The daily gazette., 1875-12-07
CHINESE ACROBAT rs.
Some OfTheir Surprising Feats OF Tum-
bIing-HOw they Risk Their Necks
and Bones.


Some ofTheir Surprising Feats Of Tum-
bIing-How they Risk Their Necks
and Bones.
Says the San Francisco Call: To an
American nothing can be more utterly |
incomprehcnsible and monotohous
than a Chinese play. Many go once
out of curiosity; but the outrageous
music of the orchestra, with its wall F,
ing, stringed instruments and discor- |
dant gongs, intersperspersed with the
horrible iargon of the Celestial, is rare
" sufficient to hold ertranced the
casual white spectator, when a free
melodeon entertainment furnishes him
with superior attractions.
OF late, however the manager OF tie
Chinese Theatre has introduced new
business" with the idea of securing pa
tronage outside of that afforded by his
couptlymen. The Chinese tumblers
lately introduced into the Jackson
Street Chinese Academy OF Music are
indeed marvels in their line, and the
performances are we'll worth seeing
| These acrobats do not appear alone,
but are incidental to the piece, very
much as the circus scene is introduced
in the play of "Old Curiosity Shop"
Just before the appearance of the aero
bats a Chinaman rushes down stairs TO
| inform those on the street that the
tumbling is about to begin, and there
] is a rush directly from below. Amid
a tremendous demonstration on the
mart of the orchestra the tumbling
! begins. A gigantic Chinaman comes
out dressed in grotesque costume IN
which every known color Is blended
He goes through number of flourish
es and bows, which cause the upso-
| phisticatcd portion of the audience to
| entertain the belief that he is star
performer. Such, however is not the
| fact. as the man is only q figure head.
At last number of athletic Mongoli-
ans appear, stripped to the waist, and
begin sort of combat upon the stage.
At Erst the fighting appears t" be pro :
miscuous, but six or eight finally ally
themselves against one man and try to
overcome him by springing against
him and striking him full in the breast
with the soles OF their feet. He meets
this curious mode Of attack by standing
like a statue, while the others fall
heavily upon the floor. y number OF
tables are next Brought out and piled
one above the other until height OF
about twenty feet is attained. y per-
former whose weight is no less than
$50 pounds, mounts them, and, spring
ing in the air, toward the floor and the
5 stage, strikes both feet with a heavy
| thud unon the bare breast of man
q standing about ten feet from the foot
Of the tables, throwing him violently
to the floor. How a man can sustain
such blow is a mystery. Again the
agile acrobat ascends to the top table
and springing upwards, turns somer
J sault, while all the tables except the
. lower one are suddenly taken away
Upon the only table left he falls with
5 a force apparently great enough u
break every bone in his body, but ht
leaps up again Immediately aud turns
q back handsprings across the stage
! Again he climbs to the top of the
tower of tables, while second lies
. down upon table few feet from tho
= base Of the lower. Turning somer
: sault in mid air he falls upon the othel
body, the two breast to breast, ant
bounds off again with second somcr
q tault Other acrobats climbed 10 vari.
Gus attitudes and fell upon the stage
. alighting square upon their backs will
: force which was astonishing. Thes
d feats are all executed by men in ;
b seminude condition, so that there is n,
chance for padding their clothes
While the Americans in the theatr
c applaud, the Chinese make no demon
y stration of approval, but sit looking
f stolidly on. The manager informed
the Call reporter. that the tumblers ar
. trained from childhood, and becom
habituated to the terrible conclusion
only by years of practice He addc'
y that many are killed in training, o
o MANNED for life. The reporter wa
n allowed TO examine-the acrobats, an
found the muscles of their backs an
breasts as hard as wood to the touch
It None of their feats are graceful, bu
simply indicating trcmendou
amount of nerve and endurance.