The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-07-12
BLoNDoN STILL sPRY.
Despite His Age the Great Wire Walker
Astonishes the Natives.

Despite His Age the Great Wire Walker
Astonishes the Natives.
Ne,D York Herald, June25th.
Several thousands of people sat spell.
bound at st. George, Staten Island, yes
terday afternoon, as they gszed upward
at small figure on tight rope far above
them.
II was Cbevailier .BlondiD, who for
twenty.seven years has been stranger to
America.
Two enormous poles (l2o feet high the
programme say iace the grand stand.
Between them is stretched a rope that
looks veryspidery from the ground below.
AT either ends are small platforms, where
the performer makes his changes Of cos
tune from time TO time. From one
of the poles is stretched another rope to
the cupola Of The grand stand.
At the appointed hour q cannon was
fred, the band blared and from over the
heads Of the audience appeared man
riding a winged horse.
In make up at his first appearance
Blondin resembles ole of the plumed
knights of the last Presidential campaign.f
White feathers streamed from his silver
helmet aud garment something between
Roman toga and hunting shirt cover.
ed with silyet glistened in the sunlight.
The horse he bestfode glided along the
rope, Tapping its wings and plunging
wildly until the pole was reached. Then
the rider aligbted, took 'offhis helmet and
bowed to the audience.
With long balancing pole in his
hands the Chevallier stepped lightly and
gracefully ou. and crossed the space
without tremor.
There is large net stretched beneath
the rope and Blondin is very much dis:
eusted. He objected to it. It was. q
humiliation, he said, for man who had
danced oyef the rushing waters Of Niagara
to have a safety net between him and 81 q
the green sward at st. George.
After crossing and recrossing the fope
Blondin reappeared in the conventional
acrobatic costume. Then he went out
on the rope and did a lot of marvellous
things. He stood on one leg, on his
head, sat in d chair, balanced the chair
on the rope and stood with one foot on
iss,at, lay dowr; t1rned somelsaults and
rolled over without the slightest hesita:
ftion.
When all this was going on the active
assistant had been flying around attending
to various matters; being yanked up to
the top Of the pole on theend Of 9 rope
by q dozen men, who also, by the way,
furnished the motive power for the
winged horse. This nervy assistant was
deliberately shoisted up on Blondin's back,
and clung there tenaciously while the
Chevalier skipped across the rope agaln..
Blondin is sixty four years old, but
his head is clear, his limbs supple and
his artistic grace on the rope as incom-
parable as they ever were. S
The last act of the performance was the
running over on bicycle, with bells on
the wheels, which jiDgled merrily as the they
went.
When he put on sack and blindfolded
himself and ran out on the rope there
were many pretty little feminine screams
from the grand stand. He stumbled and
tripped his way to the very centre and 40
then fell. There was a terrific groan
from the lockers on, but he landed on
hi, back, threw up his feet and shook
them reassuringly. BE was only having
a little fun.
As;he mounted his steed again to re:
gain his dressing room he was enthusias,
tically applauded.