The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-04-28
PERSONAL. GOSSIP.
TEE mAR1YRs OF THE 4RApEzE.
Something of the History OF an Aero
batic Family.
lFrom Or the kalamazoo (Mlch.) telegraph.

.4.. From the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Telegraph
Seeing in many city papers an account Of an
accident which occurred In Baltimore recently to
little Zoe DeLave, the dIst female @ gym1as. IN
;, he now less novel feat Of ''the dying trapeze"
.;im tempted to write for your readers lew lacts
: concerning the troupe OF which she Is q member
NY information is from q lady who became ac-
quainted with them during stay OF week or
two they made at hotel at Great Valley, Cal.
The "De Lave Troupe,n or family" consists OF
entertainment Is an act on the tight rope his
wife, German girl about twenty-one years now,
and who Is advertised as Lila, and Zoe, q child
about twelve years old, his daughter by former
marriage. In the first part Of their entertainment,
before. the real fatiguing business commences,
Lila dances some Of the fancy dances wen known
the double and single trapeze, rings, parallel bar,
&C., in short, all the business that the Hanlons
are so famous for, only that they do different
parts much more rapidly than the Hanlons. Zoe
once crossed Niagara River On rope, with Zoe,
then six years old, walking in front OF him.
One Of her feats is for Lila to preclpitate
herself from the gallery ceiling Of q. theatre,
catching o. trapeze or ring hanging from about
the centre OF the ceiling, where she hangs by her
feet and Zoe nings herself to her, Is caught, and
is again nung 10 some one on the stage, whoee
business 1t Is TO catch her. and who does 1t or not
as the case may be, Us we had an instance OF In
Philadelphia this fall Mrs. DeLave has warned
her husband time and again that the child was
getting too heavy, and some day she should be
unable to catch her. This and the nying trapeze
act are the most dangerous OF all the feats they
attempt, and, In doing these, Zoe Is continually
missing her hold, and hasnarrowly escaped death
several times.
Thesegtrls detess the life they arc obliged TO
lead NrS De Lave says every night, when she
goes upon tne ropes, the cold perspiration, start
eu Ey eneef horror, breaks out over her, SO the
losin put there 70 prevent slipping viii not stay
:npon her:hands. She enters upon every perform
ance with aprotest Zoe has musical talent, that,
cultivated, would lead to fortune much quicker
than ahe means she at present is obliged TO |
adopt. She is small OF her age. Slender, though
muscular-her face thin and peaked-she is moi |
what would be called q pretty child. She Ia in. |
norant-does not even know how TO read, size
Is self willedLwill not even venture upon either
tight slack ropes until satisfied they are secure
Her father has educated her to believe that as
long as he stands by the rope or bar she viii |
never be hurt at least dangerously. This.
sternness to them by saying unless they do lust |
as he orders they would, in many instances, have
been killed. But this will never palllate the oru-
talities he was known to have been guilty Of In |
Phladelphia. AT the time my informant met
tneM. De Lave was. independently wealthy, AID |
promised, after exhibiting Zoe at the Paris Expo
stion, she should be withdrawn and placed in !!