West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-12-04
"SNOWY'S" LEAP.
The Cause of His whitehead Hair
and Terrified Look.

&AOOEs
The sign above the door was in
scribed dramatic Agency" and the
stairway, seen dimly from without, was
worn with tread of feet, and revealed
just then "a figure coming down. A
moment more and the sunlight that
was setting the dust of Union Square
aglitter with shining particles shone
upon a face that would anywhere arrest
attention. 1t was not any scar or de-
feet of feature, but n certain terrified
look that gave the man the aspect of
one who has Just seen a specter. The
reporter standing out upon the side
walk noticed it and turning to look
after the owner of that STANCE counte-
nance saw that his hair was white as
snow.
odd looking. isn't hep" muttered
the reporter TO his companion. a mem
Der of the profession" engaged just
then, like many OF his fellows, in Mi
cawber-like pursuits.
The lounging Thespian looked up,
looked after the receding figure, and
said:
INV" bhiAs yes AAt II ONils
"'Why do you call him Snowballp''
'Oh, on account of his hair, to be
sure. DidG't you notice it?''
Certainly. l could not well escape
''Well. that's the reason he is called
SNOWFALL or Snowy. It's only a nick
name"
is he an actor?"
mo; he's p circus man. I don't
know what he is at now. But he used
to be in the trapeze and tight-rope line.
Pretty clever at his business, too, | can
tell you"
The speaker was Diminishing the OBJ
lect of the reporters inquiry with this.
but there vas something in the awed
expression of the face, something in the
white locks clustering around il, that
remained in the mind of the questioner
Xix some haunting presence. What
an odd face it wss for an athletic and
an acrobat! Thoughts of the Grimaldis
of the stage, who carried under their
grinning masks and piebald raiment
Uragical stories, came before, and ten
minutes later, when a burly soul with
the girth of a Fslstaff and the lungs of
a Stentor, came along, who could tell
the personal history of nearly every
human being who trod the sawdust on
this side of the Atlantic, he asked him
Tor Snowball's story.
What have you heard about himP''
was what the big man said, and then
added, ~solennly, few know the truth
about him"
II know nothing" said the reporter.
ut was his face that made an impress
sion on me-"
1T well might" said the other. cit
is not the face God gave the man. He
was once a jolly enough soul But one
night s fright fixed him. He has worn
the look Of terror that it left upon him
for many a year. He will wear IL 10
his grave. # you care about il / will
tell you what / know. But the nara
tive is not a cheerful one. / promise
you. 'SnOwy'-we will call him-that
Is not his name. but the boys call him
so-'SnOwy was a trapeze performer.
You see he 10 n well-built. graceful fell
low even now. But when he was
young he was as good a figure as any
one J ever saw in the business. He was
clever. too, and was among the first
who took flying leaps through space
from one trapeZa 30 the other. When /
hrst knew him he was with a circus.
lie was q great attraction, too, for when
he came out in mis- trunks and %spangles
and kissed his hand about the circus.
there wasn't q girl present who didn't
admire him. and look 1T. too.
here are q good many pitfalls for
o young fellow iu such a business 20
stumble into But he steered clear OF
them He drank. and ] have
never heard IL bis being mixed no I'm
any ~galIanfrics. What was odd about
him was the way no used 10 keep to
himself People believed he was In
some sort Of trouble, or had come from
n good family and wa sorry for taxing
p circus Lfc But De never enlightened
them Of his own accord.
''-OOn aftgr / came TO know snowy
J bad the management Of q travelling
variety show making "a circuit down
kae We bad All sorts Of attractions.
from -onE-anC-dance men 20 ground
and lofty tumblels. There were STUMP
spcake and banjo players and ballad
singers ODD sou cyuld1t YcsL But /
not ced that VIII tho Ia1ks down
there the athletic TENT. took best % 4
made 10 q point ~ enlarge that part Of
The cutorta 8meot 1hs was how
snowy rama 20 get iu5o my COMPANY.
nude him IN oler lie accepted To-
and was engaged Tor The season
)on can mag ne hat in going the
rounds ol these duIl country towns th
players arc thrown . good dca. to
getnor and learn mostly everythir,
about one another Sometimes they
aoi sometimes GG Aah anyway