Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-07-04
CIRCUS APPRENTICES.
How Men and Women Eminent In the
Ring Learned Their Business.

How Men and Women Eminent In the
Ring Learned Their Business.
"There are no circus apprentices
nowadays" said w. d. Hutchinson
yesterday; ''circus proprietors get their
talent ready-made and only want the
best. The old way of training for the
ring was by an apprenticeship of sell
dom less than six years One of the
old-time trainers was Levi j. North,
who was in his prime about 1910. At
that time circus people were not brought
up to do any particular act A good
man was supposed to be able to do ev-
erYthing, to be rs good IN acrobat as a
juggler, or as clever clown rs bare
back rider. The boy apprentice would
usually commence by learning to ride a
pair of ponies The method of teach
ing boys to be bareback riders was all
most the same in those days as at the
present time. They were first put to
work on mechanic. which consists
of pole set in the middle of a saw
dust ring, with high arm, over which
ran a rope. The end of the rope was
fastened TO the boys belt as he stood on
the horse and the instructor held the
other. As the horse galloped around
the ring the pole and arm reyolyed. If
the pupil slipped from the horse's back
he was saved fall by the rope fasten-
ed to his belt. They were made TO
practice three or four hours a day.
"Levi North's circus performers were
made up principally of apprentices, and
North himself was 4 performer in the
ring. For practicing on the road,
where no mechanic could be erected,
a short rope was tied to the pupils belt,
and fastened to ring in the saddle.
This prevented him from falling to the
ground. The old gymnasts always had
the youngsters with them learning, but
in these times gymnasts come from the
city gymnaSiums, or learned their bust
ness in the barn-loft of the old home
stead. Sometimes performer finds a
smart boy, teaches him during the win
ter, and the next season brings him out
in brother or combination act
There are two large schools for circus
riders and gymnasts in the east. One
is kept near Paterson, n. j., and the
other by James Cook, an Englishman.
They were first established for the use
of members OF the profession who wish
ed to add new features to their acts, or
to keep themselves in training during
the winter"
'Did the women riders serve appren-
ticeship?"
WHO, no-that is, not in this coun-
try, for most of our riders are foreign
Va - ~, 4
daring horsewomen we have ever had
in the ring were American girls. Alice
Lake who captivated the whole coun-
try about 1860 by her riding, was the
daughter of Bill and Agnes Lake, of
Robinson 4 Lakes circus. She was
taught TO ride from infancy, and what
she did not know about circus was
not worth knowing. rs her father was
j clown and her mother a Slack-wire
performer. In the height of her sue
cesses her death startled the profession
al world.
Crossing Lake Pontchartrain on a
steamboat with her husband and a
crowd of friends one day. she leaned
over the rail watching the water, when
a large diamond cross valued at thous-
ands of dollars became detached from
about her throat and fell overheard.
She clutched for it, lost her balance,
fell, and was never again seen.
Rose and Sally SticGney were great
women riders twenty years ago; they
served sort Of apprenticeship to Sam
Stickney, the rider and general per-
former. Rose Madigan, another good
rider of that time. was also pupil of
her father. One of the pet stories of
the old-time circus men is that told
about the famous bareback rider, Ella
Zovara, who appeared about 1860 with
S. O. Stokes, an Old-time Snowman. In
New York Zoyara's daring riding
aroused great enthusiasm. She did
things on horseback that no woman
had ever yet attem: ted, and as she was
very pretty and of splendid physique
she soon had hundreds of admirers.
She began tour of the country, but
had not gone far before she met with
an accident 1t was trivial in nature,
but most alarming in its results, for in
half an hour the whole show knew that
Ella Zoyara, the beautiful woman rid
er, was-a man. 1t was afterward
found that her proper name was Omar
Kingsley, an American lad. Kingsley
afterward married Sallie SticEney, the
rider, and died in India.
''All the great riders served an APP
premiership in their younger days.
Jim Robinson, who was famous in 1850
as bareback rider, served under his
father, John Robinson; Bob Stickney,
- - -, AZ f.I - 1os~i 'T''S ttau nv
by his father Sam Stickney; Billy
Morgan, who was with the European
circus us late as 1873 and who astonish-
ed people by his daring hurdle jump
ing, was another of the old-timc APP
prentice boys He was murdered by
robbers last winter in Texas. Charles
w. Fish, one of the finest of modern
riders, was apprcnticcd TO Charles
Rodgers, of the Old circus firm OF
Spanlding & Rodgers, and William
Dutton served his apprenticeship with
Bill Lake. -Ihiiatethid Times.