The union Democrat., 1870-10-01
A pRrNCRss RoPE-wAr.kER.
The Remarkable Career Of thc Wife ef
Prince Salm.Safm-

/ The recent death of Prince Felix Salm-Salm
in hattie brings him and his noted wife once
again into that public notice which they so
much delighted in.
Same time during the winter of 1857. n
handsome lady. elegantly dressed. visited the
| Walnut street Circus in Philaielphia. gni
made arrangements for instruction in tie nj
af equestrianism. as practiced hy the divini-
ties Of the saw-!ust circle. She was already
u pretty good hnrse-woman. so far as riding
Will, ~de-saddle was Concerned; but il was
her ambition 10 astonish wandering audiences
bv poising herself on one foot while going at
full speed, hy flights over muslin banners,
and by reckless dashes through paper hoops
Her negotiations resulted satisfactorily, and
under tho direction of a competent teacher.
she commenced her course Of practice. She
was we'll SUI nlipd with funds. and WAS al
WAYS accompanied in her visits to the circus
Wv negro servant. It was subsequently as
certained that at this time she was living un-
der the protection Of prominant Phiadel-
phia politician. She gaze the high-sounding
name of Miss Agnes Leclercq, and was con-
graduated by the manager upon having q
tirs'-rate name for poster.
| Excellence in the art Of equitatior. rs prac-
tsed in the circus ring. Is only attained after
much perseverance, and numerous upsets.
Miss Agnes was plump ns we'll as pretty,
| and when she fell. which was pretty often,
she fell hard. Although she was an extremc-
" plucky li:t,e woman. she was an eminent-
lv practical enc, and she shortly came to the
cnnclIsnp that she could attain the end she
| desired. the admira,inn Of miscellaneous au-
diances. with less risk TO her beautiful limbs
than uas entailed hv the prosecution nf her
| l.
nt cirrns riding. and devoted her energies to
acquiring the accomplishments of tight-rope
dancer. For some months she pursued her
practice npnn the rape with great nssiduity.
and eventually became tolerah'e perf"rmer.
In the spring she procured an engagement
with a travelling circus to make grand as
cpnsinn unon a single wire" which was
| stretched from the ground to the top Of the
center pole of the circus tent in the anen air,
this heng gratuitous exhibition given he
fore the cnn,mence ement of the performances
for the pnrpose Of attracting a crowd. ller
first appearance in public occurred in Ch:ca-
90 in April. 1857. The day was windy,
disagreeahle one; the atmosphere was damn,
and The wire was wet and slippery. Az she
commenced her pe-ilons journey, the gust Of
wind PLAYED the mischief with her abhrevat-
ed skirts, and rendered it extremely difficult
for her Ia keep her footing BUT. with bal
ance pole in hand, she steadily rursued her
wae until she had walked half the length of
the wire. At this paint she unfortunately
made mistake. and to the horror nf the gap
iIg crowd came with great velocity to the
grauad. A stalwart member Of the cnmnanv
caught her in his arms. however. and sayad
her from injury, wherenpon she pluckily tried
the operation over again, and this time with
>I~s- /. Il
tent, and then perfcrrning the still more diff
cult feat of descending to the gronnd by the
same hazardous course, retiring at the concu-
sion OF hsr performance amidst general cho-
rus nf shouts and cheers from the sssemhled
multitude who had heen adm;ring her beauty
and daring. This was her first appearance
in pnblic, but she repeated the performance
twice day the whole of the travelling season,
which lasted six or seven m ,nths. during
which time the circus visited the principal
towns of Illinois. Missouri, Arkansas and
kentc@ay. During her stay at Chicago she
was attended on various occasions hy CON-
mon looking. seedy individual. whom she in
traduced to the company rs her brother, hut
who. it was afterwar.l learned, was no less
an individual than he husband. After lsav-
ing Chicago this individual vanished from
sight. and. like Billy IIackaday's father. ''he
has always kert in the back ground and new
or sinre been heard from" In the autumn
the circus came to grief at Marysvile. Ky..
and the members Of the company wer. left TO
find their several homes as best they mi rht
Miss Agnes. by some means. got to New
York. and it is to he presumed that she had
hrcome thoroughly diSgusted with her ci,cus
experiences. as she was never known to az
pear in the capacity of tight-rope dancer
again.
Soon after arriving in f.ew York. Miss
Agnes married 81 gentleman Of good family.
who was devo,edly attached to her. lie was
u fine noble hearted fellow. sad for n time so
far as is known. she behaved herself with pro-
prietv. Bat this cannot last long. A quiet
life Of resrertabiliry was not suited TO her
,pmneramen,; she grew di>cnntented end un-
hanpv. and although her husband did every
Thing in his nnusr 70 make her LONE pleas
ant far h,r. one day. without n word of ex-
plsnaton, without there having been the
slightest quarrel or misunderstanding. she
suddenly disappeared. The next that was
known of her she wss living in fire style in
Havana. and shortly after sEe reapneared in
this cisy. taking apartments at a frst-class
hotel, an4 evidently having ut her command
the s'rings of somebody's plethoric purse.
But like the celebrated Grand Duchess, she
loves the military
Soon after the breaking ont of the rebellion
Miss Agnes figured ronspicunusly at Wash
'ngtor. and will be remembered by MANY
who We're connected with the army at the
! time. With good looks, an active intelli-
senre. frank and pleasing manner. and
bundles audacitv. she ingratiated herself in
high quarters. and soan had several distin-
gn'she'l military persnnages in her train at
admirers. The destinations of spangles had
been eriipsed by the more substantial snlaa-
ders at shoulder straps and epau.ets. and Miss
Agnes was determined that her nam- should
he henceforth identified with hattlefelis in
stead af itnerant shows. She doubtless h"r-
ed 10 see il figure as prominently in Official
bulletins as il had heretofore appeared IN cir
! Gus Programmes.
| In 1862 her numerous military admirers
we're astoni>hed hv the extraordinary in'eili-
gence that the Prince Felix Sslm-Sa'm. then
serving in the Un;nn army. had espons"d this
daSl:ing adventuress and that the qnnodam
fone dancer. after ell the strange vieisitudes
of her eeentfuI life, was now the acknawiedg-
Cd xr,f. of, ,el pr;nea liant of.