The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-11-04
KING or TIE TIGHT !sIT s.Gi nGrs 6.
WONDERFUL PERPoRMANCDs OF
THE AGED BLONDIN.
Agile - Ever. Though SIXTY eight
Years Oid-His Proud ReooIiec-
tiOns of Niagara Falls.

| Years Cfd-hfs FrOuO fSeCOucc-'
tions of Niagara Falls.
I@ LONDIN is name that seems
x to belong to past generations.
Men who are now old remem-'
h.- -cS.:... in .nurr youth his
wonderful performances. To most peo-
pie he Is only name, great name OF
The past. And to most IL Is probably
startling to learn that the agile chevalier
Is not only still living, but actually Civ
ing his bewildering exhibitions. Yet i
This 10 true. He some years ago went
into semi-retiremeut. He was rich, and
no Ind made thousands OF perilous Jour- !
neys along the tight rope. Il seemed
| time to take well won rest. Yet from
time to time he emerges from his retire
ment and resumes his old place upon the |
rope, with all his old skill and grace and :
daring, and with all his old effect upou
the spectators.
Thus only a few weeks ago he began a !,
series OF performances in the Botanicall
Gardens, at Manchester, England, in tho (
presence OF admiring and fascinated
thousands. His rope had clear stretch
Of 1873 feet, and was eighty eight feet
above the ground. There was no safety /,
net under It. That is an appliance Blon- ;,
din has never used aud never will use.-
Why1 at would ruin my repatetion,"
10 says. SO false step would have
been fatal. But he had no fear Of false
steps. He was clad in a brilliant cos
tune, surmounted by brass helmet
with floating plumes. On being hoisted
to his rope, which was less than two
inches thick, he walked along It from
end to end as unconcernedly as though
| he had been on a Broadway pavement.
| Not so much can be said for the specta-
tors, who were literally spell bound at
even this simple performance.
Then the old gentleman blindfolded
himself, and then drew a big bag over
his head. In that manner he recrossed
The slender bridge, just as easily as be-
fore, while many Of the spectators turned
their eyes away in fear. Next he put on
cooks cap and apron, and returned to
Tho middle of the ropo, bearing basket
and stove. lie set up the stove and
kindled fire in it. From the basket he
took various utensils and some eggs. He
broke aud beat the eggs, and cooked
them into an omelette on tho stove, and
.hen, cas- n guarantee of good faith"
out the omelette and flask of wine upon
tray and lowered it to the ground, that
The spectators might sec that it was real.
a ftcr that he carried his son across on.
Ais back, balanced himself on a chair at
ihc middle of the rope and traversed the
topc on a bicycle. These are the feats
he used to perform thirty, forty years ago,
md more. Now he is an old man of
sixty eight years, and he does them just
Is easily and as unhesitatingly as over
That ia the most extraordinary fact Of all.
Among his almost countless medals aud
other trophies, that which Blondin most
highly prizes bears this inscription: "Pre-
vented to Nous. I. +. Blondin by the citi
Gems of Niagara Falls, in appreciation Of
feat never before attempted by man,
but by him successfully performed on tho
10Th of August, 1859, that of carrying II
man upon his back over the Falls OF
| Niagara ON tight rope" That modal,
one might say, sounds the keynote Of his
life. Niagara has been everything to
him. Before he crossed that awful gorge
he was great gymnast; but since then
he has been indisputably supreme. lie
has crossed Niagara three hundred times
since then, but it was that first perform
ancc that madc him what he is.
"IIow did you feel when you set out to
cross Niayaraa" he was asked. "Were
you nervous, afraidf'
"No, mol Poul! Mop was his oncr.
gctic reply. al left that for those who
watched me- Some of them said, 'iIc
won't dare to tryit.' Others said: 'rho
| crazy fool Of a Frcnchman must want to
nl I
have crossed it 300 times since then"
"But it was really dangerous, wasn't
iti"
"Ycs, to bc sure it was. Tho rope
might have snapped"
NJ. Blondin calls his pleasant home
in London "Niagara Villa," and one
Of the most conspicuous objects in
it is huge oil painting, depicting
him in the act of crossing the falls, In
the presence Of tho Prince Of Wales and
| a great crowd.
"BIoniin," Of course, is an assumed
name. Jean Francois Gravclc is what
he was christcnrd. His father was n
gymnast, and nc himself began rope
walking at four years old. At twenty
seven he hal considerable reputation
France. 1t was there that tho famous
Ravcl saw hlm, and was much impressed.
He sought the young mans acluaint-
0nCc.
"Comc with me, he said. "Join my
company aud go to America-to New
York. You will make your fortune"
agreed" was the reply; "T'll go
with you
"Wel done! But first, what is your
namc2'
"Jean Francois Gravele."
"Gravele2 Pah! That will never do.
Such a name would never do for the bill
board. We must change it. Hat l
see! Blue eyes, light hair; Of course.
You shall call yourself Blondin"
So "Bondin" it was, and tho young
man made great hit in New York.
Eight years later he crossed Niagara. In
all his career he has never used safety
net And he has never fallen from bis
rope. lie has never mad an accident of