Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-02-10
CIRCUS MEN In WINTER.
WHAT BECOMES OF THE HEROES
IN sPANcLEs AND TIGHTS.


Il seems strange that while the newspapers
devote 50 much space to the sayings and do
iags the fortunes and misfortunes Of actors
and actresses, they seldom or never refer to
circus people, though, from the fact that the
number Of persons connected with every cir
Gus is many times greater than that comprised
by the largest dramatic company, the saw
dust folks are more numerous class than the
children of rhespis, while from the hazard
Gus, gypsy like character Of their profession.
their daily lives are fraught with much
1eeper romantic interest than those Of the
wearers of the sock and buskin In Berlin.
Vienna, Dresden, Hamburg, Paris. LYONS
and st. Petersburg there are large s'winter
circuses,n where the sports OF the arena NAV
be enjoyed throughout the cold season, and
the press Of those cities devotes quite as much
attention to the artists of the sawdust circle
as to the votaries of the stage
PRAcTIcING harms.
II we visit Frankford, a suburban part OF
Philadelphia; Fordham. n. Y. Newark, N.
j., and West Chester, Pa, we shall learn the
answer to our question: What do circus peo-
pie do in winter2 Weshall find that they 90 TO
the barn to keep themselves warm, If not to
put their head under their wing. To put it
more plBinly, there are maintained at each
Of the places have named large ''practicing
barns as they are technically called. sun
piled with regular forty-two feet circus
ring, in which the circus people promote the
circulation of the blood by practcing their
acts all through the cold season. When a
circus performer accumulates money he in
variably invests it in farm on which to pass
his time when resting from his professional
labor, and such people usually have a prac-
ticing barn of their own for Individual use
Less fortunate members of the profession
spend their winters at some one of the four
places 1 have named, in order to enjoy the
advantages for practice afforded by the pub
lie practicing barns which are the property
Of some Circus manager or retired per
former.
Not only do they practice their old acts.
but they learn new ones as well, besides
breaking and training new horses TO the
ring-a task of no uncomfortable magnitude.
Every rider is required by circus managers
to furnish his own horses, and the principal
artists usually keep from two to four. These
they are compelled to maintain during the
winter at their own expense. Young people
DESTROYS of becoming riders are also instruct
ed in their own chosen profession in these
practicing barns during the cold season.
1t was strange sight that met my gaze as
l strolled into one Of these practicing barns
the other day. A motley group Of circus
performers was gathered about the ring, in
which a beautiful young girl of about 16
years was taking her first lesson in bareback
riding. There were two or three handsome
young women among them with their two or
three husbands, and their two or three moth
ers, and their eight or nine little children,
who do the fairy business when required
~
was ia the habit of balancing the father OF
another of the families on the top OF great
pole. The father Of a third family often
made pyramid of both those fathers, with
his youngest son for the apex and himself
standing upon two horses for the base
All the fathers could dance upon rolling
casks, stand upon bottles, catch knives and
balls, twirl hand basins, ride upon anything,
jump over anything and stick at nothing
All the mothers could land did do flying acts
npon the barebacked steeds. One of them
drove four in hand alone, in a Greek chariot,
through every town in which she appeared
They all assumed to be mighty razish and
knowing yet there was a remarkable gentle
ness and childishneSs about these people, a
special inaptitude for any kind Of sharp prac-
tees, and an untiring readiness to help aud
pity one another, deserving as much respect
and as much generous consideration as the
virtues Of any class of people in the world.
TRAINING HORSES.
GLOW are horses trained for the ring7n ]
asked.
you mean the horses upon which riders
perform their featss Well, to answer that
question I win begin by saying that the best
age at which to train a horse is from 8 10 G
years. In selecting one for the purpose you
must first decide what kind of riding you
wish to use him for. As you doubtless know,
circus riding is Of two kinds, namely, princi-
pal acts and manege acts. Principal acts are
those in which the artist rides in a standing
position and performs various acts, such as
pirouetting, jumping and throwing somer-
saults over objects, etc. Principal acts may
be ridden either upon the horses bare back
or upon pad saddle They may also be
ridden as two, four or six horse acts, the per-
former riding any of those number Of horses
all at the same time, or they may be hurdle
acts, bars or hurdles being placed in the ring
and the horse jumping over them.
Manage acts are those in which horse is
ridden under an ordinary saddle by lady or
gentleman in a park riding dress, the object
being, as the name Of the act implies, to dis
play the riders skill in managing the horse.
For hurdle riding you want the most spirited,
dashing, high mettled horse you can get, but
for any other style Of principal act horses
should possess little or no spirit, and should
be Of a duh, plodding phlegmatic disposition
that nothing can excite. Having selected
your horse, the first ching is to bit him-that
is to make his mouth so sensitive to the bit
that he will instantly respond TO the slightest
pressure upon it. This may Be accomplished
quickly with some, while others will require
months
Having been well bitted the horse Is put
into the ring, roller or surcingle about his
body and his head kept up by bearing up
reins. His trainer, in the center Of the ring,
holds long hinge rein attached to the bit
In this way he is taught that he must keep
going round and round the rings inner edge.
Then the attaches Of the circus practice
yaulting upon his back till he is thoroughly
accustomed to it and acquires what we call
the balance of the ring. Then the paper COW
cred hoops through which riders jump and
the wide pieces of cloth called banners over
which they leap are brought in, and he is
made to pass under them till he will do so
without the slightest tendency to shy or
frigaten. Then il designed for a pad horse.
the pad is placed upon him to accustom him
TO it Often, after all other stages Of his
education have been successfully passed, he
viii not submit to the pad, but viii kick to
such an extent that it cannot be placed upon
him. He must then be taken out Of the ring
altogether Wv ashington Star
At a meeting Of the Belgian Photographic