The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-11-13
CIRCUS CHILD'S SCHOOL.
NO LONGER A MATTER OF BRU-
TALLY AND HARD USAGE.

Brutality was the characterizing
feature of the old school of Juvenile
tiaining among the showmen of the
past" The speaker was William Mar
tell, head Of well-known family of
pcrobatlc performers. "The new meth
Cd is the opposite" continued the per
former. 4 have accomplished results
that have delighted the public, and
never yet have | raised my hand,
either in correction or coercion,
against the little ones whom | have
trained to 10 the most difficult feats.
In fact, In spite of the prevailing CON
tinental notion that Juveniles must be
hammered into shape. as 1t were, and
cuttings and blows are the necessary
lot of aspiring acrobat, | believe that
by the more scientific. and certainly
more approved, method higher
standard of excellence may be at
tained.
'As for myself. | may say ] was
| hammered into shape, but by no means
as brutally as many that have known.
| II may be that recollection of the bar.
| barrie methods has made me more len
lent, and at least more enlightened
in the training of Juveniles today.
AT five years of age | was a Ger
man turner. At the age of ten | was
so proficient on the bars and trapeze
that Snowman Immediately offered
to train me for the profession. 1t
was against my parents wishes. but
| the glamour of the showman's life
encouraged me to win my parents con-
sent, and | was taken in hand by my
trainer for better or for worse.
1T was some years before became
accomplished enough to make a pub
lie move, and bitter years they were.
But with my first public performance
took on a new lease of life. as 1t
were. and felt myself on the high road
to wealth and fame.
when | was married and little ones
came into my care it was my one
thought to make them accomplished
acrobats, and to do this by a method
by showmen to be the only sovereign
method-inflnite patience and pains.
taking.
Children are marvellously suscep-
tible. The first thing necessary is to
make them interested in their work.
This is done by showing them the re.
wards of success and by inspiring alb.
solute confidence. The confidence Of
child is a wonderful thing and well
worth cultivating.
by the old method, when child
made slip he got a blow with n
stick as well as a hard fall. This
either took the courage out of him
or drove him to desperation so that
he made daring leaps and plunges
through sheer recklessness. BY the
new method, to avoid accident Is the
main feature. In all my training of ju-
yeniles | cannot recall single acci.
dent of any seriousness, for the rea-
son that I watch every move and take
every precaution, thinking of many
things at once. When a child learns
to stand erect on my shoulders as
go whirling around in a circle on the
high wheel. If | see that there Is going
to be fall | let everything go In
order to save the child. The little
acrobat soon learns that this guardian
eye is ever upon him. and he gains
confidence with every effort.
There are many devices for the
saving of limb and life, of course
These used in training. even when
there is reasonable belief that pro-
ficiency might be attained without
their use. One of these is called @
| ic ri nf 1y hp
ness which leaves the arms and legs
free, and from which rope extends
to pulley on the ceiling. thence aloni
some distance to another pulley ana
down into the hands of strong manip
. ulator.
when the child is standing on an
others shoulder and whirling arounC
in the three or four high as W,
term the acrobat upon acrobat trick
II he wavers or falls the man at tn,
rope has but to pull the rope. suspend
ing him in midair or letting him dowi
: to the floor softly. The mechanic Il
then a very valuable aid to juvenile
, training. and aids in inspiring com
: plete confidence in the young mind.
, Another safeguard in training is I,
, have efficient assistants ever at hand
Some of the tricks that are accom-
plished-for instance, the aforemen
: toned four high'-are exceedingly dill
t ficult and dangerous
Z "A fall would mean serious things
/, the breaking of limbs and, perhaps
1, something even more serious an ute
( loss of confidence on the part of tn
child performer After the little fe
' low has learned to balance himsel
, aloft without calling too much upo
5 the man at the rope, the mechanic
. dispensed with and two trained hell
/. ers follow the act around the stag
O with hands ready to seize a waverin
{ figure with the first sign of a fal
: These helpers are never once calle
( Off until the child has mastered tho
: oughly and confidently the difficult al
a of balancing aloft. Even in moment
s of completest self-reliance there
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