The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1888-05-17


Is More Than Half Invited-Japanese
Jugglers.
The valdi sisters are two pretty English
girls who do some very good trapeze work
One Of them performs a dive, head fore
most. from the very top Of the prosce-
mum arch, dizzy height. into a net sus-
pended just above the heads OF the spec
tators In tho parquet That is one OF the
most thrillingly effective feats ever shown
here In public. but, in point OF fact Is
very little If any more dangerous than
number Of things that they do together
Oh the trapeze before that finale SO long
AZ the performer comes down into the net
there need be no fear There Is more
danger In the breaking of tightly
strained guy wire at critical moment,
by which the trape2e might be violently
ierked out of place and the performer
thrown off. away outside OF the net, to
fall upon the backs of the orchestra chairs
and be picked up mass of broken bones
and mangled flesh, perhaps dead 10
guard against this as far as possible the
greatest care Is exercised in the stretch
ing of the wire and rope guys. which Is
ali gone over and examined before each
performance This with the stretching
of the net. takes several minutes.
BIT OF SENTIMENT.
While these things are being done the
two sisters stand waiting in the first en-
trance. on the prompt" side of the stage,
with big coaks draped about their scant-
ily clad forms, and their mother close be-
hind them When the signal is given
that all is ready, the mother draws OIL
their cloaks Then the two girls embrace
and kiss each others hands After that
they dart out on the stage, and moment
later they are up in the air risking their
necks If that little bit of sentimental
business were done in public, it would be
understood as a tawdry conceit for effect,
like many other things in which gym
nasts and acrobats indulge, with a view
to impressing the spectators, But 1t
is not The embracing and kissing
are all done lin the wings" where
1t is only by accident that person near
the footlights in the parquet on the oppo
site side of the stage may perchance see
1t Tho general disposition to ascribe to
superstition of some sort the motive i'm
polling people to do somewhat unusual
things naturally suggests that as reason
for the Vaidi girls demonstration. But
upon inquiry it is learned that this Is
prompted by simple affection, nothing
more Each knows that it is well within
the range of possibilities that the slipping
of her band. the failure by hairs breadth
OF the others grasp or break of the ap
paratus may cause her sisters plunge to
death. or that that fate may DO her own,
within the next few minutes With that
feeling in mind the hand clasps, embraces
and kisses between the girls are simply a
tenderer demonstration of the impulse
that prompts comrades, when going into
battle to shake hands silently 1t may
be for the last time, and they know it.
There Is little superstition among the
limb and life venturng classes of public
performers, far less than exists among
people in the histrionic profession.
Whether 1t Is that the vigorous life of tho
former develops a more healthful and con
sequently sounder philosophy. or that
their training has drilled them into q
higher confidence In themselves and ap
probation OF the possibilities of human
control over what weaker natures deem
fate and luck. need not be discussed here
The fact is enough for present considera
ton OF course there are exceptions to
this, as to every other rule but even
when they do occur they are not violent,
and generally have some pretty fair rea
son back OF the seeming superstition al
legged Matte jackson, for instance, will
not ride in the circus ring on Good Fri
day She avows fear that some acct
dent will happen to her if she does, as one
did once upon a time when she broke the
rule, or perhaps before she made it But
the fact is that she has vague idea that
1t isn't right. And several other well
known riders have the same notion.
A DANGER DREADED
1t indeed appears that the dread of hav