Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-17
THE LADIES OF THE CIRCUS.
Woman Gymnasts and Trapeze Perform
From HE chicaao Tt9hnn1.

weighing 145 pounds, and, like all her
sisters, possesses the bright eyes and
springy step indicative to health. She
has been eleven years in the profession,
first as trapeze performer and now as
an artist on the mid-air rings. A few
years ago she met with an accident in a
Western town, and fractured her left
knee through a fall from the trapeze.
Since then she has confined herself 10 the
mid.air rings requiring the use of the
arms principally. Next to what she calls
the shoulder dislocation trick-that is,
turning a double sOmersault while hold
ing the rings-her most difficult feat is
swinging by the teeth. And yet she has
not 50 tar had occasion for a dentists
services.
But don't you feel timorous before
performing these feats, and utter a prayer
Tor safety ~ asked the reporter.
son. never have any tear,' said Mile.
Zoe; Il say my prayers both morning and
night"
"And trust to the strength of your
arms 2"
"And the strength of the rope" she an
swered, (which sometimes fails. MY first
accident was when l was 10 years old,
when rope parted, and 1 tell on some
chairs, breaking two ribs. My corset did
not save me-"
''And do you ladies wear corsets while
performing?' asked the reporter.
''Oh, yes; we would not look a good
figure without"
Every female gymnast, by the way, is
careful Of her appearance. They all hate
matinees, because in the daylight, they
say, they can not look as well as by an
artificial light. Mile. Zoe is a native of
\ has
cises when she was a school girl.
The remuneration these performers re-
ceive varies from $50 to 5000 week. The
best Of them, and of course the few, can
command the latter sum. But it must be
remembered that for several months in
the year they are idle. Many also have
to support a mother or younger brothers
and sisters. The latter is the case with
one well-known gymnast, who is the
niece Of a United States Senator. Her
father in his later days was financially
unfortunate, and, lying poor, left a boy
and girl TO be provided tor by his eldest
daughter. Her uncle told her she was
disgracing her family by becoming a cir
Gus performer, but she did not regard it
in the same light. She said she was able
to take care OF herself, the remuneration
was good, and her brother and sister had
TO be supported.
Nine. Zarah is a heavyweight brunette
who does daring feats OF balancing on the
swaying uapeZe. One of her acts is
swift descent on a slOping wire which she
holds IN her teeth. But she particularly
prides herself on ascending a rope hand
over hand, a feat which she deties any
other woman TO initiate. Not many
men, and certainly very few women, have
such muscular arm, capable OF doing
the hand-OYer-hand work. She mas been
ten years in the profession. She is mar
Iieu to Spaniard named CeballOs, and
they have one boy, now about 10 wears
old. Nine. Zarah is Of Scottish bi tn,
her maiden name having been Zarah
Fergus, and she came to this country
when quite a child. Her husband trained
her for about "A year. She is an excellent
circus rider, but gave up the practice be-
cause she could not keep a horse of her
uwn. With strange horses circus riding
is dangerous work. Nine. Zarah is quite a
inguist, speaking Spanish ike a native
and French quite fiuently. she also con-
verses in the Malay tongue and in
Hindostanee.
Nine. Zuila is a small but well-built wo-
man. She is high-wire evolutionist, what
Mr. Barnum, when young man, used 10
call tightrOpe dancer. She performs
some wonderful teats on the high wire,
such as walking across with her feet in
cased In baskets, walking over blindfOlded
anu Win a bdJh over uelS Oul utI most
daring deed IS riding across on bicycle.
She was born in Sydney, Australia, and
was trained by her husband, Mr.. George
Loyal. She has been in the profession
13 years, has travelled considerably.
and is proud Of decorations from the En-
peror Of Brazil, the King of Siam and the
MikadO of Japan. She has plenty OF
nerve, and is quite in love with her work
she mas had one accident. Some years ago
in Indiana her balance pole broke, and
she fell from the wire. After 10 days
however, she was again performing. She
has one gIrl years old, who Is n trick
bicycle rider.
Mile. la Fevre. seen in an ordinary black
dress, looks little body, but when IN cos
tune her development of arm and limb 4.
surprising, and her achievements on the
zenith floating ring remarkable. She is a
Californian, a widow and the mother OF a
l4year-old girl. Mile. Ia Fevre was SO
unfortunate three years ago IN Indiana
polls ~ 10 fall with a tTapeze. Her great
trick IS the rapid descent OF rope, fac
downward, holding only by one leg. Like
an female gymnasts, she is, she saws.
ODliyinus of her audiences. All these
y FORMERS are obliged 10 concentrate
their whole attention upon their work.
ana applause or disapprOyal IS quite lost
u.uu them tor the time being.
MIST Oi these ladies have an exalted
op'riou 10 their profession, and wonder
why society does not take 10 them more
Nndly. They consider themselves nuitp
r. good ns % Nilsson, a Patti or an Ellen
Tiny, and would scorn the idea Of mn.
leltius at a lucent show. Their great
n'l .ht is 900 have a Turner audience.
sIch Us ihe German population alone
furnish, and then they are seen
r best. These people are experts "
-iy. land can appreciate Us. They
itn stand the difficulty OF our acts
htu applaud in proportion. Many nf
your opera singers don't take haif as
lhuch pains % please the public as we do.
ANA YET are thought more Of I'd ike to-
tre Nine. Patti turn a somersault on the
trapczer
Know ruYsnIF. by resotno the t,sct
~. .- DO. The ha-L mnIlrnI .rnrL nrnr