Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-10-04
sonETHING ABOUT BLONDIN.
Anecdotes of the Famous Acrobat.

An illustrated " Life " of Blondin has
just appeared in London. The famous rope
walker, who draws as large crowds in En-
gland as he did at Niagara Falls and
Jones Wood, is decidedly an interesting
person His biographer, who follows the
thread of his hero's life from his cradle to
the time of his tumble from a rope at the
Crystal Palace IAN accident, by the way,
which is explained in the most satisfactory
manner), dwells upon every incident in
Blondin's career with the minuteness of a
Boswell, and makes a readable story. Here
is an account of
BLONDIN's YOUTHFUL FEATs.
Prior to the death of his father, (who
sank prematurely from the effects of the
hardships endured while following the
eagles of his Imperial MASTER and when
Young Blondin was not more than five
years old, travelling company of eques-
trian and acrobatic performers pitched
their tent near the paternal home. He, in
common with the boys in the neighborhOOd,
became a wondering spectator of their ex-
ploits; and it was soon obvious that those
exploits had Produced a deep and abiding
effect upon his infantile mind. With mar
vellous adroitness for child of his tender
years, he began to initiate some of the hair
breadth escapes witnessed by himself and
companions in the professional arena; and
ere long he succeeded in accomplishing a
variety of gymnastic feats, such as no child
of his age had ever before attempted.
The child" says the poet WadswOrth,
{" is father of the man" and no one who
could have witnessed the first rude efforts
of the boy Blondin, after returning home
from the performance of that peripatetic
troupe without discerning some sthing in him
more than mere imitation. His attention
had been particularly attracted by the
snowy appearance and display of young
gentleman in blue tunic, heshings and
spangles, who exhibited considerable skill
and elasticity both on the tight rope and
the slack rope; and he resolved that not
an hour should pass over without his at
tempting something of the same sort. He
accordingly procured q piece of strong
cord and affixed it to the upper runge of a
couple of chairs placed dos dos at little
uLSLluCB dDIILs Ol lAl5 uG LluuAlLGu "
make his first essay in rope dancing, when
as matter Of course, the imperfect ma
chinery collapsed, and the young mimic
fell TO the ground equally surprised and
alarmed. A few tears succeeded the mis-
hap, and Mamma Blondin hastened to lift
up her precociOus son and heir, glad to find
no worse result than few bruises where
she really feared broken limb
But ehildhoods tears, though freely shed,
Are soon forgotten"
And, although the bruises disappeared,
his ambition did not, for having fairly
mastered the idea that the lightness and
instability of the chars had caused them to
fall inwards Che knew nothing of their
want of balance, he set about procuring
q fresh line. This time he possessed him
self of much stronger cord, and secured
it to the posts Of a gateway, intending to
" "astonish' a number of his admiring play
mates with his youthful daring. Alas the
cord was not yet strong enough, nor his
fathers fishing-rods a sufficient balancing
pole; so down he came again, with q blank
countenance, a splintered rod and a sprain-
ed wrist, but no bones broken nor any wa
vering in his determination. His mind
was resolutely bent upon success; and
hope, the life-spring of enterprise, the po-
lar star Of ambition, lascinatingly lured
him on.
Blondin's parents subsequently appren-
ticed him to the proprietor of gymnasium
at Lyons, where he speedily acquired such
proficiency that within six months he was
advertised to appear in public as "little
wonder" In 1851 he Joined the Ravels on
an expedition to the United States. On
the voyage, an incident happened which
the biographer makes the most Of but
which certainly shows that Blondin is a
brave and skilful man off as well as on
the rope:
AN ADVENTURE AT SEA.
"During the raging of a violent storm,
a young man of noble birth, who chanced
to be passenger On board the same shin.
was suddenly precipitated overheard. as
the ship rose and sunk in the black abyss
Of waves that yawned around her. Blon-
don, with bound sudden as panther.
leaped after him; the winds shrieked and
howled like demons let loose, and the hiss
ing, surging waves swept mercilessly over
them, but the strong swimmer, the future
hero of Niagara, breasted them notwith-
standing, and courageously approached the
drowning man in time to save him, StruR-