Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-04
CIRCUS CHILDREN.
SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR TRAINING
FOR THE RING.
Denial of Charges of Cruelty-Dan Rice's
Experience With Trainers-Ex-
ceptional Cases of Cruelty.

Denial of Charges of Cruelty-Dan Rice's
Experience With Trainers-Ex-
ceptional Cases of Cruelty.
OF late, Miss Amye Reade, niece of the
deceased novelist, Charles Reade, has been
waging in London a crusade against the
men who train children for the circus ring.
She has held meetings to arouse public
sentiment; she has enlisted numerous cler-
gymen to the cause, and she is very stren-
uous in declaring that the abuses are out
rageous. She wrote an article which was
published in the New York Star, in which,
as she asserts, positive facts in the expert
ence of one maltreated little girl are given.
The matter has been submitted to several
American circus celebrities, who have been
asked to tell what they know of the man.
ner of training children for the ring.
William Showles. recently returned from
London, was the star bareback rider in
Barnum's show while across the water.
awhile in England" he said, "I met
many English equestrians and circus peo-
Pile, and find that their methods of train
ing riders are much the same as ours, they
using the mechanique to support the be-
ginners- In the Old Country, however,
children are apprenticed to the circus
business, while in our land they are never
regularly indentured. l never heard of
any cruel practices in England in the
training of children for the rings. There
may, of course, be isolated cases of cruelty,
but that is all, for it is to the trainers in.
terest to keep his youngsters in good trim
and spirits. Especial attention is paid to
the diet of would-be circus actors every-
where, for it is necessary to their health
and strength. In the States cruelty in
training is unknown. Children, when
sent out to learn the business, are placed
in the care of some performer who is a
friend of the parents of the boys OF girls.
can speak most knowingly of the eques-
trian branch of the business. have seen
children trained, and can say that there is
comparatively little danger in the work.
A horizontal pivotal beam is arranged SO
as to support the child on the horse. If
the little one misses his or her footing
on the animal, which is usually old in the
ring, there is no fall, the rider being SIM
ply in midair. This beam is termed the
mechanique, and is used until the child is
sure-footed enough to remain upright on
the horse. After this the mechaniaue is
abandoned. Then the rider is in COM
mand of his mount. Meanwhile the anna
teur is being taught all sorts of tumbling
on the ground and the general feats of the
acrobatic art, such as somersaults back
ward and forward, walking on the hands,
standing on the head and turning flip-faps
and cart-wheels. These are all technical
terms, but familiar to every school boy.
None of these feats are dangerous when at
tempted by good lively boy.
"After learning acrobatics the boy or
girl is placed upon an old, steady-going
circus horse, and endeayors to do on the
animals back the feats he or she learned
on solid ground. At either side of the
horse run attendants, ever ready to catch
the amateur performer in case of slip or
a fall. So you see there is no cruelty or
danger in learning circus equestrianism."
Did you acquire your art in this man.
ner, Mr.. Showles ?"
"Oh, no! My people were circus peo.
pie, but I learned to ride bareback on my
own hook, you might say. l practically
taught myself, alone, with kind, old
horse. in big field. / learned to perform,
that is, stand on my head or hands on the
equine's back when snow was on the ground,
so that in my many falls never hurt m,
self.
"I have been with circusses almost from
my infancy, but rummaging back through
the memory of my still few years cannot
city on the part of trainers, or even hear
ing of any. The cruelty, if existent any,
where, must be theoretical and not ac-
tual."
Dan Rice, the famous clown and circus
manager, said:
"There seems to be popular fallacy that
the trainers of children for the circus bus
iness are either cruel or use cruel methods
in instructing pupils, and yet in all my
nearly fifty years in the business but one
case of cruelty came under my personal OBJ
servation, and that, unfortunately, was in
one of my own circuses. Having raised
and trained forty-three children for the
ring-not all my own, by the way-I think
myself justified in saying that whatever
may be the practices in other countries,
cruelty is an unknown element in the edu-
cation of circus children in America. /
have heard about the so-called crusade
against cruel circus trainers in Great
Britain, and l believe it will fall fat, for
the reason that | never saw ANYTHING
cruel in physical education there, nor
have ever heard of anything of the kind
from British acrobats and athletes in this
country. Dickens gives in one of his
works. think it's Little Dorritt'-a
true portrayal of the treatment children
receive in being trained for the ring, and
in the pen picture he draws kindness is
not inconspicuous."
"Can you recall no act of positive cru
city on the part of trainers ?" Colonel
Rice was asked.
All, yes" was the dolorous reply. "At
Red Wing, Minn., many years ago, /
peeped iuto my own circus during practice
hour just in time to see Brunell Reynolds
strike down his little son because he did
not perform difficult feat to the satisfac-
tion Of his father. quickly put stop to
that business by threatening to place both
his boys in the hands of the authorities
and to see that Reynolds was properly
punished. Then, number of years ago, a
strong billed. if remember right,
as Nine. Alta--with John o. 'Brien's show,
was arrested away up somewhere near
Albany for furnishing by the starvation
method poor little boy whom she used in
some Of her acts. She was arrested, and it
cost OBrien considerable money to square
the matter with the authorities. The
child was permanently removed from the
woman's control and the circus by the
proper authorities"
"Will you give me an idea of your
method of training?' was the next aues-
tion.
"My policy, like that of all successful
trainers, is TO be firm as well as kind with
the pupil. ALI trainers are kind in a Ger.
tain way, dependent upon the degree of
their intelligence. We believe, though,
that much can be accomplished by what l
can most accurately, yet still incorrectly,
define as the incentive of fear; that is,
such fear Of punishment or denial of priv
ileges as plays an important part in main
tanning discipline in our schools. Simply
that and no more. My policy always was
to threaten daggers and use none. What
am saying will readily be indorsed by
Al