The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-12
CHILDREN OF THE ST WDUs7.
How Circus Apprentices. are Treated
and How They are Taught Their
Business.

How Circus Apprentices are Treated
and How They are Taught Their
Business.
Many of our readers, re fancy, have often
seen and admired the pretty children whose
graceful performances in the circus ring are
always, to very many people, by far the most
pleasing portion OF the entertainment. There
is, however, a popular belief that these chill
| dren are cruelty treated to make them learn
these various tricks, which some suppose to
be hurtful to the infant Frame. AS this COB
sideralIop. of course, detracts much from
| the pleasure that tender.hearted people would
otherwise feel In witnessing the performances.
The fact is that the things q child Is taught to
do In the ring are Almost Inc same things
that nine out of ten healthy children are
continually doing on the green sward or
on the carpeted floors of the parental parlors.
Your own little boy-dear ktnd-hearted
| Madam, who gazes 80 pitifully at the little
circls children-if he is q healthy and well
| developed young chap, will stand on his head,
with hts boots In the ar, or pitca MIN
thus keeping himself topsy-turvey half his
waking houri-if only he has got some place
where he can do 1t and not hurt himself.
| what your boy does is almost precisely what
is done by the circus children, only they are
taught TO accomplish their teats in the most
easy and graceful way.
The cruelty Ia q Thing OF the past, and the
|suffeiines of gymnastic and equestrian ap-
prentices of The present day are purely sup
positions.
Ing as soon as they can fairly walk, though 10
these days 1t Is not usual to see o BOY OF less
than five or six years introduced In pubic IN
the acrobatic business. In the case vi eqnes-
Lrians, however, the case Is diftrent-some
ambitious riders bringing their off.pring be-
fore the public much younger than this
The first act in which the littls ones are al
lowed to appear before an audience are Wnat
are technically known as "acrobatic,"' or
"~posturing" scenes. Those who watch these
performances carefully will notice that the
Youngest ones Of the party have very little TO
do, save to stand In the proper ''posluon,"
and receive an occasional TOSS from Inc sen
ior member OF the group, which toss or throw
sometimes looks SIS If very carelessly admin
istered, but which is In reality Is done with the
greatest care and gentleness. In TACT the
modern system of teaching the business by
Emulation. Instead of by threats and blows,
makes the youngest 80 AMBITIOUS tnaI tney
are always begging to pc taught new 'acts,"
and nine out OF ten OF the trihlng laiis lney
get In the ring are brought on by the attempt
10 accomplish more than they are really at
snplsnse ia Unborn with us all, and jealousy
| sometimes go rankles Ia the baby bos0ms OF
these spangled little ones that they would,
If unchecked in their mad career, often Dreak
their tiny little necks IN trying TO outoo eaca
| other. To many an ambitious youngster tne
| greatest possible known punishment IL oelng
| debarred the privilege of appearing with nls
| eXultant companions In starred ana unselleo
| 6nery, and exhibiting bis hard-earned accom-.
plishmenta to The applauding multitude: aost
| OF the children in the profession at present
are the offspring of performers. who are not
afraid to have them taught the business, as the
| teaching ls now done. Formerly many "cir,
| Gus actors,' particularly the mothers, would
rather have laid their little ones In their COZ
fins than see them brought up to the business
| of their parents. Remembering the blows and
| stripes of their own apprenticeship, lew
mothers could bear the thought of dying ana
| leaving their tender babes exposed 10 Inc ofu-
| talIty Of which they had themselves had such
sad experience.
In gymnastics the youngsters are drst taught
some simple posturing and the dancing posi-
lions; then comes what Is technically. known
as the ssplit," which consists 10 spreading Inc
feet apart I'LL the legs are at exact right angles
| some lad or lass of sixyears or less can do al.
most without practice. Next they are taught
sbending," which means 10 throw the mead
back as iar as possible toward the heels; thls
being learned, q grown person places nls nano
under The back Of the youngster, when 9 sllght
| toss, by throwing the feet over the head, trans.
| forms the sbendh Into o 'sOmersault." When
The child has mastered the backward and for
ward "somersaulL" the hardest of bis education
! as q sslumbler'' ls over. The other feats come
easily by practice-'vaultlng,' "oatlonle
Leaps" 'sspring-board somersaulls," Flip
flaps ''hand syringe, !" 'cart-wheels," and the
like are learned Ia . lew months.
IF the Young person, either male or female,
Is 10 learn the tight-rope business. he or she
is not. as one might suppose, exercised at nrst
| on q low rope stretched near the ground. On
| the contrary, the pupil is placed at once on Inc
| rope al as great an elevation as 10 required oy
| the regular performances, and from The very
| first learns the business as IL must aiter~sru De
| done. There are two reasons Tor tnls-nrst: IL
| and, second, it gives space for the employment
| of the "balance pole" a long bar OF Twelve 70
| twenty feet In length, and which, were the
| rope stretched low. would constantly emoarrass
| the learner by striking the ground on either
side. As 1t Is absolutely necessary 10 intuIe
| bold and selt.poss.ssed, and not become tmid
by reason of hurts received in the falls which
| are first %unavoidably many, men are stationed
| on either side OF the rope. Into whose ever
ready arms the youUgster falls, and go never
comes to serious grief, however frequent are
The lumblee.
| heavy leather belt IL buckled round the waist;
| from this belt q long and strong cord passes
through q ring In The top Oh the "pao' or
s'surcingle," and The irre END 10 held IN
the hand of The riDg-master." IL. being
| thus protected, young master loses mis- feet, au
| instantaneous pull upon the cord draws him
fal down on the back Of the horse, and by no
| stretch OF infantlle Ingenuity can he get under
the animal's heels.
The apprentices frequently learn TO Tide the
s'pony act" in which the tiny pattern OF a man
dressed as O jockey or q courier urges his
steed with his shril cries and many WaVings
| OF his little cap. This act Is always ridden on
TWO ponies, AMI the young rider Will contrlve
| to slip aud fall between his miniature steeds,
| while u thrill of horror perVades the crowd,
| who applaud most Justify when, The next mln-
| Ute, the piucky little fellow regdlns his leet,
| picks up The reins and drives on faster than
| ever. The compassionate audience need not
| waste their sympalhies. however; this fall Is
merely one oil tile tricks Of the trade" Intro
| duced simply for '~'effect,'' and the cord, before
described, would not let the rider iall II ne
| wanted to. On the whole, the Improvement In
the manner of training children for this sort of
life Is marked and cOBmendaole. II Is not o
business 10 which every parent would care
to bring up his little ones; but, after all.
''people must be amused" aud every one OF
these circus children ls q thousand times bet
ter off in having an honest, though perhaps
humble, trade than are the thousands OF mis-.
cradle little waits that swarm 10 our streets
and alleys, whose present condition Is utter