Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-03

chimed in Mrs. Julian, "and her father
was an athlete and acrobat, so that we
were fully competent to instruct her and
her brother in wide range OF perform
ances, OF which the cOhtortion acts are
only part. We put her at il because she
showed a natural aptitude for it. When
baby she would double herself backward
over the nurses arm 40 that IL was hard to
hold her anywhere button the floor. But
her training was very careful aud grad
ual. We never forced herto anyeXercise or
subjected her to anything that could hurt
her. And there was no occasion to do so,
| for she evinced strong liking for the
work from the very first. and has never got
tired of it,"
"Oh, no!' exclaimed the girl, heartily.
81 ike it ever so much. l do really enjoy
| it. And it never hurts me-hsrdly ever
| tires me much. ] suppose it will do that
this season, though, for the most | have
ever played was eight performances
week-slX evenings and two matlnees-
while all this summer l will have
to TO play six evenings and six matinees
each week. 1t is not simply the work be-
fore the public that | have to do, butit Is
necessary to work in the dressingroom
prior to that for ten or possibly fifteen
minutes, to get thoroughly warmed and
"limbered up" preparatory to going ON
the stage for each performance. Howdo !
work In the dressing-roOm? Why, Just as
| do IN public, bending In all directions,
balancing, twisting, and so on. No, never
used clubs, or dumb bells, or any other APP
paratus, in all my life. Itis not necessary.
| never do anything to keep myself IN
training either by diet or any other eXer-
cise than that Incidental to my business.
And l evidently keep in pretty good con-
dition. The lasL time | was weighed in
California, just before we came here some
six months ago, my weight was l4015
pounds, and that is pretty good for girl
only 3 feet 3 incnes high-isn'tltW
lis there any foundation for the popu-
lar notion that contOrtiOn SITS rub them
selves, or are rubbed, with certain oils to
timber their JOINTS and make their limbs
more tlexibleT'
Both the girl and her mother laughed
heartily, and the former replied
''Not the least. Ughl The very idea of
daubing ones self with oil! 1t positive
ly nasty. Tne things that are needed to
make cOntOrt1onist are natural aptitude
for the work and long, patient practice,
| begun at an early age. But many, many
times ladies' have come to me IN my dress
iny-roOm and met me at the stage door, and
even hunted me- up at home and asked me
that same question. And they also ask
me if the work does not nurt me. and il
am not compelled odO il? And most OF
them seem much surprised when ] tell
them tbat l like 1t very much, though
some of them do whisper to me that they
just wish they could do it,"
"What are your various contOrtOn
acts? How do you designate them? Have
they Damesr
| Names? Oh, yes. But the nOmencla-
ture of the profession is peculiar, and
should despair making you or the public
understand much of it,"
TRY"
swell, we change our programme fire.
quently, for we have an almost infinite va
riety of acts, but this is what do now !:
! First, there is the entree, in which throw
my brother over my head and he throws
me, you know; then the back and forward
bends. forward bend on chairs, back bend
and 'llip-fap'-all one trick: next, two
hands, one hand, no hand and ankle /;
next, the steeple On the chairs; next, the
wrestle, throwing my bro her over in a
pancake and then in a flIp-hap; next.
| 'Dyramding' up the backs of chairs, a
| row of Il lp-haps and roly-poly, where
put myself in a bail, with my feet over IN '
shoulders, and roll around; next, picking
up a piece of paper, running backward
and forward in a back bend; finally, run
ming around my head on the floor. NV
brother dOes--Ob, mol you must not
leave him out. No; he is not OF secondary
Importance. He performs with me. He
is an excellent general tumbler, and with
me ne does rOund-Of. flip-hap, and back /;
spot backs, pyramids up the chairs, hand
balanceOn the steeple chair, with sOmer-
sault off, and so on"
"The skill OF my children is not con-
| fined TO cOnt0rtiOn business and tum b.
ling" said Mrs. Julian, smiling wIta an
air of calm confidence. They do as fine
u trapeze act as anybody, aud have not
/
| business, forming tabeauX, doing the
skipping rope, juggling and making the
spiral ascension on the globes as surely
and gracefully as If upon the ground.
! But of course they cannot show in one
performance all they can do The cOntor-
tiOn business is enOu yh for one season.
They learned eagerly and with pleasure
all that their father or / could teach them
/ or invent for them, because their natural
bent was in that direction. Her sister, on
the other hand, never liked this business.
but wishes to he a musician, so l have
her as school now, giving her good edu-
cation, as | took care that Rose should
have, too. for kept her at schOolten years
| in California, even il she is to be 2 per-
| former in the ring. Letters? An, yes.
Gentlemen are fond Of writing. but'-
with grim decision of manner-"the let
! ters come to me-"
"Do wear corsetsl No indeed.
What could do with corsets on? should
as soon think Of wearing a dress with a
train in my performances How funnily
! one would get tangled up with a train in
! running around the top Of ones head on
! the flOorl 1t is almost worth trying-in
private. The requirements OF my work
compel me to wear a costume that will
/ not intelere with my movements, one that
/ is principally tights, trunks, and little
! jacket; but do not think anybody can
| justly say that IL is an immOdest dr. S. /
believe that can, as Miss Cleveland saws,
draw the line and 1 have mamma to
help me-"
In few minutes the waiting contract
was signed, binding the managers TO pay
$3.50 a week and all TIE expenses OF three
persOns-mOther, daughter and son-for
the services Of the latter two as cOntor-
tionists during the season. Plenty Of
good cOntOrtionists can be hired for $50
week each, but none OF this kind. Halt
an hour later Rose Julian's shapely little
nose was rubbing toe carpet on the stage
as she, with p back ward bend, picked up
a fragment OF paper between her feet.
she Is now but 10 years Of age, aud her
brother is year younger.
A TELEGRAM from st. Johns, N. r.. states