The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-12-16
Chinese AcrObats.
lSan francisco CALL


To an American rothing can be more
utterly incomprehensible and monoto
nous than a Chinese play. Many &c
once out of curiosity; but the outrage
Gus music of the orchestra, with it,
wailing stringed instruments and dis
cordant goDgs, interspersed with the
horrible jargon of the Celestial, is rarely
sufficient to hold entranced the casual
white spectator when free melodeon en-
tertainment furnishes him with superior
attraction.
OF late, however, the manager of the
Chinese theater has introduced "new
business" with the idea of securing
patronage outside of that afforded by'his
countrymen.
The Chinese Tumblers lately intro.
Academy of Music are indeed marvels
in their line, and the performances are
we'll worth seeing. These acrbats dc
not appear alone, but are incidental to
the piece, very much as the circus scene
is introduced in the play of cold Curl.
osity Shop" Just before the appearance
of the acrobats, Chinaman rushes down
stairs to inform those on the street that
the tumbling is about to begin, and there
is rush directly from below. Amid a
tremendous demonstration on the part
of the orchestra the tumbling begins. A
gigantic Chinaman comes out dressed in
a grOtesque costume, in which every
known color is blended. He goes through
a number of fourishes and bows, which
causes the unsophisticated portion Of the
audience to entertain the belief that he
is star performer. Such, however, is
not the fact, as the man is only figure
head. At last a number of athletic
MoDgolians appear, stripped to the waist,
and begin a sort of combat upon the
stage. At first the fighting appears to
be promiscuous, 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 q statue, while the others fall heavily
upon the floor. A number of tables are
next brought out and piled one above
the other until a height of about twenty
feet is attained. A performer, whose
weight is no less than $50 pounds,
mounts them, and springing in the air
toward the floor and the stage, strikes
both feet with heavy thud upon the
bare breast of a man standing about ten
feet from the foot of the tables, throwing
him violently to the floor. How a man
can sustain such blow is mystery.
Again the agile acrobat ascends to the
top table and springing upward turns II
while all the tables except
the lower one are suddenly taken away.
Upon the only table left he falls with a
force apparently great enough to break
every bone in his body, but he leaps up
again Immediately anu turns back hand
springs across the stage. Again he
climbs to the top of the tower OF tables,
while second. lies down upon table
few feet from the base of the tower.
Turning somersault In mid-air, he falls
upon the other body, the two breast to
breast, and bounds fagain with q second
somersault. Other acrobats climbed TO
various altitude and fell upon the stage,
alightipg square upon their backs with
force that was Astonishing. These feats
are all executed by men in semi-nude
condition, 60 that there is no chance for
padding their clothes While the Ameri-
cans in the theater applaud, the Chinese
make NO demonstration Of approval, but
sit looking stolidly on. The manag r.
Informed The CdN reporter that the tum-
blers are trained from childhood. and be-
come habituated to the. terrible concus-
sions only by years Of practice. He
added that many are killed in training,
or manned for life. The reporter was
allowed to. examine the acrobats, and
found the muscles Of their backs and
breasts ~ hard as wood 10 the touch.
None Of their feats are graceful, but sim
ply indicating . tremendous amount OF
nerve and endurance. Fl