Evening star., 1901-10-01
ACROBATs' PRACTICE HALL.
A Famous Resort I'm London for All
Sorts of Specialists.

A Famous Resort I'm London for All
Sorts of Specialists. .
From the London Mail
There are very few Londoners who know
that down in the unsavory New Cut on the
right-hand side as one goes toward Water
Loo road, is little, grimy- -windowed cof-
fee shop.
Above the door is the legend-familiar
enough hereabouts - Beds sixpence a
night" 1t is obviously a poor mans ''ho-
tel" Yet any weekday. from 10 to IL in
the morning up till L or 2 in the afternoon,
the curious in such matters may observe
passing in and out never-ceasing stream
of well-dressed and well-set-up men, clean
shaven, spruce and alert, the very last sort
of individuals one would imagine to pat
ronize for its board or lodging an esta blish-
ment such as this
Nor, a matter of fact do they do so.
Follow any one of them, and you will find
that he passes straight through the little
shop. down a dark passage, to emerge
eventually into lofty hall, round the
walls of which ranged all kinds of
gymnastic apparatus.
And on the floor suspended from rings
in mid-air, dangling from trapezes near the
ceiling, are men-and women-tumbling,
flying swinging walking on their hands,
standing on their heads throwing somer-
saults by the score, and twisting them
selves into every conceivable contortion to
which the human form divine is capable
of lending itself. For this is a profess
sional acrobats practice room, and its
name and fame are known from end to end
of Europe, and, indeed, all over the world
wherever gymnasts and such like folk
travel. and they travel far. They are
largely foreigners-these people. Listen TO
the babel of tongues. Regard the various
types. fon little dark-eyed lassie. who is
turning catherine wheels" with such zest,
is a Neapolitan and a debutante, appren-
ticed TO a troupe by parents who were too
poor to keep her. Like IT? Ask her. She
knows today, poor child. for almost the
first time in her hitherto sad young life,
what II means to go to bed unhungry.
Here is an Austrian laddie training under
Mr.. Harry Ara. He has only been a few
months with the troupe. and already Che
tells you proudly he turn forty Zip
flaps without pausing for breath.
A child woman with black elf locks and
a Jewish cast of countenance, is solemnly
engaged in throwing her arms and legs
about and around, now like the sails OF a
windmill, anon like the tentacles Of some
strange species of octopus. She is an Ar
menian, the sole survivor of her village at
the time 1t was raided by band of Kurds
early last winter.
OF the inanimate things that are ranged
round the walls. the most not what
they seem. A billiard table for instance.
which looks as solid of the best
elghty-guinea match ones, proves on inves-
ugation to be fitted with dummy bed
of green baiZe-coVered canvas, upon which
the performer can fall headforemost IL
need be- from almost any height without
hurting himself.
Originally, one of the habituos of the
place informs us, this curiously situated
practice hall was penny gaff' of the
old approved type. On the little stage at
the back blood and thunder melod -amas
were presented night after night to admir-
ing audiences of boys and girls. This was
forty years and more ago, but by degrees
the patrons fell away, and at the same
time, awkward inquiries began to be in
stituted concerning its license. So ''old
Mother Potter" its proprietress, who su-
perintended the production OF dramas
galore, aye, and played in them. too on
occasion-found. like Othello. her occupa-
tion gone, and incontinently died
For the better part OF couple of decades
afterward the bare, gaunt hall. masked by
the grimy coffee shop, remained closed ard
well-nigh forgotten until one day an en-
terprising pro" acrobat in search Of a
place wherein to practice discovered it.
and made its existence known to his broth
and sister ''pros.;" since when II has
taken on a new lease of life and prosperity
Every day acrobats pass in and out bent
upon learning new tricks which they Lave
conceived, but which they are not as vet
perfect in. The little room is in fact a.
training college, and ii never lacks a full
complement of adult pupils and learners
No public audience sees the tricks before
they are presented on the stage. but critics
in the shape Of brother pros" are plenti-
fu1