Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-01-27
"SNOWY'S" LEAP.
The Cause Of His Whitehead Hair
and. Terrified Look.

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 figure coming down. A
moment more and the sunlight that
was setting the dust of Union Square
nglitter with shining particles shone
upon face that would anywhere arrest
attention. 1t was not any scar or de-
feet of feature, but 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 ms
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:
"Snowball; yes, he is odd"
why do you call him Snowball?'
'Oh, on account of his hair, to be
sure. Didn't you notice it?"
Certainly. l could not well escape
it."
''Well, that's the reason he is called
SNOWFALL or Snowy. It's only nick
name"
'Is he an actor?"
mo; he's circus man. l don't
know what he is at now. But no used
to be in the trapeze and tight-rope line.
Pretty clover at his business, too, can
tell YOU"
The speaker was dismissing the OBJ
ject of the reporters inquiry with this,
but there was something in the awed
expression of the face, something in the
white locks clustering around Il, that
remained in the mind of the questioner
like some haunting presence. What
an odd face it was for an athletic and
an acrobat! Thoughts of the Grimaldis
of the stage, who carried under their
grinning masks and piebald raiment
tragical stories, came before, and ten
minutes later, when burly soul with
the girth of a Falstaff and the lungs of
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
for Snowball's story.
what have you heard about himp'
was what the big man said, and then
added, solemnly, 'few know the truth
about him."
II know nothing" said tho reporter.
ut was his face that made an impress
sion on me-"
1T well might" said the other. lit
Is not the face God gave the man. He
was once a jolly enough soul. But one
nights fright fixed him. He has worn
the look Of terror that it left upon him
for many year. He will wear 1t to
his grave. II you care about it 1 will
tell you what 1 know. But the nara
tive is not q cheerful one, l promise
you. 'Snowy'-we will call him-that
Is not his name, but the boys call him
so-'Snowy' was trapeze performer.
You see he is well-built, graceful fell
low even now. But when he was
young he was as good figure rs any
one ever saw in the business. He was
clever. too, and was among the first
who took flying leaps through space
from one trapezc to the other. When I
first knew him he was with a circus
He was q great attraction, too, for when
he came out in his trunks and spangles
and kissed his hand about the circus,
there wasn't girl present who didn't
admire him, and look it, too.
There are good many pitfalls for
young fellow in such business TO
stumble into. But he steered clear of
them. He never drank, and / have
never heard of his being mixed up in
any gallantries. What was odd about
him was the way he used to keep to
himself People believed he was In
some sort of trouble, or had come from
. good family and was sorry for taking
circus life. But he never enlightened
them Of his own accord.
''Soon after came to know Snowy
I had the management of travelling
variety show making circuit down
East. We had all sorts of attractions,
from song-and-dance men to ground
and lofty tumblers. There were stump
speakers and banjo players and ballad
singers till you couldn't rest But l
noticed that with the Yanks down
there the athletic feats took best so
made IL point to enlarge that part of
tho entertainment This was how
Snowy came to get into my company.
] made him an offer. He accepted Il
and was engaged for the season.
You can imagine that in going the
rounds of these dull country towns the
players are thrown a good deal to-
gether and learn mostly everything
about one another. Sometimes they
do; sometimes they don't. Anyway,
no one ever learned much about
Snowy He generally sneakcd away
as soon as the performance was over,
and we saw little of him till he was
wanted again. IL was, therefore. bit
Of surprise to me 10 find him loafing
about the house when we struck one
little town where we were booked for a
weeks run. Snowy was all the time
behind the scenes, whether his turn
was over or not. In fact, he seemed to
be trying to keep under cover and go
out as little as he could.
Zone night was standing up In the
flies looking things over. when who
should sec slipping over to ono Of the
Wings but SNOWY, and he all In A