The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-26


and fan WITHOUT danger OF doing toe'n'
solves any harm beyond hurting D''' 'neh
we nut them on horseback.
"r,rst we nut them on good steaov o..
mao. without a saddle. but with bt'iyDan
with handles instead. On these TIE boys
ride astradd,c; then sideways, ike iauv,
changing from one side TO the other' ,nc
horse beginning with q walk ana windipg
nm on the full gallon. Then begins tue up
r,ybt riding. The horse carries oroau'
hard stuffed pad. The beginner has strone
holt about his waist. In the centre OF tue
rinv sthc mechanic l. placed. suppose
Won have seen II, as It has been shown w
numtcr Of circuses. II il on upright 'oR'
Win an arm running over the perform
ing track. A strong rope runs a'o"z ~ W
the end N the arm, then through pu'e!
down 10 the ambitious youth VINO wants 10
he rider, aud fastened to Tue PEI, arounu
his waist. Tie other end Is hclu ny ma"
az the centre-pole; 81. Won see, tne 10! eau
moi fa, 10 the ground II he misses bis loot
;na or Ia.es his equilibrium and so falls OF
his horse. The man-who was giving him
nlenty of rope 10 dance about-slmply
brings him up with short turn, and ne
SWINGS AROUND ~ MID'aIR
unii, he catches up with his horse and gets
another footbold. 'The mechanic you
know. goes around the ring at the same
speed that the horse keeps up. But "hcn
the aspirant gets 30 far advanced that ne can
do without the mechanic and pads, and ride
little on bare back. and when he COM
mences his somersaults, vauting through
naper balloons, &C., he gets many bard
knock. tell YOU. There are not very
Urea, number OF riders who get that Tar
ahead in the profession. FIRST, the bare
back rider must find out the centre
Of gravity OF the circle, and tOen,
and most important OF all. he must know
how TO fall. The shaking OF paper,
cb,ld's cry, or many other little trliles may
distract q horses attention Tor secono. Du'
short as that time Is, IL the performer nap
pens 10 be in the air il means fili. IL lie
is too long coming down 10 catch the morse,
why ali right, but if be can only touch MN
with his foot he gives himself push 10.
ward the centre of the ring, rolls nimsen
mn in n ball as quickly as possible. tries not
to strike on his head or spine, and the very
instant be feels the earth TO ltt everything
go. relax all muscles, and fail well; rs near
as | can describe it, fail as nearly IKE
drunken man as he can"
"But have you not In your daring ana
seemingly
RECKLESS RIDING
received some iniuries?"
Ion. yes: have broken that arm twice,
but 1t is ju>t AS good as new now. ] had
that ankle Knocked out OF joint, which Laid
me IN for weeks: have spraned my legs,
ankles, and wrists when ] didn't iall Just
exactly right, and have got more dents III
inv head than skillet has holes, but man
must not mind little things like those II lie
expects to be q champion. LOOK al my poy'
| Frank Melville, who Is now so great Ia
ysrite: Why, he was the most reckless,
daring Young rider YOU ever beard OF, ana
he got lots Of hand knocks, Dut ne d'un
scare a bit, and now for him to fa'l or be
thrown from his horse Is very rare thlng.
eyes. was the first bareback rider ever
seen in Australia. and no one there has yet
perfor,ned the feats that | did. That Is
where | gained the title OF Champion
had then magnificent gray mare, a
thoroughbred Arabian, one OF the best
ever imported to this country. Many OF
the old theatre.gOers will remember her
with pleasure. ] brought her 10 this coun-
try, ard made my first appearance in New
York on her back in the old Broadway
Theatre in 1858. Then the old veteran
James Nixon, who is now out IN
Chicago-I think giving temper:
ance show-was manager, and we had
such men in the company as Ellon
Stone, Van Amburgh, Dick HcmmiDs, and
others, and the lollicking old sam Latbrop
as clown. | travelled, TOO, with dear old
sPop' Whitaker in California in 1916. He
| is one OF the most popular and best Wcn IN
| the profession. and | am reiOiced TO hear
that he is likely soon TO be out and around
with us again. was the first man. TOO, who
ever carried a living boy, and hearty
chunk at that, at arms length while
DAsHING AROUND THE RING,
bave.ba at the full speed OF my glorious
old Arabian. The picture OF that feat,
taken at the time, is now hanging in John
Germans old favorite resort for circus
men during The idle winter months, and is
much commented on. The old gray lasted
until she was tbirty-One years old, and Tor
the last wear or two, when she commenced
to get little stiff, kept her in clover. She
is buried in pot. aud has nice little
tombstone over her. | have another old
mare. who has served me over twenty years,
but she is too old 10 do more, and she Is now
spending her last days up on the Lorillard
estate, carefully attended to. Sac is thirty
years old. So you see ring-horses live to
good old age and are carefully cared for
until the end.
"My treatment for perfOrm!ng-hOrses is
| simply kindness and rewards. Ii horse Is
afraid of his master he Is unreliable, and II
The horse knows that as he has performed
| his part well he is sure Of good hearty
meal and little OF something he is particu'
| larly fond Of, and knows just as well that If
| he does bis work in a careless OF slOvenly
way he will not get it, he will do his act the
very best he knows how, you may be sure.
| II don't make him feel happy TO see bis COM
pani0ns enjoying some little luxury while he
has to content himself with simply good
square feed. Horses are very fond OF sugar, |
tel YOU. remember perfectly we'll the old
DAYS when crcuses were dragged from town
TO town IN wagons, drawn by pre:ty-well
| facged-out horses; and remember, too.
when steam-cars were introduced. Then
| the
ADVANCE AGENTS
Of the horse.wagon companies tried to get
up cry that the car companies could not
be worth much, for the owners had not
money enough to buy horses. but it didn't
work, and the wagon shows have about
died out. Yes, | have had some curious
experiences, too, but cannot think of them
all now.
"One thing greatly enjoyed and appre-
ciated while | had slow in Washington
was the great pleasure 'Old Abe Lincoln
used to take in 1t. He not only came fire.
quently to the performances, admired the
| horsemanship. and laughed at the clowns
jokes, and all that, but he used 10 come
around in the morning at rehearsals. OF
course he had the run OF the place; he
knew an the horses, and the tumbles OF
riders and all little mshaps which belong to
rehearssis amused him greatly.
Eyes, have been rather quiet for some
time past, but am coming out again this