The times., 1899-06-25
THE TRAINING OF AcRoBATs.
How Hoys Are Taught, the Fents of
the Circus
Q'rom the New York Advertiser.)

too heavy TO be thrown gracefully from
shoulder 10 shoulder, and tossed and twiri-
ed like barrel on his feet. he looks about
Tor a promising younger boy to put in
training for the next season. If he has no
son of his own he picks up boy in an
institution, or OFF the streets; or. more
frequently, takes as apprentice the young
son of friend or the little brother of one
OF the boys he has brought up. There is
no apprentice law in this country to pro-
tect him. SO that, if he does not feel in
clined to adopt the boy outright. and has
an eye to keeping him. after he has made
him valuable. his choice falls on one who
is friendless. or one with whose parents he
can enter into an agreement, with rea-
sonable surety of its being honorably fu.-
filled. He will not take a runaway boy.
for he k-toyes it would make trouble for
him eventually; and boys are plentiful Tor
his purposes, without running unnecessary
risks.
Albert Milletto, of the 'Millette fami-
ly, French Canadian ''understander''
(senior acrobat). who has been travelling
the globe over for twenty years. and is
famed in the circus world as a trainer. has
brought up twelve boys in his time. and
ascribes their success, not alone to care
and good treatment, but to his judcious
selection.
In the old circus days when the law
gave the master certain authority the an
prentices had no defence against abuse in
one form or another; but in these days the
boy has the upper hand. He may run away
at any time, and the master has no re-
dress; and he has a sure safeguard against
beatings, No ripgmaster will permit a
boy to appear lin the arena" dishgured
with bruises. and every boy must at all
times be supple and strong il the "act' is
to be kept up to the standard required.
Boys are abused. even today: but an abu-
sive master is the rare exception. and soon
gains reputation I'm the profession" that
makes top mounter" exceedingly diff
cult for him to obtain and keep.
The requirements of his work make the
apprentice almost certain Of good food. So
hcitous care, kind treatment, and continu-
Gus advancement up to the time when he
strikes out for himself. In the eyes of the
circus proprietors, he is as good as his
master, since he is usually essential to the
act; in the eyes of the other performers,
he is man as they are, for he does the
same work. and is quite as valuable: in
the eyes of the women of the show he is a
little boy, and is coddled when ailing.
The only way to make an acrobat ac-
cording to the experienced trainer referred
to, Is to inspire him with confidence in his
mates to whom he must trust his life and
limb twice day every day of the season.
Some promising boys cannot be taught this.
and have to abandon the circus profession
or go into some other branch of it that
calls only for confidence in themselves, as
tumbling or bareback riding.
A second and absolutely necessary re-
quirement is the sustained confidence that
somersault can be turned. always, by
certain physical movements; many boys
have to learn this, others. who lose heart
before each trial, are given up. because
they cannot learn it. So far as the body
is concerned, the boy must give promise
of approaching nearly the familiar aero
batic ideal; if he is knockkneed or thin
chested. or marred in face or form in any
other way, he is not considered. II he is
particularly well formed his beauty" as
1t Is called, works strongly in his favor,
and he is almost always taken on trial.
IL he is TO be trained for "top-mounter''
he must be short from the knee TO the
sole; IL he is to be an ''understander" he
must be large boned; IL he Is to be a
''middle-man" he must be near the aver
age.
At ten years is the best age to put a
boy In training, but children born in the
circus learn to turn '.fip-fap" soon after
they learn to walk and sixteen years is not
too late to begin. The time when a seri-
GUS training is undertaken is between cir
Gus seasons. when the acrobat is at home
A mechanic" is rigged in his room; this
is long rope, run through two pulleys
fastened to the ceiling ten feet apart; the
rope says to the floor between them, and
at the slack is wound round the boys
waist. The acrobat stands the lad under
the pulleys and between them; then he
takes the ends of the rope in his hand, gets
a good grip. and pulls it tight.
Put your heels together he says
hap ,fa
in yourself. When you jump. spring high;
draw your knees up and catch your thighs
with your hands; then throw your head
back and you'll turn. Let yourself out and
you'll land on your feet. Now when !
say go, jump
This is the point at which the boy loses
courage. He cannot fall for the trainer
has tight grip on the ends of the rope,
and would lift him out of danger If 1t ap-
peared that he was not about to light on
his feet. The boy finds it hard to commit
himself to the strength and alertness of
the man; and at this. the critical point. he
must be taught the confidence he needs at
all times
The boy jumps. ard gets "in tuck" as
drawing up the knees is called. easily
enough; but seldom has the courage to
throw his head back. an essential move
ment. II he chooses to make the turn and
land safely on the first trial, he has but
little difficulty thenceforth: but il he comes
down sprawling and is narrowly saved
from hard fall his timidty is increased
tenfold. and 1t is so much harder for him to
learn at all. 1t takes a day to teach some
boys to turn a somersault; 1t takes two |
months of continuous. patient training
with the mechanic to teach others.
Much depends on the boy Millette |
says. but much more on the trainer" II |
is a trick of Millette's to appear 10 be dis |
tressed when his boy falls in practice-to |
sigh and say, That's too bad. Well" |
signing again. try it once more" He says
he can see the kid clench his teeth and go |
in to win:" and when the boy does succeed |
at length Millette makes a great show of |
delight. and shakes his hand and fatters |
him a little.
The little fellows heart swells," Mil |
lette says. "A little praise like that goes
a long way with some of them" This |
treatment leads some lads to success: but |
it is found that sometimes found that |
sharp words and switches act with greater |
effect. One way or another. almost every |
boy can be made into an acrobat. save |
those who have peculiar disqualification |
called "a stiff backbone"
Practice is never more than two hours a
day; but it must be kept up day after day.
1t is saying among acrobats that IAN ac-
robat must have his legs with him. Wea- /
riness attacks the learner in the knees |
and practice must then be abandoned for |
the day. fer the boy cannot "spring from |
the feet" when he is leg weary" and TO |
continue would ITO no purpose
General exercise has no part in the !
scheme of training; it is considered a |
waste of time and strength. The muscles |
called into play grow and harden as the
special work goes along; and their
strength is all that is required. AS a mat
ter of fact however the physical develop