The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-07-31
.FLEURETTE f F',a 61 s"s



ing interest. Every ayaila BILE wal
space was aflame with gorgeous plac
ards Announcing the approach OF IN
most momentous occurrence IN the MS
tory of the town. Brownies Big SHOW
was billed to reach there the twenty
eighth and give the finest exhibition o
wild animals, acrobatic feats, and reek
less bareback riding ever seen this sld'
the Rocky Mountains. There wer'
promised for their dedication als'
human snakes tying themselves int
fancy bow-knots; aerial artists wander
ing leisurely and conIposedly through
space; the only band of wild zebras IL
captivity, caught fresh from their ma
tive wllds raging Bengal tiger OF the
man-devouring variety; a fiVe-footed
pig, and fat lady.
BY the morning of the twenty-seY
enth the news which had been carried
from camp to camp by the weekly stage
had brought representatives from ev-
cry mine within fifty miles, so that
when the vanguard or Brownies Dig
Show raised the brow of the hill the
place was humming with anticipation.
A few of the most enthusiastic went
+ to meet the procession of tent-cOvered
wagons, TO introduce themselves to the
management as representative citizens
of the town and offer their assistance.
But their offers were all positively de-
clined. There was no time Tor The
bungllng efforts of outsiders. Every
man connected with the show knew his
business, and went about it the minute
the site for the big tent was chosen
The horses had TO he taken out of the
wagons and "zebraed up by the hui
NAN snakes. the aerial artists had TO
practice new long-distance flying feat,
and the weeks washing had to 20
through the hands of the fat lady be-
fore the performance could be given.
There were rumors current at Hooley's
that there WIS young and beautiful
woman IN the show, and certainly the
placards, If any faith might be put in
Them displayed nm intoxicating vision
of beauty and grace, a sylph-like form
in sky-blue tights and floating golden
hair, that made the hours seem weeks
until the curtain should rise on the
evening Of the twenty-eighth.
When at last the fateful moment
came, and after the usual half-hour
wait the procession of living wonders
filed around the ring. the tent was
crowded with a lireathless audience of
red-shirted miners. Boiled shirts
were an impossible luxury ut Hang
town, for the line of gents furnishing
goods" carried by Hooley consisted
wholly of flannel shirts, rubber boots
and overalls. II was an enthusiastic /
audience, however. as warm as their I
.olors, for his was nm event of great
Importance In their local history. Even
he snpers who came out to spread the /
'arpet for the eontortiouists were met
~ such vociferous applause they had
o come back and DO 1t over again. for
very man there had weighed cut his
-old dust 10 the amount OF two dollars
nd half to get in. and the longer the
rogram could be drawn out, the more
lie felt he was getting for his money.
That was the golden age of the show
business when travelling shows made
ortunes-when each side-show was a
Iollar and the peanut boy sold his
wares for -four bits" q package.
The excitement ran high till the per.
ormance was more than half over, and
Iothing had been seen of the beautiful
reature promised by the placards.
The eyes of the crowd had been dazzled
" feats of Hindoo jugglery, sword
wallowing, glass ball throwing, and
he daring. difficult, and dangerous dl-
'ertisements" of the Marco brothers,
Who gave an exhibition of wild bare
Jack riding on superannuated old nag
hat jolted slowl around the ring while
hey balanced perilously on both feet,
tut still no sign of the vision of lowell
less in the sky-blue tights.
Women in that region were as impos-
iible luxury as billed shirts" for
at that time was a camp of
miners, who "bached' in
'ough cabins or under a pine-tree, ac-
,ording to the season. Consequently the
interest was pitched high In anticipa-
ion Of the feature billed on the plac-
lrds as Mile. Fleurette, the flying fairy,
lirect from Paris.
Then, at last, amid clash of brass.
, booming of the big drum, a flourish
If trumpets, the bright particular star
BURST upon the Hangtown horizon. The
.ingmaster came forward and announc-
I'd to the ladies' O. and gentlemen of
his intelligent and distinguished audi
,nce that he had now the pleasure of
to them the greatest living
lerial artist In the civilized world, who
was about to give them marvellous
equilibristlc performance on a frail and
ofty framework with q break-away
finish. At this Hangtown rose in a
body and gave three rousing cheers,
while the living wonder modestly bow
ed her acknowledgment from under a
faded blue army cape.
The frail and lofty framework was
then brought in. planted, and braced
securely, the swings loosened from the
top of the tent, and with quick spring
had grasped the bar,
drawn herself up, and sat smiling at
her audience from her perch In mid
air
The assistant aerial artist, the second
greatest In the world, who followed
her. was accorded little notice. He was
only a man, and not so out of the or
binary; but the little wisp of humanity
swinging above their heads was wom-
an, and 1t had been years since many