The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-29

This modest little death notice, says the
Chicago News, announced the passing
away of the first Of women bareback
riders, the most daring and graceful OF
all and the ancestress of long line Of
well-known circus performers.
For forty years she appeared In the
ring, first as a small child, then as the
finished rider, and, last Of all, as rider
OF htgh-schooled horses. Twenty years
ago she retired and since then Nine.
Brown has been a well-known figure in
Frankfort, and her home has been the
Mecca for her numerous. descendants
Mime Brown was born in Germany, Of
family of acrobats, and entered the
procession when five years old. That was
the day when the circus had not grown
into the magnificent organization it now
is, and travel about the provinces Of
Germany, France and Switzerland was
dreary, arduous affair.", with the few lit
tie wagons and ffmsy tents.
TRAINED BY THE ToURNIARIEs.
The girl was taken in charge of by the
Tourniar1e family, famous all over
europe as acrobats and riders, and under
their tutelage she first began to ride.
They We're original, inventive men and It
was to them that the modern pad and
qouble-check- bit on horses owe their or
igin. Trained by them she learned TO
hoops and over banners
With them she journeyed to England
ana In London first began to ride erect.
Nothing like it had been seen before. and
the city went wild with admiration at
her nerve, daring and grace This was in
the early 4Gs, and few years later the
family came to this country with June
Bros circus. Soon after arriving in
America the girl became the wife Of
Francois Tourniarie, the head Of the
family.
Iourniarie and his wife. never returned
TO europe except for engagements The
London success was repeated in every
CITY in the United States An extended
engagement was played in New York In
the Old crystal Palace, and afterwards
IN Philadelphia in a circus it is said
then conducted by George K Goodwin,
father Of the present well known mana
ger. Boston and other New England
cities were visited and as the country
grew the route was extended toward the
new West, according to the Philadelphia
North American. Before she retired
Nine Brown was wont, to say that she
had played in every city, town, village,
hamlet and cross-road Of the Eastern and
Western hemisphere.
IN MANY FAMOUS CIRCUsEs.
After leaving the June Brothers, Nine.
Tourniarie rode in all the old-time cir
cuses. Dan" Rice took her through the
South; the young P. T. Barnum, just
starting out, had her with his organi-
cation. She was also with Smith, Ma
than & Sands, forgotten by all except
the boys of three generations ago.
MIR. and Mrs Tourniar-e bought a farm
for a winter resting place in Peapack
N. j., and there thirty years ago he died
But he had left behind a daughter ana
she had taken to the ring as
Miss Josephine Tourniarie,. rider herself
with an international reputation.
Nine. Tourniarie again married and this
time it was William e. Brown, himself a
performer He died two years ago. They
had one daughter, who was known as
Mile Brown when she began to ride
Josephine Tourniarie married James De
Mott, another performer, and they have
four children, three of whom have been
in the profession. One, a daughter, mar
ried Stickney, the acrobat, and appears
today; another daughter married Charles
NJ Robinson, member of the family of
circus men, and who has retired. while
the third, a son. is now with Barnum &
Bailey in Budapest The fourth child. a
son, has never appeared in the r.ng con-
fning himself to the business end of
amusement enterprises.
ALL WILL BE PERFORMERS
The children of the De Motifs, with
growing children of their own, are all
to follow in the footsteps of
their fathers and mothers and grand
fathers and grandmothers. "Mollie"
Brown married out of the profession.
After she had become too old to ride
bareback Mime. Brown became q rider of
trained horses and continued at that un-
til twenty years ago, when she retired
with her husband to the pretty home at
Frankfort. She had acquired comfoy-
table fortune. There she lived until the
day of her death, visited by every circus
performer who came anywhere near Phil
adelphia and known as the mother Of
the profession" She was buried in East
Cedar cemetery.
Country Hop Ends In Tragedy.