The Bessemer indicator., 1893-05-06
NOT A VERY SOFT SNAP.
cONroRTioNIsM INVOLVES
WOhh ANp %uCH PAIN.
MArine1i Has become Wealthy In Nine
teen Years wrigElinx aud Twist
Ing, But Say. He Wouldn't
Do 1t Over Again.

There are few people in New York
who have not heard OF Marinelli, as
lie is billed, the man who can tie
himself up into bow knots and look
happy about 1t.
His name ia not Marinelli at ALL
He assumed that cognomen about ten
years ago and has been called by it
SO much since then that he has almost
forgotten his real name, which is
Herman Buettner,
/ had long talk with him the
other evening after he had "doDe his
turn" and shed his lizard-skin make
up and his pink tights, writes New
York Herald reporter a Pleasant
hammered. rather dapper. and smil-
ing young fellow found Marinelli to
be. He is not nearly as large as ho
looks to be when seen "irom the
'front.' or course he is little and
quick-mannered He couldn't be
otherwise. His English lie pretty
good-for that matter, good enough
to get along with anywhere. for he
bushes vividly when he talks of
himself, and smiles all the while.
As | looked at him across the table
--at his shiny elk hat mt his fashion
ably shaped cutaway coat, and his
correct necktie and collGr-he seemed
to be anything but Il contortionist-
anything but person in any way
connected by occupation with O
circus.
"I was 2S years old but short
time since" he said in answer to M
question. ''I know look older, but
we get old rapidly in this business,
and started in on it very young
"How old were you?" | asked.
"Only nine" he replied, when
first appeared in public. And l have
been at it ever since-nineteen
years.
Where was this first appearance''
"In the Walhalla theatcr, Berlin
1t was only small act in tumbling,
but they considered it quite remark
able for such boy
~ take it you are Il German, then,
and not an Italian. as most people
suppose!"
.Oh. yes: | I'm German. Anyone
who saw me of the stage could tell
that"
"Do You make your home In Ger
many nowo'
'.Well, really, l haven't any home,
Perhaps l spend more Of my time in
Paris than anywhere else. | am going
back there in u week or two. and re-
tire from the stage permanently. l
shall then make real home fer my
self in the South Of France, and try
to enjoy the rest OF my life quietly
and comfortably.
"Is the contortionist business so
profitable. then, that you can afford
to do that"
"Yes. it brings IN great deal OF
money for what seems but little
work. and yet every dollar have has
cost mo no little pain and effort. !
wouldn't go on suffering as | have
at every performance for nineteen
years if l had to earn living as q
day laborer. But rs l live very
quietly and economically there Is no
occasion for that l am arranging
now to buy little place in the South
of France, and then will really en-
joy life"
at really hurts, then, to twist
yourself SOP"
Indeed it does. That is one rea-
son why wear costumes when a
mask is necessary. Otherwise the
audience would be frightened at the
faces must make up. One of the
hardest things l have to do is to
smile when / pull the mask off and
bow"
What is it in your physical de-
velopment that allows you to bend
your back in such ways'" Is the
backbone malformed, or is it the re-
suit OF practice?'
II don't know'how to account for IT.
l could always bend my body into
queer positions even before l prac,
ticed much, and the physicians say
that am perfectly healthy and am
not differently formed from any other
man. / was simply born with a
timber backbone. suppose | have
appeared before special audiences OF
PHYSICIANS and surgeons many time;
notably once when gave q special
performance before the college OF
physicians and surgeons in Berlin in
1886, when they spent a whole day
examining me to find out how l
did it."
And what did they discover"
Nothing. They had pictures
taken OF me in three different posi-
tions to show into what unnatural
shapes the human form can be put. :"
Have you travelled over Europe
much2"
'.Oh, yes, lave appeared in every
principal vaudeville thc1ter in
Europe. l have also appeared in
Egypt and in India. This is my first
visit to America.
Mariuolli not cnly designs but also
makes all his own costumes. No
wonder he is rich enough to retire,
even though he be but 2s years old.
He only weighs 126 pounds. and con-
siders that rather all over weight,
He has not rehearsed at all for sew
eral months. The performance OF
itself is quite enough, he says to keep
him in condition.
He speaks six languages fucntly,
although he has never studied any of
them to amount to anything Mari
nelli says the postures he assumes
are all only question of balancing
and straining. Those that look the
hardest arc usually the easiest" he
6ays