The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-06
EQUESTR|ENNES
 HARD ID SATISFY Some Troubles of an tques-
 trian Director. IS WHITE MANS BURDEN Story of Letter Written to Rudyard Ripping by Mrs. Melville of Forepaush 6 Sells Broth
 ers' cirucs.

During the recent serious illness of
 Rudyard Kipling. telegram upon tele- gram and letter upon letter was received by him until they numeber into the thous- ands. Though they varied in grammati-
 cal construction, the sentiment was simi-
 lar. They breathed affection sincerity and hope
 To answer individually all of these com munications was a hercuean task, which
 MT. Kipling was advised not to attempt
 He contented himself with the publica- tion in the New York papers of a general letter.
 Perhaps the only exception Kipling made was in --2e case of Frank J. Mel vile, the veteran equestrain director of the Forepaugh and Sells Brothers Circus
 To MT. Melville the author wrote an au- tograph letter which the circus man has filed away in the family archives to be cherished by the Melville posterity.
 Kipling and Melville were unknown to each other except through the long distance agency of fame. The circus man had read Kipling; in fact, he ranked him just few degrees below Browning. for be 1t known that Melville was Boston born and bred. Now Kipling is away above Browning and the rest, all because of The White Mans Burden
 Melville Is satisfied that he is the white man Kipling had in mind when he took his typewriter in hand and ground out the lines which have made nations talk. Consequently the feeling of the circus man to write Kipling during his illness. He hoped for the authors recovery and incidentally thanking him for taking up his (Melvilles) cause and speaking so
 nightly with his pen. When Mir. Kipling became convalescent he indicted the fol- lowing letter to Melville:
 New York, February 20. 1900 My Dear MT. Melville-I thank you | for the sincerity of your apparent good
 will. Relative to the White Mans Bur | den," I must confess it to be merely an 1 imaginary flight. Though I sympathize
 fervently with you I cannot refrain from 1 feeling elated to know that the shoe 1 fits in at least one instance. I trust
 that at some future time I may have the l pleasure of personal acquaintance. I Very sincerity.
 RUDYARD KIYLING. l Melville opines that he Is bearing this | white mans burden in adjusting the nu- merous and various kicks of the three arenic prima donnas with the Forepaugh
 and Sells Brothers Combined Circuses. It is all a case of wanting the center of the stage. which in this instance means the center ring. Miss Dolly Julian is the English star of the trio. Miss Linda Deal speaks only French, which
 MT. Melville does not understand, but he Is convinced by her gesticulations that she has some claim to the favored ring. Miss Sally Stickney, the champion equestrienne of the American arena and daughter of Bob Stickney, who was
 the champion rider of the world, bases her right and title on claims of supe-
 rior skill. Mir. Melviles sympathies are
 naturally with Miss Stickney. but he Is firm believer in the saying in relation to Sheols fury and a woman scorned, and he Is not playing favorites. He has sur mounted the difficulty for the present at least by giving the center ring to each of the stars in rotation.