Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-03-21
JAPANESE JUGGLERS.

A company of acrobats, coniurers, and jugglers,
from japan, have established themselves at St
Martin Hall, London, where, richly habited in
their native costume, they go throug gh series OF
feats that may be accepted as specimen OF the a.
musements that find favor in region to which the
attention of the public has of late been more than
commonly directed. That they are genuine Jap
enable doubt, inasmuch as their testimonials are
plainly inscribed on their features The Juggling
tricks of the Japanese are most remarkable. two
of these being Of kind altogether new to Euro
peal public. In one of them large top, spun
with string, on exactly the same principle as the
common peg-top used by school boys, is made to
display degree of dociity that almost entities it
to be cassed among the more intelligent members
of the brute creation. The juggler throws it out
with force which enables't to remain spinning
for several minutes Sometimes he sets it loose
altogether and compels it to bound from its per
pendicular and remain spinning at an angle OF for
ty-fve degrees; sometimes he detans it at the fur
ther end of his string, which becomes rigid by the
tension, and takes now horizontal, now vertical
position the top on one occasion flying up into a
box suspended frem the ceiling and causing q
shower Of gold leaf to fall upon the juggler.
The crowning feat Of the ''top-spinner," as he
called, is to land the top into a sort Of wooden
tramroad that extends from the front to the back
OF the plaCIOrn anu 10 Ine 1rOnC again Oh tue up
posite side, varied by all sorts of curves and angles
and passing through strange miniature edifces
built in the japanese STYLE Through the force Of
single throw the top completes the whole Of its
Tourney along this intricate road, going over two
vertical sem-crcular curves just as it is about tc
reach him. The performance of this trick consti
tutes the whole duty of the stop-spinner, and the
same may be said of the so-called "butterhy trick
which is the other great achievement the evening
To perform this the juggler tears a piece Of pa
per into small fragments, out of two OF which he
makes pair of artificial butterflies, about the size
of life. BY the aid of two fans he not only keeps
them floating in the air. but makes them settle OF
large boquet of flowers, and dart in and out Of 6
porcelain vase. For the most part the entertain
m1ent is enlivened by the delighted shrieks anc
!, shouts of two Japanese children, who encourage
the iuggler in the discharge of his duty, and oc
cupy that sort of mid position between spectator
and performer which belongs to the clown Of an e
ouestrian ring. The hilarity thus promoted is quail
|ifed by dismal accompaniment played on tht
musical instrument of Japan which endures near
Ely the whole of the evening Other members O.
the troupe 60 through feats on the tight rope, anc
do few conjuring tricks but in these there is nj
great novelty, and the deliberate slowness witt
? which the Japanese make their preparations con
|trasts disadvantageousy with the nimble European
artists of the same kind. But the ''top"' and tn.
''butterfy" are really unique, and should be seel
by every one who takes an interest in the quas-oc
cult arts to which they belong If there is any de
ception in the tricks, they are still most ingenious
if there is none, they are marvellous.