Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-12-14
A Japanese Circus.

That something extraordinary was
about to happen had been notified, we
believe, in the Japanese papers: and by
nine O'Clock In the morning the creek
road from the Grand Hotel to the third
bridge, and in Hommura every point
that could command q view of the hun
dred and one steps" were closely crow
ded with spectators, Japanese and for
eign. With the latter class the teahouse
at the bottom of the steps was thronged
and the orders for beverages issued to
the smiling Mattresses were unpreceden-
ted in the history of that thriving es-
tablishment. "But," says the reader,
"what has that fight of steps to do with
the pony you were speaking of?' A great
deal, sir. for the beast has been announc-
ell to go up and down them with a rider
on his back. And, sure enough. when
it arrived at the foot of the stairs, not
without difficulty, and long behind time
owing to the pressure of the crowd. a
female athlete, armed with q potent
cudgel, after scattering salt for luck,
vaulted on its back and directedit, head
on, to the steep ascent. With a re:
signed air the patient creature COM
menced to jerk itself up the steps, every
now and then shifting and looking mildly
urprised, as much as to say that the
getting up the Atagoyama stairs, to
which it was 50 well accustomed, had
been intensely stifened and steepened.
At the half way stage the poor brute,
apparently 'half-baked,' with heaving
sides and dropping head. was allowed
few seconds breathing time, and treated
to sprinkling of salt, and then urged
by the girl jockey to the latter and steep
er half Of its climb. And it went at it
with will, lurching.npward and hog
ging its back with every slow but deter
mined step. Within twerty..feet of the
summit, however, the horse flesh begin
ming to fail though the spirit remained
willing, the stalwart rider applied her
stick and used her voice with resonant
effect. At the sixth or seventh step
from the top the pony's friends seized
its bride, its legs, any thing they could
lay hold Of, and so it was dragged and
showed and pommeled to the achieve
ment of its journey. Atleast we thought
the journey was then achieved, never
dreaming that the creature could return
to the bottom of the steps direct, other
wise than by the rolling down, as one
winter morning years ago certain sail
or did, to be picked up mangled mass
and carried to the grave. Yet when a
few moments had been accorded to the
skeleton steed male acrobat, after
throwing some salt at it, ON tine ground |
and on himself, ,clambered on to the pad
and pointed the jade's Roman nose Yo-
With its former matter
of fact manner his mount began its des-
cent. A short way down the rider trans
ierred the fan he carried to the safe
guard of his toes, and camly stood on
his hands in the saddle, and famed his
face with his foot. At the middle stage
again fewseconds' rest was allowed
for the horse to breathe, and for the III
der to make fresh oblations of salt.
Thence to recemmence, and the pair
to arrive safely at the foot of the hill
amid continuous plaudits, after series
Of varied and ingenious contortions per-
formed by the biped associate of the
dual company. We aae informed that
the anomalous quadruped will CLING
opJ IacoapJ n loJ1ar