The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-03-29
THE FROG MAN.
HOW COntorIiOnist Trains-Hs
Found Bicycle Riding Hard
Work.

From the Washington Star.I
There was man at one of the loca
theaters last week named Delhauer-
William Delhauer, put down on the
programme rs ''the human frog, >
Nv. Delhaur was fully able TO tie him.
sell into lovely bow knot and then
add little safety hitch TO make every.
thing secure. A reporter saw the per.
iormsnce one evening, and was much
struck with what might be called the
| nexibiiity OF the gentleman. Ii there
were any bones in his anatomy he
possessed the trick OF carefully conceal
ing the fact, and il was the general
opinion that these commonly useful
portions OF the body had been left In
the dressing room.
Mr.. Delhauer was gotten up TO rep
resent good old marsh frog, and in
every movement hIs immitation was
excellent. The entire head was covered
with frog mask, out so as TO give the
ieet very troggy appearance. Mr..
)rlhauers main act was 10 seat him
sell on the sharp edge OF a common tin
can, which was placed on u table, ana
then, while balancing himself on the
can, to proceed to tic himself into so
many Intricate shapes that a Chinese
god would have taken one look and
died of envy.
Mir. Delhauer, after he had shed his
frog skin In his dressing room and
arrayed himself In street costume,
turned out to he q good looking, intel
ligent man. and the reporter learned
trsm bin that u good contortionist Ia q
combination OF being born to it and
raised to II.
"YOu can not take every boy, no
matter how young you begin, and
make All acrobat or contortionist OF
him. said the metamorphosed frog.
"A certain supplsness of the joints 10
necessary. Even then. with these
requirements, il takes years of hard
training and constant practice 10
rise above the mere rudiments. Take
my case, for inetsnce. began work
as a tumbler at the age of II, aud for
twenty years have been working con
stantly at the business, and am still nnd,
Ing something new to study every day.
Yes, constant, unswerviDg daily prac.
tice is the main secret. For years have
taken no special training except practice
on the several tricks I was using at the
tune. Of course it is necessary for a
contortionist to keep himself In perfect
condition by using great care In his
diet. No, thanks, don't smoke cigar
cites. They would be the last resort.
Constant training seems to have had a
kind of stretching influence on every
muscle, and can throw my foot up
over my head with almost as much
ease az you lift yours foot from the
ground.
81 got the idea OF impersonating q
frog by observing some OF these animals
in a store window one day. watched
their curious antics for some time and
the thought struck me that an act could
be made out of It. Since then l have
closely studied every action OF his trog-
ship. No, 1t Is not much exertion and
tires me little; but, talking about exer-
else. l took short ride on one of these
bicycles the other night, and my arms
and shoulders have been aching ever
since. Yes, a man to become q contor-
ZIONIST has got 10 commence mighty
early In life and keep In constant prac-
tice and training for years TO make any
success After time 1t becomes q sort
of second nature, and at present am
az much at home sitting on that tin can
with my legs mp around my head as
would be on a chair. aud much more 80
than was on bicycle
"No, don't believe you could be
able 10 kick man over your shoulder
by an hours training day tor two
weeks" And the reporter came sadly
away.