The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-02-24
A Japanese Circus.
Japanese NALL


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 view of the ''hun-
dred and one steps," were closely
crowded with spectators, Japanese and
foreign. With the latter class the tea
house at the bottom of the steps was
thronged, and the orders for beverages
issued to the smiling mattresses were
unprecedented in the history of that
thriving establishment. ''But," says
the reader, ''what has that flight of steps
to do with the pony you were speaking
OFF" A great deal, sir, for the beast has
been announced 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 a potent cudgel, after scattering
salt for luck, vaulted on its back and
directed it, head on, to the steep ascent.
With resigned air the patient creature
commenced to jerk its way up the steps,
every now and then shifting and looking
mildly surprised, as much as to say that
the getting up the Atagoyama stairs, to
which it was so well accustomed, had
been intensely stiffened and steepened.
At the halfway stage, the poor brute,
apparently 'half-baked," with heaving
sides and dropping head, was allowed a
few seconds breathing time, and treated
to sprinkling of salt, and then urged
by the girl jockey to the latter and
sleeper half of its climb. And it
went at it with will, lurching up
ward and hogging its back with every
slow but determined step. Within
twenty feet of the summit, however; the
horse-fesh faint though the spirit re-
manned willing, the stalwart rider ap.
piled 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, anything they
could lay hold of, and so it was dragged
and showed and pommeled to the achiev-
ment Of its journey. At least we thought
the Journey was now achieved, never
dreaming that the creature could return
to the bottom of the steps direct, other
wise than by rolling down, as one winter
morning years ago certain sailor did,
to be picked up a mangled mass, and
carried to the grave. When few mo-
ments rest had been accorded to the
skeleton steed, male acrobat threw salt
on the ground and on himself, clambered
on to the pad and pointed the iade's
Roman nose Yokohama-ward. With its
former matter-of-fact manner his mount
4 lA4sss.its desc an. A short say down.
/ the rider transferred the fan ne carried
to the safeguard of his toes, and calmly
stood on his hands in the saddle and
famed his face with his foot At the
middle stage again, a few seconds rest
was allowed the horse to breathe, and
for the rider to make fresh oblations of
salt Thence to recommence, and the
pair to arrive safely at the foot of the
hill amid continuous plaudits, after
series of varied and ingenious contor-
tions performed by the biped associate
of the dual company. We are informed
that the anomalous quadruped will
climb and descend a ladder. y