The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-04-21
Circus Riders School.
rom the Ne,o York Times.

ter OF the barn like building. Tn TWO or
three sides Of the ring are rows of narrow
box stalls, in which the trained horses have
their homes. A score or more of hostlers
and helpers are about the room, making
and keeping things clean and neat. With
the cold blast that comes in at the open
door comes also tall, rather slim, figure,
wrapped in cloak of fur, and with such a
hat and such gloves, and such an outfit
generally as one might expect to see on any
lady taking her morning walk on Broadway.
She is decidedly pretty as she trips In,
closes the door, greets every one with a
CHEEKY "good morning." and then trips up
flight of stairs to her dressing room.
But before she disappears from sight she
says: "Please get Bob ready"
Bob is brought out. He is big horse,
more white than gray, and is taken from
one of the stalls which have number very
like him in color in them. That prompts
an inquisitiye visitor to ask one of the titled
people standing round if white horses are
the only ones that will train well for circus
purposes.
aNot bit, my boy; bays or blacks or
chestnuts would do equally well, but the
riders like the white ones best. Why =?
Oh, because they like to keep up the illu-
sion of the ring. See, there's the reason
why white horses are used so generally. p"
As he spoke this professor of horse edu-
cation pointed to young man who was
rubbing Bob's back with lot of fine pow
der. It was powdered resin, and was ap-
piled literally to the back of Bob and care
fully spread over all the broad back on
which the fairy who few moments ago
entered would soon be dancing
ssThat's the reason why the white horses
are chosen by riders for their uses. Now,
if the horse was black or bay in color the
powder would lie in great pad-like block
that would be plainly visible to every one.
Riders, male or female, dislike to have any
one know that they use resin to help them
keep their feet on the animals back. So
they use white horses to help out the de-
ception."
While this explanation of the petty de-
ception was being INDUCED in the horse
professor assistants had got the "mechanic"
into trim. That ''mechanic" looked more
like gallows than anything else. From
the center of the ring rose strong pole,
or mast, which lost itself in the beams
above which served to support the dressing
room floor. Three-quarters of the way up
from the bottom of the pole there stretched
out an arm, which gave to the pole the
gallows like appearance. A rope which
hung from the end of this arm, with a hal
ter band of leather, added to the repulsive
appearance. The arm moved noiselessly
and easily about the supporting post. '1s
the younglady to be hung on that gallows?"
was the facetious inquiry addressed to the
man of horse lore and circus mystery.
"Yes, she'll hang there for half hour.
Here she comes; now see how she does it. :"
The erstwhile fairy came tripping down
stairs if fairy can trip when shod in
sort of sabot, much like those worn like
the peasants of Holland, but with trifie
less wood in them. Great Scott What
transformation The sabots brought down
stairs something utterly unlike the grace
full woman who, a few moments before,
had gone to the mysterious regions Of the
dressing room. 1t was being clothed in
cross between bloomer costume and a
bathing dress.
The ringmaster fastened stout bit of
cord to the horses bride bit, the other end
of which cord he held in the hand that
didn't hold the whip. An attendant fas-
tened the halter about the waist of "the
peerless equestrienne," and the gallows was
ready. But before her lesson is begun
Mile. Throughthehoops goes up to Bob,
pats him kindly on the head and neck, and
gives him lump of sugar. Friendly re-
lations are thus established between horse
and rider, sad she says: "All right; let him
ge-@P6ere's a snap of the ringmaster's
whip, Enthusiastically womanly SECT
up' in shrill, high key, and the hand
some gray begins his gallop about the little
circus ring. He makes half dozen cir
cults of the ring, and then Mile. Through
thehoops makes frantic rush at him,
catches him by the name with one hand,
and with the other seizes the grip fastened
to the saddle girth and leaps to his back.
At the same instant the rope arrangement
of the gallows frame of the mechanic is
udulcu ldub. IL was MCil IL was
taut, too, for the new horse, startled by the
sudden descent on his resined back, jumps
away as if struck by bullet The rider
loses her foothold, and if it wasn't for that
mechanic and its gallows like arm, she
would have had bad tumble. Instead
the mechanic and its arm and harness keep
her swinging in the air, and she is gradu-
ally lowered to the ground. The ring
masters whip cracks, everybody yells eli
hi-hi," the horse finally gets down to its
regular gallop once more, and the thing is
gone over and over again. Several times
the rider is saved from tumble by the
mechanic, and finally "Bob" is dismissed
with pat and lump of sugar, and another
gray horse, who is an old stager, comes to
the ring.
Things 60 much better now. Mile
Throughthehoops calls for the banners, and
big strips of white cotton cloth come out
in place of the gay colored silken banners
that would be used in a regular circus ring.
The new horse starts in with regular
stride, Mile. Thronghthehoops, still fastened
to the mechanic, leaps to his back, and the
circus, without its tinsel, is reproduced in
miniature. The "Mlle" goes on with her
act just as if thousand people were watch
ing her, and courtesies and smiles and
waves her hands as she would in the ring.
Who is she courtesying and smiling at !?
To every employee in the big building whose
duties do not compel him to be elsewhere.
This crowd Of men are just outside the
ring, hallooing at the top of their voice,
"Hi-hi-hi," and clapping their hands and
making things hideous generally. As they
shout, and the ringmaster's whip cracks
and hands are clapped, and the rider jumps
and leaps aud yells at the top of her voice
occasionally, and she really seems to enjoy
it, until misstep throws her from the
horses back and leaves her hanging in the
air at the end of the arm of the mechanic,
but safe because she is in the embrace of
Its rope and leather harness. Finally, well
tired out, she says Enough" and leaves
the ring for some one else to take lesson.
The homely school costume discarded