The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-07-27
A Circus Victim
IA11rnra Rladal


Berrien Springs, Mich. was at one time a
circus town. owing to the fact that it was
| the home and winter Quarters of Slows
show. While the circus was laid up there
out of the travelling season, the town was
filed with acrobats, athletes, gymnasts,
horseback riders, drivers and canvasmen,
| while the center of an admiring crowd was
| the clown.
The natural outgrowth Of the preparation
for the next season by the circus was that
every boy in the town was kept wild with
excitement, barn and haymow entertain
ments were rife, and the green was ex-
tensively occupied by the younger ones in
practicing hand-springs, somersaults and
other maneuvers of kindred nature.
The editor of The Blade was one of those
whose young blood was kept at a boiling
heat by what was going on about him He
could be found at almost any moment wrong
end up, spending his leisure time. Not until
he had sprained a few cartilages, rup-
tured his epidermis in several places, and
came near breaking his back, did he quit his
foolishness.
Finally, the writer went to st. Joseph,
nelghbOring town. to learn the printing bust
ness 1t was in the old Traveller Office that
he first donned the inky garb of devil Ore
day the demon aforesaid was washing roll
ers. The foreman and only jour was alb
sent, contracting a bill at a neighboring
saloon. The editor was away after subscrib
ers, and there was no one there to forbid his
washing rollers and amusing himself at
rubbing things up in general
While the boy was thus engaged, the door
opened, and Bill Knight, great, tall, lathy
fellow, six feet tall, from Berrien Springs
entered 1t was the first time Bill had been
fifteen miles away from home, and he could
not have grasped the devils black hand and
shook it with more warmth if he had met
him in the wilds of southern Africa. After
talking things over, Bill informed his young
friend, in a mysterious tone, that he was
getting to be a ''world-renowned and unpar-
alleled tumbler." He had received a few
pointers in thus expressing himself from the
circus posters. He walked out to a clear
spot in the center of the floor and said:
Nov, I'll throw you back somersault."
''Don'tl Don't!n cried the devil you
will knock down the type, and then you will
catch itr'
"Well," replied Bill, ''where shall we go
for I'm going to show you the wonderful
and thrilling specta Gle of somersault thrown
from the ground, unaided by a spring board
or other auxiliaries so help me Jehosaphat."
''There's no place about here Don't do it,
Bill"
Eyes, 1 will. The performance will ac-
tually take place as advertised, or admission
money will be refunded"
Bill was determined, and as a last resort
the boy conducted him to the editors ROOM
where there was a chance for only couple
of bookcases, q desk and a plaster of paris
bust of Daniel Webster being wrecked. The
giant stationed himself in the middle of the
room and began:
will everybody please pay attention
while Monsieur Bill Knight, the world-re-
nowned and unparalleled back-somersault
thrower engages in the thrilling and astound-
ing.act of throwing back somersault''
Bill then planted one foot forward with a
crash, folded his arms across his heaving
bosom, cast his eyes upward, and stood thus
transtixed for moment, making tableau.
He had forgotten that his vest was two
inches short, and that his checkered shirt
was torn away from the lower part of his
bosom. After he had allowed the audience
to become sufficiently impressed with his
position tableau, he. threw out his arms,
waved them backward and forward a few
times, drew in breath that made all the air
in the room rush in his direction, and
jumped, throwing his feet upward.
The carpenter who built that room had |
been a thoughtless person, and had neg
iected to build the ceiling high enough for |
back handspring exhibitions. The result |
was that Bills feet struck above, stopped |
his revolving motion. and he came to the |
floor like pile-driver, striking on the back
Of his neck.