
admirinC the little man exceedingly, and
| was the first to give him hand rs he
tapped on the cliff. Itwas cold clam.
my grip that he gave me in return, and
his fingers felt ICY and wet. Everybody |
who could reach him cave him shake of
the hand on his way to the shanty, and
the enthusiasm fo. him seemed universal. |
And so ended the show Of o human life
put ieartuilv to peril Mr.. Blondn, ]
was afterward told. has wife and several
children and resides at Niagra. having
adopted it as the theatre of performance.
His professional profits amount to SO, 900
q year" rH" r .g re.
A GENgALocY. John Knox, the Great
Refornier of Scotland.
John Witherspoon, d. D.. one of the
Signcrs Of the Declaration of American
Independence.
John Breckinridge, Member of JEFF.
erson's Cabinet.
John G.. Brecllinridce, Vice President
of the United States, lSj7-'6l.
John c. Breckinridre President of the
United states, lS6l-'6j.
Trhe above is a true record of the gem
ooloey Of the next President of the Uni.
ted States, N. York Journal Of Com
merce.
ran-How women do admire weddings.
Not their own merely but anybody's.-
How they thropg the churches. ",just to
see the ceremony you know p Then
what animated descriptions Of the whole
affair: what glowing accounts of what the
bride had on.l What criticism of brides
maids. In short what an immense of
simper and giggle, and prattle--all be-