Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-10
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A DUEL ON THE TIGHT ROPE.

The taste for rope dancing which the celebra ted Madame Violante brought into fashion il the early part of the last century, fourished no I where so much and 80 long as in Dublin wher the>agile lady established herself, and opened . theatre, the attractions of which for a time su perseded every other place of public amusement Madame Violante was the Blondin of her day but more of an artist and less of an acrobat She treated the public to scenic effects they hae never before witnessed she trained some uota ble actresses-among whom was Peg Wofing ton-and carried rope dancing to so high pitch that the beau monde of Dublin talked of and at tended to nothing else for some years. Long after the day of her management had gone by | and her theatre passed into other hands and uses lit is said to have become a Methodist chapel, ! the relish for this species of performance was strong enough in the public mind to produce a kind of civil war regarding the merits of two ri. val rope dancers, who had established themselves and their ropes at opposite ends of the city, One astonished the natives of the then fashion. able Liberties, the other amazed the dwellers of the New Town who had not then extended to Merrion Square. They arrived in Dublin on the same day. set up their rival camps, and sent forth their manfestoes next morning; and henceforth there was nothing but contention at dinner table
 
 iard room. concerning the moral, social and acro- batic worth of Signor Sarfuico and Monsieur Perote.
 As their names and titles indicate, the one WIS an Italian and the other Frenchman. Sar- fuico was young. muscular, and tall for gentle man whose business had to be conducted on the tight rope. Perotes age could not be ascertain ed; his adversaries asserted that the blackness of thin beard, was owing to dye; he was small, slender and wind dried, professed to have been brought up on the rope, and considered it the grandest and most elevating of human pursuits. Slgnor sarfuico was grave, silent, and even dig nified. On the hemp he danced the latest min uet, carried a hamper of glass on his back, and balanced his sword on his chin with tacturn stateliness sufficient for cardinal in full canon- icals. His Gallic antagonist talked with inn mense voublity throughout his performance, generally in bis own praise and that of his own science. as he pleased to call it related his ex- periences. delivered his opinions on men and manners, and exchanged repartees with his Dub lin audience. Signor Sarluico assured the pub lie that he was the last scion of noble Floren- tine family. Monsieur Perote boasted his de- scent from line of rope dancers. and took special pride in one of his ancestors who per- formed before Henri Quatre. Each gentleman professed to know nothing of the other but their mutual hatred was said to exceed that of ordin- ary rivals; through their respective satellites a whisper oozed out that they had travelled and danced together for years on the continent - that their quarrels had atterly been such as to call for police interference e-and that they had separated with VOWS of vengeance on each uther some Intention of that kind was supposed to in fusnce the Frenchn!an movements in partcu- lar, for wherever the Italian went there he ful lowed him. and set up his opposing camp.
 They were both excellent in rather on their peculiar lines. As ropes were walked or danced in those days Dublin had nut seen their equals, and they divided the town between them. Dow. agers fought their battles Over the cards young men quarIelied n fee houses and next morn. ing Ill the phGniX Park about them; family controversies arost-social circles split and fell aw y--prople altered their wills--olL friends passed each other without speaking--and en- agreements were broken eff, on account of Sig nor Sariuco and Monsieur Perote. They got mixed up with politics, as what in Dublin did not? The popular or Irish party were the chief supporters of Perote he bowed to the carmen, and wanted justice for Ireland. The high To- rics and friends of government, on the other hand.- lent their strength to Sarfuieo; he was reduced gentleman. and no doubt of sound prin- ciples. The Irish party being the most numer
 
 what was st Il more in the Frenchmans favor, the ladies threw their weight into the scale. In spite of the better looks and higher pretensions of his rival, Monsieur Perote's abundant compli ments and general devotion to the fair sex car ried the day the ladies young and old. espoused his cause as ladies only can and in their inau- ence, great as it is, and has been in all times and places, had power on the banks of the Liffey in those days sufficient to swamp any opposition. Monsieur Perote's fame and cash box went up at rate which threatened extinction to his rival till the Italians ingenuity found out mode of making things more than even. Sarfuico raised his rope. The elevation was full twenty feet above anything Perote had ever attempted.- The bare advertisement drew a considerable house on the first evening of exhibition, and when it went abroad how he carried the sack, balanced the sword, and drank glass of wine to the health of the lord lieutenant, Perote's popu- larity fell to the freezing point. In vain his most astonishing feats were put in requisition- he stood on one leg to no purpose danced the minuet De La Cour with no effect notwithstand- ing the bows, the carmen ran to see and shout for his daring antagonist and though his com- pliments rose if possible to higher key, the la dies deserted him and his rope.
 At this epoch it became public by theirjoint advertisement that Sarfuico and Perote had made friends Why and how their most confidential advisers could not declare, but it was generally believed that, as became his position, Perote had made the first overtures and Sarfuico, remember ing former days, and not willing to rule over his enemy, agreed to let by-gones be by-gones, and receive him into his service. They were hence forth to act together, and the surmises, specula- tions, and reports that went through Dublin, when that announcement was issued, were unexampled Would the Italian briug down his rope? Would the Frenchman elevate his? Would the stage admit of two ropes? Would there be anything more than the old tricks? Heavy bets were ta- ken on those important questions, and full house before it's doors were opened, a crowd that might have filled a building twice its size, had collected in front of Sarfuico's theatre The get ting in and getting places was considerable bu. siness; and when no more seats could be found for the ladies, and no more standing room for the l gentlemen, the curtain rose. Then what a sur. prise for the eager faces-what a disappointment | of shrewd coniectures-what losing of heavy l bets appeared; for there was Sarfuico's rope alone at its highest elevation, and there were the rivals both upon 1t. The Italian looked more than usually grave and grand the Frenchman determined and unflinching, as if his courage had been screwed up for some desperate purpose The one bowed solemnly to the boxes, the other to the whole house, but 1t was carelessly done and Perote's hand was not even laid on his heart when he turned to the ladies.
 I As soon as the house recovered from its amaze ment, It made the roof ring, and the ropes trem ble, not to speak of those who stood on it, with thanders of applause. Sarfuieo's theatre, il must be premised, had been an ancient VI ind-mil of more than common height, which allowed room TOT ms present elevation, and there be and his