The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-11-04
KING OF THE TIGHT ROPE.
WONDERFUL PERFORMANCES OF
THE AGED BLONDIN.
Agile rs Ever. Though Sixty eight
Years Old-His Proud Reoollec-.
tions of Niagara Falls.

Agile rs Ever, Though Sixty eight
Years Old-His Proud Reoollec-.
tions of Niagara Falls.
~ LONDIN is name that seems
x to belong to past generations.
- Men who are now old re%em-,
wonderful performances. To most peo-
pie he is only name, great name Of
The past. Aud to most it is probably
.tartling to learn that the agile chevalier !.
Is not only still living, but actually Civ :.
ing his bewildering exhibitions. Yet !,
This is true. He some years ago went
into semi-retirement. He was rich, and
he had made thousands OF perilous Jour- !
ueys along the tight rope. It seemed ,
time to take we'll 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, aud with all his old effect upon
the spectators.
Thus only few weeks ago he began !,
series of performances in the Botanicalt
Gardens, at Manchester, England, in the !!
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.-
Whyf ''It would ruin my repntetion," '"
Le says. So a false step would have
been fatal. But he had no fear of false
steps. He was clad in brilliant cos
tune, surmounted by brass helmetl
with floating plumes. On being hoisted
to his rope, which was less than two
inches thick, he walked along 1t from
end to end as unconcernedly as though
he had been on 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, aud then drew 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.
The middle of the rope, bearing basket;
and stove. He set up the stove and
kindled a fire in it. From the basket he
took various utensils and some eggs. He
broke and beat the eggs, and cooked
them into an omelette on the stove, and
!hen, Gas a guarantee of good faith"
out the omelette and flask of wine upon
tray and lowered it to the ground, that
the spectators might see that it was real.
After that he carried his son across on,
iis back, balanced himself on a chair at
the middle of the rope and traversed the
,ope 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 ever.
That is the most extraordinary fact Of all.
Among his almost countless medals aud
other trophies, that which Blondin most
highly prizes bears this inscription: 'Pre-
,ented to Mons. I. F. Blondin by the citi-
.ens of Niagara Falls, in appreciation of
=. feat never before attempted by man,
BUT by him successfully performed on the
10th of August, 1859, that of carrying a
man upon his back over the Falls of
Niagara on tight rope" That medal,
one might sag, sounds the keynote Of his
life. Niagara has been everything to
him. Before he crossed that awful gorge
he was a great gymnast; but since then
he has been indisputably supreme. He
has crossed Niagara three hundred times
since then, but it was that first perform
ance that made him what he is.
"How did you feel when you set out to
cross Niagara9" he was asked. "Were
you nervous, afraid"
"No, mol Poui! Mol" was his ener-
getic reply. 81 left that for those who
watched me. Some Of them said, HE
won't dare to tryIt.' Others said: 'Tho
crazy fool of Frenchman must want to
commit suicide But crossed, and
have crossed it 800 times since then"
"But it was really dangerous, wasn't
itf"
"Yes, to be sure it was. The 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 the Prince Of Wales and
great crowd.
"Blondin," Of course, is an assumed
name. Jeau Francois Gravele is what
he was christened. His father was a
gymnast, and nc himself began rope
walking at four years old. At twenty
seven he had considerable reputation
in the provincial towns aud cities of
France. 1t was there that the famous
Ravel saw HIM, and was much impressed.
He sought the young mans acqualnt-
| ance.
"Comc with me-" he said. "Join my
company aud go to America-to New
York. You will make your fortune"
"Agreed," was the reply; "Tll go
with you"
"Well done! But first, what is your
name2"
"Jean Francois Gravele."
"Gravele2 Pah! That will never do.
Such a name would never do for the bill
board. We must change it. Hal
seel Blue eyes, light hair; Of course.
You shall call yourself Blondin"
SO "Blondin" it was, and the young
man made a great hit in New York.
Eight years later he crossed Niagara. In
all his career he has never used safety