Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-03-29

in Panama, there arrived on a South
Pacific steamer Leona Dare, the young
trapeze artist. Having missed the
north bound steamer, she and her as
sistants were compelled to remain ten
days on the Isthmus.
She was slender and dark keyed, OF
medium height and with a figure so
slight that I was not astonished that
South American journalists had fire.
quently declared that she was a boy.
Years passed, and | heard echoes
from European newspapers of her bal
loon ascensions, and now here we were
face to face in New York at luncheon.
Her beauty was heightened by years,
and she told me that from childhood
until three years ago she was in con-
stant training.
My father Andrew Jackson Stuart,
was a Scotchman by descent, born in
Georgia. He served in the Mexican wa
and afterward settled at Iuka, Miss.
He brought back from that war not on
ly the rank of colonel but my mother,
who was a Mexican.
When the war of the rebellion
broke out / was a little girl and the
last | saw of my father he rode away
to join cavalry regiment He never
came back, having been killed in bat
tie. The Federal army coming to the
vicinity of our home. my mother, with
my two brothers and myself "refugeed"
as we called it, into Indiana.
" AT the close of the war my moth
er went South to see if she could find
any remains of our property, and [
have never seen her since. She had left
us in the care of neighbors, who turned
us over to the poormaster, who
promptly farmed us out.
g The people with whom l was
placed at eight or ten years of age beat
me, starved me and compelled me to do
menial work, and my soul and body re-
volted. One day circus came to town
and | got the ear of one of the perform
ers. He happened-such are the acci-
dents of life-to be trapeze performer
and his daughter, about my age, had
recently died.
e Encouraged by him, I ran away,
and began to learn the business of
trapeze performer. He and his wife
were kind to me and so began my new
life.
g I took my life into my hands daily.
I invented new feats. | went abroad
and toured all over Europe.
In Russia l began ascending on a
trapeze suspended from the car of a
balloon. The sensation was great, but
my sensations and those of the specta-
tors, were, | imagine. widely differ
ent
When came down in the country
districts / was robbed, and my balloon
was cut up to be made into wearing ap-
parel.
I appeared before most of the royal
families, and have souvenirs from
them. Old Emperor William of Ger
many invited me to his box, and said
to me: You are brave woman, and
1 admire courage"
"A few years ago I retired. 7 had
saved my money and was independent.
Then I was seized with a desire to find
my relatives. | suddenly found the
world lonely. closed my house in Par
is and came to America I travelled fif-
teen thousand miles searching for some
trace of my people without success.
I found one place in which my
mother had lived four years and she
had then married again She had re-
turned to Indiana only to find that my
brothers, like myself, had run away.
was discouraged and about to re-
! turn to Europe, when I went to see
Buffalo Bits Wild West. l had met
/ Col. Cody in Paris in 1882 and after
the afternoon performance he invited
me to dine in camp. l told him nv
story briefly and he asked: How
would you know your brother if you
found him?"
| L described birthmark on the
| breast which we both bore.
| We'll" said Col. Cody, "your
brother lives about fourteen miles from
my ranch in Nebraska on the north
| fork of the Platte"
4 took train that night, went
there and found him.
You must imagine the meeting. He
! had prospcred and had nice wife and
family