The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-01

ALI the spectators OF the giant leap
Tor life In the circus tent held their
breaths with terror while the 1.-the aero
bat plunged forward, released his hold
and shot through space, to be securely
caught in the firm grasp Of his partner,
who hung from his toes from another
treaeherous trapeze.
Twelve thousand nine hundred and
ninety eight persons caught their breaths
again as the feat was accomplished.
The two remaining persons Of the 49,
00O-a big circus tent always holds 49,
600 persons, you know-watched the
proceedings with an air of perfect nom
chalance, as II swing for life was no
more serious matter than signaling an
electric car.
Well might they be calm, for they
were retired circus performers, and the
perils Of the tents were 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 in 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 ana Ma 'amselle' from his con-
Versatlon, so that Sam Myers and An
ME johnson did not bear in private life
the names which adorned the circus
programme and the particolored litho-
graphs which infiame the circus going
propensitles Of Young America.
you see, Sam Myers and Pete Will
son and Annie johnson were albinoa
That season and did great act on the
tying trapeze, in which Annie made
ever SO many jumps across the tent and
was canght by Sam, while Pete was
performing on third bar way up
above them. One jump after another
was made all right by her, and sudden
ly everybody was surprised to see Sam
lift Annie in the air as he caught her
and kiss her before she turned to make
the leap back to her own trapeze. Every
body wondered what it all meant, and
after the net was over they soon found
ont
st seems that Sam and Pete had
both fallen i'll love with Annie, and just
before the act Pete contided to his chum
his intentions of proposing to the pretty
partner. Sam made up his mind that
he would not be left i'll q case like this,
but he had 10 chance to speak for him
self until they began.
when Annie made her first jump,
he 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 tees,
waited until she made the next leap and |
as he heard her say Yes he lifted her
up and kissed her with such a smack |
that it could be heard all over the big
tent.
Everybody congratulated the pair |
but Pete. Somehow he had the impress.
sion that he had not been treated square.
ly in this proposal, and the firm broke
up then and there"
"trhat reminds me of another team
which was with circus that was per-
forming in dozen years ago. The
Rowland brothers were doing a double
trapeze act, with all sorts of daring
jumps, much the same sort as the one
we just saw. In the same circus 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
"Sho was really fond Of both of them,
but when they proposed she accepted
Will and rold Fred that she could only
be a sister to him. When Fred proposed,
we were performing up in Canada, and
the proposal was made Just before tho
afternoon performances When the boys
came mn for thcir tl1rn yn all ,,n}icod