The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-11
THE PEOPLE or THE CIRCUS.
Where They Come From and What
Becomes of Them.
From the New York Post.

From the New York Post
Becoming a clown or an acrobat or
gymnast or a bareback rider-attaining,
indeed, to pink-sik tights and spangled
trunks in any occupation-is not so sim
pie of accomplishment as running away
from home and joining a circus. Circus
actors are not made that way nowadays,
though some of them may have been, If
ty years ago; nor is there any royal road
10 the circus ring. 1t takes, as an aero
bat said to-day, as much hard work TO
become an accomplished circus man as
to become a blacksmith; 1t may be added
that it cakes more time and application
than TO become a lawyer. A few months
hard work will enable a young man to
spring from the floor and turn a somer-
sault in the air, or to ride well-trained
horse bareback; but 1t takes years 20
make an 'artist" in either branch of the
business-to give a man confident skill
and grace in his work. Grace, in the
circus, counts for more than skill.
Many circus performers are born to the
circus; many of them never have known
another life. The father of a certain
S-year-old rider-the boy can turn a SOM
ersault on the broad, soft back of a
horse-was himself born in the circus; and
his father before him was a rider The
is too valuable 10 the act already to be
spared from 1t, and as he grows up he
will be separated from the possibility of
becoming anything else So, always, it
is with boys thus born. When Johnny
Corea's father took him into the training
barn, in winter quarters, three years ago,
and fixed the mechanic" about his small
body, and told him to turn, while the
horse ambled around the ring, 1t was
determined that the boy should live and
die under canvass" for he had the cour-
age to attempt the somersault, and sue
ceeded in it. His younger brother, two
years later, lacked tfiesacourage, and is
now going to school from the home of
his maternal grandmother.
Papa" said this lad, when 1t came to
the test of courage, II don't want TO turn.
Pm 'fraid.''
"All right" said Corea. "It is no use
thenY So he took the boy into the house ;
and he said to his wife with a sigh Gas
he has adm.ttedD that Billy would have
to ''do something else"
The gymnasums are training-schools
for the circuses. Most performers go from
one to the other when they have attain
ed to such a perfection of performance as
commands a position. The head of the ia
nous Potter family of gymnasts. who was
born, in the course of things, to some 9TH
er occupation, set himself earnestly to
train for the circus; he worked for years
in the gymnasium of his hometown, and,
having interested his younger brother, at
length obtained a position. He said to-day
in the dressing-room of the Forepaugh G.
Sells Bros circus, that he could think
of no harder effort than he put forth; of
no more various or continuous disappoint-
menes than he had to contend with be-
fore he succeeded. He has his wife and
two brothers with him now; they all ap-
pear in sensational aerial act" and,
on the surface of things, it appears that
they are better off in worldly goods than
any plain workman in the country; but
they have to work harder, and suffer ten
fold the discomfort. This man is still am
bilious of rising in his profess .on-not, POS
sibly, to greater daring, but to greater
grace and 20 truer gentlemanliness, Of
which, indeed, he has very much already;
of kindness, and honor, and strength.
A certain acrobat (who won his way
from a small, remote farm to his present
position by sheer determination), has re-
Gently taken a new apprentice-a small,
stocky Dutch youngster the son of a fire.
man, who was selected for training be-
cause he seemed to be physically promis-
ing and showed no disposition either to
''toughness'' in character or to lackadais-
ical attention to duty. The acrobat atten-
ton was called to Jack Millette by the
professor" in a gymnasium; and until
the advance was made, Jack had no
thought of becoming a circus-performer
though he may have longed for the life
as earnestly as any other normally con-
stituted boy. He was offered the chance
which he considered a lucky one; and In
Two weeks he was in close training, with
the ready consent of his father and moth
er. Not long ago he made his first appear
ance; his mother and father were there
to see him, and proud couple they were