The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-01-25
ACTORS OF MANY LANDS.
Attracted t1 the Usited States from Al
Ovef tho Word.


over tho World.
There are few countries Of either Eu-
rome or Asia which have not contributed
tjr are not contributing specially fea'
lures iii the line OF gSinhasts' conJureTs,
singers; dancers ana equilibrists to the
American stage. Africa and Australia,
on the other hand, have furnished few
performers. From Japan, more than
any other country, come the conJhrers
and eouilibrists, whose marvellous sup
n,encss and surprising dexterity are tho
envy of American gymnasts every
where. From India come the naulch
dancers and few straightforward per-
formers. though the latter have never
ranked very favorably with the Japa-
nese specialists in the same line. from
Arabia come, at rare intervals, men
skilled in horsemanshipor feats OF phys
zeal strength. China, though the most
populous country of Asia, and the coun-
try of Asia most largely represented IN
the population of the United States, has
contributed nothing to the fund OF pub
lie entertainment or of instruction
though stage or circus performances.
4
| From England come chiefly the serio-
| comic singers, almost without number,
and the "patter" vocalist fromthe music
halls-a .patter" vocalist being one who
is gifted with more volubility than APP
nreciation for melody. There arc gym
nasts. too, from England more distin-
oujshed as a rule for their physical
strength than for their grace or orig
inality. The serio-comic singers who
come from England are mostly women.
The male comic singers from London
music halls arc not in very much de-
mand here. From France, too, come fe-
male serio-comics and occasionally a
male comic singer-such as Pauius
Rut male comic singers from France are
not any more successful than those
from England.
The French stage sends to the Amer
, lean stage many clever dancers ano
some graceful gymnasts, and besides
these the "shadowgraph" men, who re
: produce familiar objects through thu
: medium of magic lantern. There ar
very few French ventriloquists wh'
come to this country, whereas the Eng
lish stage sends many. French per
4 formers. as rule, are better at sleight
l of-hand than their English cousins
:. From the Tyrol, in Austria, we get tn
/ perennial and inevitable Tyrolean wal
blers. From Spain come the dancers
who perform always to the mNsic OF tn
castanet. From italy come the vocal
lists and occasionally gymnast OF II
;. ferior quality. From Germany com
: men of strength, like Sandow, who hay
: great powers of endurance and the abb
i ity to lift weights. From Turkey com
: most of the skilled swordsmen an
!. knife and sword swallowers. From Ru'
STA there are a few dancers; frol
d Poland and Hungary there are man,
l. and these latter always appear in whs
r. are known as the national costume
o. From Sweden come female musician
ID trained to play in harmony in an o
a. chcstra. The American stage derive
70 nothing of value from Greece, Hollan
j. Denmark, Portugal, Switzerland or BE
z gium, and very little from Scotland ar
ne Austria.
A In respect to gymnastic ability u
op japanese performers probably outrar
ne all others who as aliens appear in Il
er United States. The Persian performer
a ,o-xcffrv1, WI l, hesa haa.. soInetnin5 %
Gu rage as dancers since the success OF u
Chicago Midway, are, all OF the
p strangers to the land of the shah. i
ed foreign aeronauts are either French
at Eprlish.-N. Y. Sun.