Mohave County miner., 1888-07-14
TRAPEzR PERFORMERS
SUPERSTITION AMONG THE LIMB AND
LIFE RlsKiNc CLASS. a.
a 1it Of Sentiment IsduIsed In Jass Ds-
sors the Psriprm2an~--Daags DrsA1e1
IL Moro Thsn H.,f Irvited-yspensas

IL Moro Thsn H.'f Irvited-Jspenaas
Jugriers. - =
The vaidi sisters are two pretty English
girls who DO some very good frspezs wosk
Ono OF them performs dive, head fossi
uaost, from the very top Of ths prosss-
MUM arch. . dizzy height. into . net sus,
pended Just above tho heads Of the spec
taaors In tho parquet. That is one 81 ths
most thPiilingly effective fests ever shQNN
here In public, but, In point Of fAHt. =
very little II any more dangerous than 9
number Of things that they do togst6ef
On the trapcze bcforc that finale. 50 bout
as the performer comes down into ths ~
there need he no fear There b nsees
danger III the breaking Of tightly
strained guy wire at q critical momeAf,
by which the trapeze might b violsn41y
jerked out OF place aud the perfoemse
thrown of. away outside Of the nst, -
fall upon this backs OF the orchestra ehaixs
and be picked up tnase Of broken bonee
and mangied flesh, perhaps dead. ~
guard against this as far a. possibls ths
greatest care Is exerciscd I'm thu strstsAr
ing OF the wiro and rope guys. which y
all gone over and examined before ceeh
performance. This, with the strctehinE
Of the net, takes several minutes. y
Brr or sgsTTxgxT.
While these things are being done ~
two sisters stand waiting In the 6rst ~
trance, ON the prompt" side Of the staGs.
with big cloaks drsped about their scant-,
lily clad forms, and their mother close be-
hind them. When the signal Is given
that all Is ready. the mother draws OF
their cloaks Then the two girls embrace
aud kiss each Others hands hftsr that
they dart ont on the stage. aud moment
later they are up IN the air risking their
nccks. " that little bit Of sentimental
business were done In public, II would b
understood es tawdry conceit for effect.
like many other things in which gym
nasts and serobats indulge, with view
70 irnpressing the spectators. But IL
II not The embracing and kissing
arc ali done lin the wings. whsrS
II 10 only by accident that person neas
the footlights In the parquet ON the oppo-:
site side Of the stage may perchance see
II. The general disposition 10 ascTtbe TO
superstition of some sort the motive i'm
pclling people TO DO somewhat unusual
things naturally suggests that Is reason
for the vaidi girls demonstration. But
upon inquiry II Is learned that this u
prompted by simple affection. nothing
more. Each knows that 1t Is well within
tho range Of possibilities that the slipping
Of her hand. the failure BY hairs breadth
Of the others grasp or a break Of the ap.
paratus may cause her sisters plunge 20
death. or that that fate may be her own,
within the next few minutes With that
feeling In miad. the hand clasps. embraces
aud kisses between the girls orc simply 8
tenderer demonstration cf the impulse
that prompts comrades, when going into
battle, to sliake hands silently. It may
be for the last time, and they know IT, n
There Is little superstition among TIE
| limb and life venturing classes OF publie
performers. far less than exists among
people Ia the histfonic profeasicn. :
Whether II Is that tho vigorous Hfe Of th6
former develops more hcalthful and con-
sequently souDder philosophy, q on that
their training has drilled them Into o
higher confidence In themselves, and O.
probation OF the possibilities Of human
control over what weaker natures .dssm
fate and luck, need not be discussed hssSs
Tho fact Is enough for present considesar
ton OF course there ars exccptioos -
this, as TO every other rule. but even
when they do occur they are not violsnt,
and generally have some pretty fair rea-
son hack Of the seeming supersditions a.
legged Matte Jackson, for instanes. will
not ride In the circus ring on Good ri.
day. She .avows o fear that some Acci.
dent viii happen TO her II she does. - ons
did once upon time when she broke the
rule, or perhaps before shc made g. Dss'
the fact Is that she has vagns idsa thse'
1t isn't aght. And several other wsll
known riders have the same notiou- =,
A DANGER DREADED.
II indeed appears that the dread Of hav.
ing superstition Is more rife among
circus people than any superstition =, foe
tho excellent reason that they know 3
danger dreaded Is more than half invited
A man whose nerves ara TO the slightest
degree unstrung by expectancy Of aceident
Is likely TO realize his expectation whea
attempting some feat that demands sll thA
strength, skill, cooiness and nerve That ks
possesses Very cften riders peefO1sn.
ance In made timid and msasaFa1ay4G
effective simply by grooms repxE TO-
him that his horse ''does not seesas 70 b,
feeling all right" Thsre Is no supsrstation
about thst, but a consciousness that II the
horse Us not "all righl" and up TO good ro-
niembrance and observance OF his training,
the breaking Of his riders leg, or perhaps
his neck. may be the consequences.
IL may hardly be fair to classify as
saperstitious the practice Of carrying po-
"a fetlches against rheumatism. II u u
50, then there Is good deal Of that sort
OF superstition among show folk, but they
vehemcntly affirm that II Is prompted BY
knowledge Of this proved medicinal virtues
Of these articles
Japanese show people have superstition
enough for not only their own share. but
for all the others. Each OF their troupes
Of jugglers and acrobats includes In It's
membership one grave. earnest. bald
headed old heather supposedly accus-
toned 10 tussling with devils who would
fain obstruct the work of the performers
or bring them to grief. Il Is his business.
before each important feat involving per-
sonal peril, TO 60 about the stage scatter
ing salt and volubly exploding prayers In
his firecrackcfy lingo, TO drive the dencns
away. In addition to his potent official
efforts for the discouragement Of this
malign spirits thronging the surrounding
ether, each performer carries about with
him some sort Of an amulet. and the fans