The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-27
A BLOOD-CURDL|NG FEAT
VIM. Terrell's Daring Ride Down
a Perpendicular Ladder.
THOUSANDS SWOON AWAY
The Greatest of All Living Trick Bicy-
clists Does Some Astonishing Things
for "Fpty-f'" Cents Dud-
ley Did 1t Easily.

Mr.. William Terrell, the Idhciest "
all fancy and the trickiest OF all tricky
bicycle riders, once member OF the
famous Bangle, Budd and Bingle's big
gest shown on or off the eartn, ana
who has appeared before all the crown
ed heads of Europe in his great and
only exclusive hold, daring, thrilling, |
ride down a ladder stationed perpendi-
cularly in the icy streets, and to whom
the press in the East have devoted
whole newspapers full of comment,
gave a last farewell performance IN
Anaconda yesterday afternoon II
might be stated that it was also MS
initial performance
About four days ago this genuine
sensation struck town, and began to
make preparations for the great and
wonderful feat which was to startie
the natives so that sleep would pc I'M
possible for weeks. 1t was said that
sometimes those who looked upon the
dangerous slide received shock from
which they never afterward recovered.
1t was a common thing for Terrelfs
audiences to Swoon away en- masse, ana
for that reason no doctors We're per
mitted to witness the blood-curdllng
performance for fear that they, too,
might faint away and then there would
be no one to resuscitate the sWooned-
away population. Wherever Terrell
appeared the crowds that Hooked TO see
often suspended for two days after
ward, and it was no unusual thing Tor
his performance to so fasclnate the
citizens that when fire broke out 1t
was permitted to burn until his slida
ost certain death was over.
When this great spell-binder struck
town, the first thing he did was to pick
out a saloon that appeared to be easy
and announced the place as MS mead
quarters He filled his pockets full of
nd no nj
Offices, where he distributed his cigars
and made himself a good fellow; show
ed his credentials and said he would
come up again. The next day he
brought up a bicycle which he desig-
mated luck" and announced that II
was the first wheel that had ever been
ridden down the steps of the nation $
capitol at Washington. lie made the
further statement that in AZ OF his
slides he had received II falls, thus
illustrating the dangerous character OF
the calling which he had adopted. lie
said that he had broken his arm in
two places. Press Woodruff upon the
humorous lecture platform made the
same statement, saying that ne mac
broken his arm in two places, once be-
low the elbow and once behind the
barn. But whether Terrell intended his
remark to be humorous also IS not
known.
Terrell advertised his slide to take
,
III At that hour something like 500 people
ID were in lower Main street, waiting VIII
hated breath for the man with the
) iron nerve TO appear. A ladder be
longing to the fire department was up
with one end fastened to the balcony
of the Union Family theater, and thu
other end laid upon the ice Of thu
street below near the opposite side
walk The ladder had an incline o
about Is degrees. This was the onl,
al ct
for about half an hour. There wer
murmurS of disappointment that tn
ladder mad not been placed at steep
or angle, but then, as they had neNe
seen anything of the kind, and no
knowing but what the ladder nigh
be fearfully steep when man cam
down on bicycle they let II go a
that.
About 4:3o Terrell climbed up to tn
balcony and was greeted with loud ap
plause. He pulled at the ropes, tugge
at the rounds of the ladder. and teste
the apparatus all around tie the
came down again and got his bicyci
and carried il up to the balcony Thi
thrilling act called for another oui
burst of applause. Terrell then way
ed his hands and announced that tn
gentleman upon his right would no
pass among ye,' and he hoped a
would drop their loose change into til
hat with free and lavish hand. Il
hat and it's passer came back the ric
would be made. In the course of tin
the hat came back and Terrell put II
contents into the pockets of his bic.
Gle trousers. He then lifted htmse
and his bicycle over the iron railing
the balcony and started down the lat
der. not on the bicycle, however, but {
his feet. About the center of the la
der was placed a board, and when
reached this he stopped. 1t was the
made apparent that Terrells love +
humanity was great indeed. He eN
IDENTIFY thought that the slide from {
top of the apparatus would be mo
than people could bear. so he very co
siderately consented to ride only hf
the distance
When he reached the board Terr
stopped man in the crowd sa
something about "fakir," and TER
made a neat little speech appropria
to the occasion. of which the follow
is small portion:
Il might be a fakir, but | amt HI
as cheap as de people in dis town. |
net coin to ride from de top fer II
fl eents-seei and dat's all de money
got out o. de crowd.
These remarks were greeted W
greater enthusiasm than had yet be
manifested. although it seemed to sol
that Terrell's great act of climbing
the ladder on his hands and knees "
a more appropriate place for applau
After the conclusion of the speech, L