Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-26
DEPARTURES.
Duel ON the Tight.Ropc.

The taste for rope-dancing which the cele
brated Madame Violante brought into fashion
in the early part of the last century, flourished
nowhere so much, or so long, as in Dublin,
where the agile lady established herself, and
opened theatre-the attractions of which
for time superseded every other place of
amusement Madame Violante was the Blon-
din of her day, but more of an artist and less
of an acrobat. She treated the public to
scenic effects they had never witnessed be-
fore; she trained some notable actresses
among whom was Peg Wonington-and car
ried rope-dancing to so a high pitch, that the
beau monde of Dublin talked of, and attended
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
Git is said to have become a Methodist chapeD,
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 rival rope-dancers, who had established
themselves and their ropes at opposite ends OF
the city. One astonished the natives of the
then fashionable Liberties; the other amazed
the dwellers of the New Town, who had not
then extended to Merrion square, They ar
rived in Dublin on the same day, set up their
rival camps, and sent forth their manitestoes
the next morning; and henceforth there was
nothing but contention at dinner-tabe and
tea-table, in tavern, cofee-house and billiard
room, concerning the moral, social, and aero
batic worth of Signor Sarfuico and Monsieur
Perote.
AS their names and titles indicate, the one
was an Italian and the other Frenchman.
Sarfuico young, muscular, and tall for
gentleman whose business had to be conducted
on the tight-rope Perotes age could not be
ascertained; his adversaries asserted that the
blacknesS OF his thin hair was owing to dye;
he was small, slender, and wind-dried, pro-
fessed to have been brought up on the rope,
and considered il the grandest and most eleva-
ting of human pursuits. Signor Saruico was
grave, silent, and even digniiied. On the
hemp he danced the latest minuet carried a
hemper of glass on his back, and balanced his
sword on his chin with taciturn stateEness
sufficient for a cardinal in full canonicals
His Gallo antagonist talked with immense
volubility throughout his performance, gener-
ally in his own praise, and that of his own
science, as he was pleased to call it; related
his experiences, delivered his opinion on men
\ and manners, and exchanged repartees with
his Dublin audience. Signor Sarfuico assured
the public that he was the last scion of noble
2 TipItUtlut idlllllN. AOuSlcuT ItTOlc DOd>tcu
his decent from a line of rope-dancers; and
took special pride in one of his ancestors who
performed before Henri Quartre. Each gem
tleman profeSSed 10 know nothing of the other;
but their mutual hatred was said to exceed
that OF ordinary rivals; through their reSpec-
tive satellites a whisper oozed out that they
had travelled and danced together for years
on the continent; that their quarrels had lat
terly been such as TO call for police interference;
and that they had separated with vows of
vengeance on each other; some intention of
that kind was supposed to influence the
Frenchman's movements in particular. for
wherever the Italian went there he followed
him. and set up his opposing camp.
They were both excellent in, or rather on.
their peculiar lines. As ropes were walked
or danced those days, Dublin had not seen
their equals, and they divided the town be-
tween them. Dowagers fought their battles
over the cards; Young men quarreed in cot
fee-hOuses and next morning in the Phoenix
Park, about them; family controversies arose
social circles split and fell away; people al.
tered their wills old friends passed each other
: without speaking; and engagements were bro
ken off. on account of Signor Sarfuico and
Monsieur Perote. They got mixed up in
politics as what in Dublin did not? The pop
ular or Irish party, were the chief supporter,
of Perote; he bowed to the carmen, and wanted
Justice tor Ireland. The high tories anC
friends of government, on the other hand, len
their strength to Sarfuico; he was a reduced
gentleman and. no doubt. of sound principles
The Irish party being the most numerous
gave Perote considerable majority. and wha
was still more in the Frenchman's favor, th'
: ladies threw their weight into the scale. Ii
spite of the better looks and higher preten
Z sons of his rival, Monsieur Perote's abundan
compliments and general devotion to the fai
sex carried the day; the ladies, young and old
D espoused his causes as ladies only can; am
their influence, great as il is and has been il