New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-25
BLONDIN.
THE FAMOUS ROPE DANCER STILL At
WORK.
AGILE AS EVER, THOUGH sIxTY.EIGHr YEARS
oLD-uIs PROUD HEcoLLEcTIoNs OF
NrAnApA FAlIG


NIAGARA FALLS.
| Blondin is a name that seems to belong to past
generations, Men who now old remember
seeing In their youth his wonderful performances:
To most people he is only q name, great nA"e "
| the past. And to most II is probably startling -
learn that the agile chevaller is not only sun nvns'
| but actually giving his bewilderins exmoluons'
| Yet this is true lie some years ago went INTO
| semi-retrement. Why not He was rch. ana No
had made thousands Of pcrilous Journeys along tne
| tight rope 1t seeped time TO take wen-won rest
Yet from time to time be energies from ms reuse-
ment and his old place upon the rope WIN
all his old skill and grace and daring, and WIN ~
| his old effect upon the spectators.
Thus only few weeks ago he began series Oh
performances in the Botanical Gardens. at Man
chester, England in the presence OF admiring ana
fascinated thousands. His rope had a clear stretch
OF lss feet and was SO feet above the ground
There no safety net under 1t. That is an sp-
pllsnce Blondn has never used and never VIII USE
whyf 1T would ruin my reputation he says SO .
step would have been fatal But he had no fear
Of false steps. He clad In brilliant costume sur
| mounted by brass helmet with floating plumes On
being h0isted to his rope, which was less than TWO
inches thick he walked along 1t from end to end as un
concernedly as though he had been on Broadway
| pavement Not much can be said for the
spectators, who were literally spellbound At even
| this simple performance
Then the old gentleman blindfolded himself ana
then drew q big bag over bis head. In that manner
he recrossed the slender bridge, Just as easily az
before, while many Of the spectators turned ueir
eyes away In fear. Next he put on cooks cap
and apron, and returned to the middle OF the rope.
bearing a basket and n stove. lie set up the stove
and kindled fire In It. From the basket he tool
various utensils and eggs. He broke ana
beat the EGGS and cooked them into an omelette on
the stove, and then, as guarantee OF good iaitn'
put the omelette and flask OF wine upon tray
and lowered 1t to the ground, that the spectators
might see that 1t real. After that he carried
his son across on his back balanced himself on .
chair at the middle Of the rope and traversed the
rope on a bicycle These all old trickso
Assuredly; and that is why they were SO re-
markable. They are the feats he used to perform
thirty, forty years ago. and more. Now he Is an
old Of sixty-eight years. and he does them
Just easily and as unhcstatingly as ever. mat
Is the most extraordinary fact Of ALL
Among his almost countless medals and other
trophies that which Blondin most highly prizes bears
this inscription: Presented to Mons. l. F. Blondn
by the citizens Of Niagara Falls in appreciation OK
a feat never before attempted by man, but by him
successfully performed on the 10Th OF August 1862
that Of carrying man upon his back over the Falls
of Niagara on tight rope That medal, one might
say sounds the keynote Of his lie. Niagara has
been everything TO him. Before he crossed that
awful gorge he was great gymnast, put since then
he has been indisputably supreme. lie has crossed
Niagara three hundred times since then, but 1t was
that first performance that made him what he Is.
GLOW did you feel when you set out to cross
Niagara ;, he was asked. "were you nervous
afradi'
NO. no! Pouf! MOI" was his energetic reply.
al left that for those who watched me- Some Of
them said: TIe won't dare to try it, Others said
The crazy fool OF Frenchman must want to commit
suicide But crossed, and have crossed 1t 500
times since them
m. ~ really dangerous wasn't II ~
ayes, to be sure 1t The rope might have
snapped"
NJ. Blondn calls his pleasant home in London
Niagara VILLA" and Of the most conspicuous
objects In 1t is a 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. Jean
Francois Graveie is what he christened. His
father was a gymnast, and he himself began rope
walking at four years old. At twenty seven ne had
a considerable reputation In the provincial towns ana
cities OF France 1t was there that the famous RaveI
saw him. and was much impressed. He sought the
young mans acquaintance.
come with me-" he said. "Join my company and
ca to America-to New.York. You will make your
fortune"
Agreed" was the reply; "Pn 90 with you"
"well done But first. what is your name"
"Jean Francois Gravelc."
"Gnvelei hhl That will never do. Such 8
change 1t. la. see Blue eyes, light hair; OF
course. You shall call yourself Blondinv
So "Blondin" It was and the young man made .
great hit In New-York Eight years later he crossed
Niagara In all his he has never used safety
net and he has never fallen from his rope. He has
never had accident Of any kind, save one, In which
he merely scratched himself bit In one spot. They
say the secret Of his success Is In the powerful
muscles OF his arms, which enable him to carry an
unusually heavy balancing pole. 1t is true that no
has prodgious muscles. But when he is asked II that
really the secret of his success, he laughs ana says
No; l succeed in keeping on the rope because
don't want to fall" lie contends, moreover thas
rope walkers. like poets, born, not made lie was
born n rope walker: but his children were not SO none
OF them Will ever attempt 1t.
He has most interesting collection OF newspaper
clippings about himself-pocms pictures, etc. In them
he is called The King OF the Tght-Rope," The LORD
OF the Hempen Realm 1.-The Emperor OF MANILA"
etc. one OF ire poets. In good oid-fashioneo
style. tells OF his Niagara feat:
The fearless Blondin walks. rerchance into tomo
His dauntlcss courage falls him not
Fen tho thy roaring torrents be his fat'l lot
Heavcnwoid he looks, and Inspiration draws,
Each heart boats high. he makes q moments pause,
Rests at full length upon tAc fragile rope,
One cheer thousand voices send Of earnest hope
Another npostrophizcs " Mr.. Blondin," In "A NoaAs
as follows
Remarkable pusson cn.crprisn Stranger!
You probably startd . rai!rod rac,
praps curb stun then you took to fensis;
& then YOU Scared to rafters OF moo houses.
Remarkable pusscn:
81 merely of talking Of a walk, you clear
1000 dolcrs nccry every time
Then the her you get the Stralter you kin walk,
this shows you amt a. oil like common foax,
which walk mutch when they Elevated.
DlondIn never uses tobacco. II would unsteady
his nerves But he does not abstain from wfne He
has garden In which he Is fond Of working. He has
numerous pets. too, including the inmates OF largo
nyiory lie is moreover, fond OF music and spends
much OF his time at his plano. al am happy" he
says, In my garden, my workshop. and my house VI
Lifds Yet cannot keep away from the rope, either.
Old Yos: but ] can waltz on n tght-rope as we'll
MS ever So | still 90 about performing What fee
do cot Five hundred dollars a night. What do !