The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-10-29

Grew Out Of tho Love of the Rowland
Brothers FOR Jennie Dunbar.
"Ahr'
"Ohr'
All the spectators Of the giant leap
for life in the circus tent held their
Jrcaths with terror while the 1.-the aero
bat plunged forward, released his hold
and shot through space, to be securely
caught III the firm grasp Of his partner,
who hung from his toes from another
tT"achcrouS trapcZc.
Twelve thousand nine hundred and
ninety eight persons caught their Ircaths
again as the feat was accomplished.
The two remaining persons Of the 49,
Goa big circus tent always holds 49,
900 persons, You knoW-Watchcd the
proceedings with an an Of perfect non
chalancc, as if It swing for life was 10
more serious matter than signaling an
electric car.
Well might they /" calm, for they
were retired circus performers, and the
pcrils of III" tents We're old stories to
them, and then, as the show went On,
they began exchanging "reminiscences,
while the listening journal man forgot
all about what was before him i'll his
interest in these yarns.
THAT jump reminds; me Of the way
Sam Myers proposed to Annie Johnson
ten years ago.
The Journal man noticed that the
veteran circus; man omitted the Sig
nor and Ma 'alnscllc" from his con-
vcrsation, 50 that Sam Myers and An
nic Johnson did rot bear i'll private life
the names which adorned tie circus
programme and the particGlorcd iithO-
graphs which inilan" the circus going
rrupcnsitics Of Young America.
You see, sam Myers and Pete vii
son and Annie johnson were aibinc5
that season and did u great act On Tie
flying trarcZc, i'll which Annie lnudc
ever so many jumps across the tent and
was caught by Sam, while Pete vas
performing on IL third bar wy Up
above them. One jump after another
was made all right Iy her, and sudden
y everybody was surprised to sec Sam
lift Annie IL the ar as lie caught her
and kiss h.r lcfOrc she turned to make
the leap back 70 her own trapc2e. livery
body wondered what it all meant, and
after the act was over they soon found
out.
1T seems that Sam and Pete had
both fallen i'll love with Annie, and Just
before the act Pete cCnGdod to his chum
his Intentions Of proposing to the pretty
partner Sam made up his mind that
he would not be left in case like this,
but he had no chance to speak for him.
self until they began.
when Annie made her first jump,
be started to Pop the question, and the
proposal continued with interruptions
as the young lady would swing back
and forth and jump to and fro i'll the
regular custom of her 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 lie had the impress
sion that he had not been treated square
up then and there.
THAT reminds me Of another team
which was with Il circus that L was per
forming i'll Il dozen years ago. The
Rowland brothers were doing Il double
trapezc act, with all sorts of daring
jumps. much the same sort as the ono
We just saw. In the same circus the
leading rider was Jennie Dunbar. who
was the cleyorCst little woman who
ever jumped through n hoop, and both
the boys fell i'll love with her.
..She 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 were performing up in Canada, and
the proposal was made just before the
afternoon performances. When the bows
came up for their turn, we all noticed
that Fred was pale and nervous, while
VIII was just the reverse. Their act
went on just the same rs 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 never knew how it
that he lost his grip or whether he did
1t deliberately. but just as Will came
flying through the air Fred tremblcd
and dropped from his hold down into
the net, while VIII shot through the air
and fell i'll the ring clear beyond the
edge of the net. When they ran TO him.
he was dead. Jennie was almost crazy
with grief, and Fred had an attack Of
brain fever, from which he did not re-
cover for months
No one could tell whether he DELHI
erately dropped to get rid of his rival
or whether he was so sick that he could
not hold himself longer AT any rate.
as soon as he got well he proposed 10
Jennie again and was accepted. They
are married now and retired from the
business boston Journal.
Bucklen's Arnica SaIve.
The best salve in the world for cuts,
Bruises, Sores. Ulcers, Salt Rheum, Fever
Sores, letter, Chappei Hands, Chilblains.
tOrnS and all Skin EruntinuS and poSi