The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-08-22


All the spectators of the giant
leap for life in the circus tent held
their breaths with terror while the
1.-THE acrobat plunged forward, re-
leased his hold and shot through
space, to be securely caught in the
firm grasp of his partner, who hung
from another treacherous trapeze.
Twelve thousand nine hundred and
ninety eight persons caught THEN
breaths again as the featwas accom-
plished. The two remaining persons
of the 13,000-a big circus tent al
ways holds $4,000 persons, you
know-watched the proceedings with
an air of perfect nonchalance, as if a
swing for life was no more serious
matter than signaling an electric car.
Well might they be calm, for they
we're retired circus performers, and
the perils of the tents we're old
stories to them, and then, as the
show went on, they began exchang-
ing "reminiscences, while the listen
ing Journal man forgot all about
what was before him in his interest
in these yarns
THAT jump reminds me of the way
Sam Myers proposed to Annie John
son ten years ago
The journal man noticed that the
veteran circus man omitted "Signor''
and "Ma'amselle" from his converse
ton, go that Sam Myers and Annie
johnson did not bear in private life
the names which adorned the circus
programme and the particolored
Autographs which inflame the circus
going propensities of Young Amer
lea.
"You see, Sam Myers and Pete
Wilson and Annie johnson were
albinos that season, did a great ACT
on the flying trcpeze, in which Annie
made ever so many jumps across the
tent and was. caught by Sam, while
Pete was performing on third ban
way up above them. One jump after
another was made all right by her
and suddenly everybody was surpris
ed to see Sam lift Annie in the all
as he caught her and kiss her before
she turned to make the leap back &c
her own trapeze Everybody wonder
ed what it all means, and after the
act was over they soon found out.
"It seems that Sam and Pete anC
both fallen in love with Annie, had
just before the act Pete confded tt
his chum his intentions of proposing
to the pretty partner. Sam made az
his mind that he would not be left in
case like this, but he had nc
chance to speak for himself unit
they began.
when Annie made her first jump
he started to pop the question, and
the proposal continued with inter
ruptions as the young lady would
swing back and forth and jump to
and fro in the regular custom of hei
performance.
Finally the question was asked
just as she swung.
Sam, hanging by his toes, waited
until she made the next leap and as
he heard her say Yes he lifted her
up and kissed her with such smack
that it could be heard all over the
big tent.
Everybody congratulated the
pair but Pete Somehow he had the
impression that he had not been
treated squarely in this proposal,
and the firm broke up then and
there"
THAT reminds me ofanother team
which was with circns that | was
performing in a dozen years ago The
Rowland brothers we're doing dou-
BILE trapeze act, with all sorts of dar-
ing jumps, much the same sort as
the one we just saw. In the same cir
Gus the leading rider was Jennie
Dunbar, who was the cleverest little
woman who ever jumped through a
hoop, and both the boys fell in love
with her.
sShe was really fond of both of
them, but when they proposed she
accepted will and told Fred that she
could only be sister to him. When
Fred proposed, we we're performing
up in Canada, and the proposal was
made just before the afternoon per-
formances. When the boys came up
for their turn, we all noticed that
Fred was pale and nervous, while
Will was just the reverse. Their act
went on just the same as usual, and
finally came their last jump, which
was the most daring of all. Fred
hung by his toes, and Will made the
swing clear across the tent We new
er knew how it HAPPENED. whether
Fred was SO nervous that he lost his
grip or whether he did it deliberate
ly, but just as Will came flying
through the air Fred trembled and
dropped from his hold down into the
net, while Will shot through the air
and fell in the ring clear byond the
edge of the net. When they ran to
him, he was dead. Jennie was al
most crazy with grief, and Fred had
an attack of brain fever, from which
he did not recover for months
No one could tell whether he de-
liberately dropped to get rid of his