The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-11


LONG NosEsi LONG NosEsl
UNDER THE DIRECT PROTECTION OF THE
GoD TINGoUi
GREAT ATTRACTION
1.-THE United States OF America, =
cried Passepartout, that's just what |
wantr'
He followed the man with his pla-
card, and thus soon re-entered the Jap
anese quarter A quarter OF an hour
later. he stopped before large house
surrounded by clusters of streamers,
and whose exterior walls represented,
without perspective, but in violent col
ors, whole company of jugglers.
1t was the Honorable Batulcars es-
adjustment, who was sort of Ameri-
can Barnum, director of a troupe OF
mountebanks, jugglers, clowns, aero
bats. equilibrists, gymnasts, which, ac-
cording to the placard, was giving its
last performance before leaving the
Empire of the Sun for the States of the
Union.
Passepartoat entered under the porch
in front of the house, and asked for Mr..
Batulear. He appeared in person.
What do you wishe" he said to Pas
separtout, taking him at first for a ma
tive.
"Do you need sergantP" asked
Passepartout.
"A servant" cried the Barnum,
stroking his thick, gray beard hanging
heavily under his chin. 81 have two,
obedient and faithful, who have never
left me, and who serve me for nothing,
on condition that | feed them. And
here they are," he added, showing his
two robust arms, furrowed with veins
as large as the strings of a bass yiol.
so | can be of no good to youP"
"None."
"The deuce! 1t would have suited
me so well to leave with you"
"Ah, / seer said the Honorable
Batulcar. "You are as much a Jap
anese as am monkey! Why are you
dressed in this wayP"
Zone dresses Us one can"
Very true. You are French
MANI"
Eyes, Partisan from Paris
Then you ought to know how tt
make grimaeesp"
Indeed" replied Passepartout
vexed at seeing his nationality cal
forth this question, "we FrenchmeE
know how to make grimaces, it is true
but not better than the Americans.
Just so. Wen if | do not take 20,
as Il servant can take you as a clown
You understand, my good fellow. Ii
France they exhibit foreign clowns, ant
abroad, French clowns"
"Ahr
You are strong, are you not?'
Particularly when have been a
the table,"
"And You know how to sing?n
YES" replied Passepartout, WHIT
had formerly taken part in street con
certs.
"But do you know how to sing OF
your head, with top spinning on tn,
sole OF your left foot, and saber bal
anced on the sole of your rightP"
Parbleur' replied Passepartout
who recalled the first exercises of hi
youth.
Then, you see all is rightr' replied
the Honorable Batulcar.
The engagement was concluded
there and then.
At last Passepartout had found /;
position. He was engaged to do every
thing in the celebrated Japanesl
troupe. 1t was not very flattering, bu
within a week he would be on his way
to San Francisco.
Theperformance, so noisily announced
by the Honorable Batulcar, was to com
mence at three o'clock, and soon tn,
formidable instruments of Japanest
orchestra, drums and tam-tams, sound
ed at the door. We understand YER
well that Passepartout could not hav
studied part, but he was to give tn
support of his solid shoulders in th
grand fest of the human pyramid,
executed by the Long Noses OF the go,
Tingou. This attraction of the per
formance was to close the series.
Before three o'clock the spectator
had crowded the large building. Euro
peans and natives, Chinese and Japa
nese, men, women and children, rushel
upon the narrow benches, and into tn
boxes opposite the stage. The musi
clans had entered, and the full orches
ira, with gongs, tam-tams, bones, flutes
tamborines, and large drums went t.
work furiously.
The performance was what all thes
ac7obatic exhibitions are. But it mus
be confessed that the Japanese are tn
best equilibrists in the world. One
with his fan and small bits of paper
executed the graceful trick of the but
teriiies and flowers. Another, with tn
odorous smoke of his pipe, traced RAP
idly in the air series of blush words
which formed a compliment addresse
to the audience. The latter Juggle
with lit candles, which he blew out i
succession as they passed before hi
lips, and which he lit again, one afte
the other, without interrupting, for
single moment, his wonderful jugglery
The former produced, by means {
spinning tops, the most improbabl
combinations. Under his hand thes
humming machines seemed to be gifte
with a life of their own in their intel
minable whirling; they ran over pip
stems, over the edges of sabers, owe
wires as thin as hair, stretched from on
side of the stage to the other; they wer
round large glass vases, they went u
and down bamboo ladders, and sea
tered into all the corners, and produce
harmonic effects of a strange characte
by combining their various tones. Th
jugglers tossed them up, and the
turned in the air; they threw them Liz
shuttle-coeks with wooden battledore
and they kept ON turning; they thru
them into their pockets. and when the
brought them out they were still spil
ning-until the moment when a relaxe
spring made them bud out into a Oh
nese tree!
1t is useless to describe here I'll
wonderful feats of the acrobats an
gymnasts of the troupe. The turnin
on ladders, poles, balls, barrels, etc
was executed with remarkable preci
ion. But theprincipal attraction of I'll
/ performance was the exhibition of Il
Long Noses, astonishing equihbrist
with whom Europe is not yet acquainte,
These Long Noses form a speci
company placed under the direct p
1