The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-01-17
AcrObats and GymnaSts,

AcrCbatS ana gymnastS usually prac-
tice during the morning on the stage Of
some theatre. Even when not working
at any new trick, they always practice
once day, if their engagement does Pot
include two performances. Sometimes
they have to 60 through six or seven.
When a man intends to bring o><t some
novel and special feat, and wishes to
keep it a profound secret Until it's pro-
duction, he hires an empty school-room
or public hall, or even theatre, for his
own exclusive use, ana there exercises
with his appliances ahl assistants until
he is perfect. No stage performance is
ever rehearsed at hume. tits somewhat
disappointing to ind that the music
which seems such ..n inspiriting accom-
paniment tothe Spectators is disregard
ed by some professionals, who indeed
GRANDFATHER" Salaries vary enormous
been demand for female symnasts, and
some have been forthcoming; but as
might have been expected, they rarely
excel. Still, they draw good houses, and
the morbid taste of the public enables
some of them to command fifty or g
hundred pounds week. Troupe sala-
ries run even higher than this in excep
tional cases; but managers always want
something new, something that no other
company has presented, and the art is
therefore progressive one. All man
ner of things are introduced to impart
spice of novelty to old tricks in every
department. Acrobats juggle with balls,
knives, hoops, fans, bells, and burning
torches while tumbling or throwing
somersaults while playing the violin or
tambourine, or mount themselves on roll
ler-skates and bicycles. Gymnasts are
fired" from spring-boards concealed
within a gigantic cannon, let off pistols
in their flight through the air, or go
through their evolutions amid blaze Of
squibs and rockets. The various s'lines"
of business, too, while more numerous
separate as they used to be. Trapeze,
flying rings, and horizontal bar work arc
now combined; poles and ladders still
hold their ground; but tight-rope and
slack-wite walking-feats more easily &C
quired than any other bottle perform
ers, ceiling-steppers, pedestal acrobats,
and modern Samsons are a drug in
the market. Ut is denied, by
the way, that the ceiling
walking, which at one time created such
a sensation, was ever really performed
by atmosphereric pressure or by magnet
ism, as was alleged, springs or hooks hav.
ing been always employed) Equilibrists
are rather in the ascendent just now
It seems incredible that any one should
be able to sit in chair and maintain j,
balanced on two legs upon an oscillatina
bar, or stand upon one leg on globe
resting on the same unstable foundation;
nevertheless, these aud other similar
marvels are executed nightly for SOS. q
week. Rolling globe and barrel perform
ers are at q discount; Tut French COM
ic acrobats, who mix lot of bus ses9ue
and fun with their tumbling, are looking
up. Circus troubles include every variety,
and have their own specialists as well.
Clown and harlequin may be developed
from either of these; manv of the ia
nous old clowns were accomplished
spade-dancers. But it is the mode now
to take new departures altogether, and
we may find acrobatic ballot troupes,
dualoguists, and comed~ companies
niger mlnstrels, and step-lancers who
accentuate their hornpipes with somer-
saults and handsprings. Part of the Han
lon-Volta troupe, famous rrapezists sece-
ded from the company, and under the
name of the Hanlon Lees have convulsed
the theater-going world with laughter
and establishment at their inimitable
acrobatic gymnastic and pantomimic i'm
presentations in Gle Voyage en- Suisse"
Chambers, Journal.