The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-08
THE RUBBER NEcKS.
People Look Up Until Their Money Is
Stolen.

People Look Up Until Their Money Is
Stolen.
Over in Germany the rural doctors
have discovered a new disease. It is
technically called the "Leondas neck"
and is the outcome of gazing too in
tently upward at two dangling objects
projected from a tight rope extended
across convenient street. The affec-
ton is both nervous and muscular, as
the nerves are strained to a high ten
sion by the danger of the performance,
while the muscles of the neck and back
are subjected to unusual strain at the
same time.
Curiosity has much to do with this
bad neck. The authorities do not seem
able to check its growth, nor do the
medical men seem able to devise any
means for coping with it. Looking up
wards fixedly for given time is known
to be detrimental to the muscles of the
neck productive of great WEAKNESS,
headache, dizziness and difficulties in
locomotion until the bad effects have
worn away. When combined with these
is intense mental and nervous strain
the result may be serious. But there
is no law in Germany to terminate the
exhibition, so the peasants and villag-
ers must suffer.
The cause of the ailment is the per-
formance of troupe of strolling play
ers. Leonidas heads the troupe and is
known as the Hercules of Europe. He
is not only the strong man with jaws Of
steel, but is daring performer on the
tight rope. His act winds up with his
holding child depending from a belt
around her waist, the strap from the
belt being in the strong mans teeth
Suspended thus many feet above the
earth, the predicament of the child is
one of grave peril.
The plans of the troupe differ very
little from those of similar organiza-
tions in this country. In fact the prep
arations are primitive. The troupe
makes a town and advertises in the
beer gardens etc. that a performance
will be given in the main street at a
certain hour. This notice is generally
long enough before the time set for
the show to give the populace time to
assemble. The manager obtains per-
mission to stretch rope from roof to
roof over the cobble-paved street. Then
few chairs are rented for few gor
schen and reserved seats sold at a
slight advance.
By the time the rope has been placed
in position the people have begun to
acquire the neck. Nothing else being
visible they stare at the rope with great
ardor. Here curiosity, speculation, ETC.,
commence to get their work in on the
nerves. But the show is not limited to
Leonidas; in fact, he is the feature and
closes the exhibition. Several turns pre-
cede his sensational act.
AS soon as all is ready and the lin
tied band of the company has footed it
self out, the clown, known as Gustave,
opens the show. He pranks about, tells
jokes and acts pigeon wings to get the
audience in a good humor. He is sue
cess, for your clown gets hand in
Germany as well as in the American
circus or on the stage. The world is
alike in this particular, so Gustave fin
ishes in burst of applause which he
receives as one well accustomed thereto
Then Arethusa, the beautiful female
juggler, appears on the scene. She
poses on the bit of carpet placed in the
middle of the road and amazes the
stolid people with her tricks and skill
She Is as much of a success as Leonidas
or Gustave, but all the time the neck is
growing, for the people are anxious to
know what the rope has to do with the
show. They do not have too long to
wait, for coins are to be CLEANED back Of
the chairs and the show people are skill
ed in taking up collections.
At last a blare from the band por-
tends something. Leonidas comes out
arrayed in gaudy, albeit much be-
smirched, tights and makes bow to
the assembled people. He shows how
strong he is in the usual manner and
then runs rapidly up a line depending
from the tight rope. He takes an easy
pose on the rope and grins his conf
dence and superiority while the people
open mouthed and wondering strain
their eyes in following his movements.
He gets up on his feet and Frances
about on the rope as easily as the peo-
pie do the street below. He does a
number of tricks with and without bal
ance pole and then once more sits down
to think. Here is where the climax
comes which also fixes the ''necks" on
the people.
While Leonidas thinks child with
the wiry, understood limbs of the circus
performer comes out in tights and
makes her bow. She is but few years
old, although from her looks she might
be any age. She is Blondelina, the in
FAINT phenomenon. But her act does not
require much on her part but nerve and
supreme confidence in Leonidas. She
has both. She struggles up the line to
the rope and hangs on to it. Then she
waits for Leonidas to take his position.
Leonidas tumbles suddenly backward
with cry of pretended dismay and
catches by his knees. He then gin
gerly places his toes on the tight rope
and carefully lowers himself until his
eAttlluSu DouS dSptiiuS lIoul the toes.
Then the child nimbly climbs down
over his body until Leonidas can seize
the belt around her waist. He holds
her out in the air for a moment and
then fixes the strap firmly in his teeth.
He then communicates revolving mo-
ton to the child and she spins merrily
away, probably so or 70 feet above the
street.
OF course everybody looks 1t would
be strange if he did not, and muffied
intaking of the breath shows how deep,
ly the nervous sensibilities are affected.
The clown and juggler pass about in
the crowd with inverted .tambourines
rafting small coins and taking quite a
large number of new ones while the
people gaze until their necks are rigid
and weary, their heads ache and they
become dizzy
All this time the child is spinning
around held only by the teeth of the
strong man. No netting is placed I'M
der her to break fall in case the teeth
fail her. Death would be her portion
inevitably If she should drop, and this
the people know. But there is no law
prohibiting the narfArmapCe and none