The Red Cloud chief., 1883-06-01

ii'""'b 'iiH Mice raihcr AM
IL Il "A significant circiuustancc, yhid
cannot bc too strongly notcd. than he
comparatively few accidents which have
iraplsned 10 q mrefs lave nearly Al
occurred hrougli defects in the fife.
saving apparatus, the net. When thi-
belongs 10 the performer, it is generally
spread under his own supervision, and
ihcsstrsn 3fh Of its tcxfurrisnd 3ahten-
ING earf fni, y tested. and rerirw aijfre-
'fafrei: lat vliere fln ncf is q stock
property Of Il place Of entertainment or,
worse still. is provided 10y an cntrc-
Jr'R""r who, not a performer himself.
farms lhe S~ymifast. and undertakes r.
find au he salIdiances dansged ma
icriat snd inscs-ure aftarh uf~fitssafe m,
to he overlooked.
The descent into the net itself i said
10 hc not altogether devoid Of danger.
aasLsb rssss' s.--iva * current among
ii'es's f,eoplr that 10 fail rfpcn the sitk,
"f the head will Inevitably break the
neck. ! am not aware, hoseyer,t Ill at An
"aS" has been known to bcar out this
theory. Many gymnasis nonv dispense
with the rugs or carpets with which the
net Is community padded, on account of
their interfering With the view of tloae
seated uIaa 'rneath. and come down upon
the naked mc,hcs without injury. a
CERTAIN Little Bob"-a fine Young
man now-who has been celebrated for
prc-cminently high, dives ever since ne
WAS Il very small boy. sometimes max
ing a headlong perpendicular descent of
eighty feet or so. where the building j.
lofty enough 10 permit Of il. SAYS that
lac would have no objection 60 plunge
from "A height twice as great into a net
al proper tension, and that he has never
suffered n Inconvenience from the
transit through the air or arrest Of mo-
iIon. lie comes down in a slightly OBJ
liquc direction. with the hands extended
for effect. after the fashion of "a diver:
when II" sees the net getting near, =
the arms are Withdrawn Ia the sides and
the hrad l. tucked in nn the chest, So
that he falls upon the Observation-Disclosures
and rolls over. In connection with this
part of the subject, the elegant and
wonderful dives" of Iazacl nj the
London Aquarium will doubtless he re-
Tnemberrd BY many readers.
Your special commissioner being
taken mp Ia an exceedingly high and
tu~iN flsltf W. Ntt >titttt VERY tHntllsbl-
mechanism recently invented by a GYM
mast. WAS induced by the enthusiastic
arguments, pr~oicStationS, and twice
repeated example Of that inlivid-
ual. Ia take the direct route TO
the lower rcgionS-in plain words. 10
drop from a swinging bar into the cu>h-
ioncd net some fifty feet below. Fin
gers seemetito assume an iron grip. and
the har Ia become magnetic. even after
the trarczc had bcen brought 10 II stand
still. and the legs drawn up at right
angles with the ioly i'm 4 sitting pos
turc. * directed. Now then. go"
was Sh"u,e,l more than once. before /
could unlcnd those hands which had
apparently acquired a persistent rigidity
"f their OWN; then the bar and roof with
lis branls and girdcrs flew AWAY from
me. n a tremendous repentance of the
folly | WAS committing rushed upon
me. with a distinct presentation Of
every detail of every story | had heard
of peoplc falling through nets improp-
crly fixed or badly mended. and a to-
tally Independent calculation of the
surgical effect which the legs of the i'm
verified chairs | had observed piled up
in the area below the apparatus would
produce upon the human frame falling
from a hci.hf = the Whole accompanied
10y a perception that I Was gradually.
very gradually. inclining backwards;
whHh opened Il new vista of the proba-
hiliiieS of my demdNstralpg the truth
of the SIDEWAYS meek nhcbrv.. TSeemcd
to be- suspended between earth and SKY
for about a week. and was always
reconciled 10 the position, when | sud-
denly and Unexpectedly found the Grim
son mattresses billowiny up about me
snd surring over my face. and woke to
the taet that l-had really fallen. l
LANDED on my back, HAT but there WAS
noshock, nor, intleed. WAS 4 conscious
"fha,ing stopped: which perhaps was
due To the elasticity and rebound of the
net. The only part of the adventure
which WAS diSagt,eahie physically was
tRr Walking. or rather stumbling amt
cnwia~. over. tie MT 10 the ladder at
the farihc>t end. a very quaky. sea-sick
sort of business.
Acrobats and symnasts usually prac-
tice during the morning, on the Stage of
some iheatcr.A HeH when not w0FkiRgl
NJ anyansw trica<zahsy~aiwass Nnseioe
once a day. if their engagement does
not include two performances. Some
times they have % thresgh as many
a. SIX or sever. When . ii intends
10 bring out some roYel and special
feat, and wishes to keep il a profound
secret until its production. he hires an
empty school-room or public hall, or
even a theafer. for his own exclusive
u.s.. ard there exercises with his appli-
ances and assistants until he is perfect.
No stage performance is ever rehearsed
at home. II is somewhat Disappointing
Ia find that the music which seems slIch
an inspiriting accompaniment TO the
spectators is diSregarded by some pro-
~feSsionals. who. indeed, aver they would
rather be without ..band-clatter,"
Salaries vary enormously, of course.
. 0f isss- there has been = demand
for female gymnasts. and some have
been forthcoming; but, as might be ex-
pecteL. they rarely excel. Still. they
draw good houses. and the morbid taste
of tie public enab les some q them 30
command fifty or a hundred pounds a
week Troupe salaries run even higher
than this in exceptional casess but man
ayers always van something that no
other company has presented, and the
art is therefore a progressive All
manner of things are introduced TO
impart a spice Of novelty to old
;. tricks in every department. Aero
hsis jusgle wAh 3 balls. knives.
hoops, fans. bells and burning torches
while tumbling; orsthrow somersaults
while playing the violin or tambourine;
or mount themselves On roller-skafes
and bicycles. Gyninasts Ara fired
from spring-boaras concealed wsAip q
gigantic cannon. let OF pistols in tho
hight through the air, OF go through
tLtis eyolutions amid . blase 1t squios