The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-10
A Duel on the Tight-ROpe.

fashion in the early part Of the last centu-
ry, fiourished nowhere so much and long
as in Dublin, where the agile lady estab-
lished herself and opened theatre, the
attractions Of which for time superseded
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 had never witnessed before
she trained some notable actresses
among whom was Peg WoffingtOn-and
carried rOPe-dancing to SO high pitch,
that the beau monde of Dublin talked of,
and attended to, nothing else for many
years. Long alter the days of her man.
aRement had gone by, and her theatre
passed INTO Otner hands and uses, { it is
sGtd 20 have become Methodist chaPeD, ,
the relish for this species Of performance
was strong enough in the public mind to
produce 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 astonlsh-
ed the natives of the then fashionable
Liberties, the other amazed the dwellers
Of the New Town, which had not then ex-
tended to Merrion Square. They had ar
rived in Dublin on the same day, set up
their rival camps, and sent forth their
manifcstoes the next morning; and hence
forth there was nothing but contention at
dinner table and tea-party, in tavern,
cOffee-hOuse, and billiard room, concern
ing the moral, social and acrobatic worth
of SignOr Sarfucio and Mounsier Perote.
AS their names and titles indicate, the
one was an Italian, and the other a French
( man. SarfuciO was young, muscular, and
tall for a gentleman whose business had
to be conducted on the tight-rOpe. Pc
rote'S 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-dricd, professed
to have been brought up on the rope, and
considered it the grandest and most ele-
waiting of human pursuits. Signor Sariu-
clio was grave, silent, and ever dignified.
On the hemp he danced the latest minuet,
carried hamper of glass on his back, ard
balanced his sword on his chin with a
taciturn stateIiness sufficient for a cardi
nal in full canonicalS. His Gallic antag
onist talked with immense volubi.ity
throughout his performance, generally in
his own praise and that Of his science, as
he pleased to call il; related his expert.
cnce, delivered his opinion on men and
manners, and exchanged reparteeS with
his Dublin au1icnce Signor Sarfucio as
surrd the public that he was the last scion
Of Il noble Elorentine family Monsieur
PerOtc boastel his descent from Il line of
rope.danccrS, and took special pride in
one OF his ancestors who performed before
Henry Quatre. Each gentlemen profts
ed to know nothing Of the other, but their
mutual hatred was said to exceed that of
ordinary rivals; through their respective
satellites "A whisper Oozed ont that they
had travelled and danced together for
years OF the continent their quar-
re.S had lattrrlv been such As to call for
police interference-and that they had
separated with VOWS ef vengeance on one
another; some intention of that kind was
supposed 10 influence the Frenchnian'S
movements in particular, for wherever the
Italian went, there he followed him and
set up his opposite camp.
They were both excellent in, or rather
on, their r,Spcctivc lines. As ropes were
walked or danced in those days, Dublin
had not seen their equals, and they divi-
dcd the town bttweem them. DOwagers
fought their battles over the cards; young
men quarreled in coifte-houSeS. and met
next morning in the Phenix Park about
them family controversies rOse-social
circles split ard fell away-people altered
their wIllS-old friends passed each other
without speaking engagements were
broken oft, on account Of Signor Sarfucio
ard Monsieur Pcrote They got mixed
up with politics, as what in Dublin did
not? The popular or Irish party were
the chief supporters of Pcrote; he bowed
TO the carmen, and wanted justice for ire
land. The high tories and friends OF
government. on the other hand, lent their
strength to Sarfucio; he was a reduced
gentleman, and no doubt Of sound princi-
pies. The Irish party being the most
numerous, gave Prrote considerable
majority, and what was still more in the
Frenchman's favor, the ladies threw their
weight into the scale. In spite of the
better looks and higher prctensions of his
rival, Monsieur Perote's abundant com.
plimentS and general devotion to the fair
sex, carried the day the ladies', young
and old, espoused his cause as only la
dies can; and Ihrir influence, great as it
Is, and has been in all times and places,
had power on the banks Of the Litfey in
those days sufficient to swamp any oppo-
sitiOn. Monsieur PerOte's fame and cash
box went up at the rate which threatened
ingenuity found out mode of making
things more than even. Sarfucio raised
his rope The elevation was full twenty
feet above anything Perote had ever at
tempted The bare advertisement drew
a considerable house on the first evening
of exhibition, and when it went abroad
how he had carried the sack, balanced the
sword, and drank glass of wine to the
ord.lieutenant, Perotes popularity fell to
freezing point. In vain his most aston
ishing feats were put in requisition; he
stood on one leg to no purpose, danced
the minuet De IL C9ur with no effect
notwithstanding his bows, the carmen ran
To see and shout tor his antagonist; and
though his compliments rose if possible to
a higher key, the ladies deserted him and
his rope.
At this epoch, ii became public by their
JOINT advertisement that Sariuclo and Pe-
rote had made friends. Why and how,
their most confidential advisers could not
declare, but it was believed that Perote,
as became his position, had made the first
OvertureS, and SarfuciO, remembering for
mer days, and not unwilling to rule over
his enemy, agreed to let bygones be by
cones, and receive him into his service
They were hencefOrth to act together, and
the surmises, spcculations, and reports
that went through Dublin, when that an
nouncement was issued, were unexampled.
Would the Italian bring 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 taken on
these questions, and full hour before it's
doors were opened, crowd that might |