Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-04
THE: VAlDlS SISTERS
Daughters of an Acrobat and Have
 Been in the Business for Years

A Democrat reporter ndu the pleas ure of a few minutes conversation yesterday with Miss Lizzie Vaidis, who astonishes hundreds of people daily by diving from the top of the City hall building. Miss Vaidis is very pleasant woman to meet is charming talker and is very willing to give any information which may be asked of her.
 'Do you experience any strange feelings or sensations when you are making your dive?" was the reporters first query.
 "I experience very little sensation" Miss Vai6is replied. 'T have done it so often that I do not feel the least bit excited or nervous. I don't mind 1t. Tn fact I have become so accustomed to doing it that1 don't bother to be too accurate. I am apt to be careless. Of course danger turks in the careless ness, yet I can't help it. Often I am attracted by something going on among the crowd and my mind is ta- 2 ken off my work entirely. Oh, mo-; the crowd does not make me nervous or tinid I like to see a large crowd watching me. I am naturally ner- vorls woman, yet when I am doing my dive or performing upon the tra- ,peze my nerve never fails me. Yet, 1t may seem strange to you, am more afraid of a mouse than of taking 7O-foot dive. Twill make more fuss over a little mouse. In the large cit ies like New York. Chicago and Bos- ton the trolley cars frighten me and rack my nerves. But as said before, my nerve is all right when am doing my trapeze work or dive act.
 s.No, haze never met with a serl- ous accident I have been doing the act for number of years. l have dived from "a height of 100 feet, yet ! met with only one accident. That was in Italy. The net was loose and when struck it I did not bound back I rightly The result was that l recelsad q severe shock to my nervous system Much care must be taken in arranging 1 the net It must be perfectly bal l anced. I am suppo.-ed to strike t c the middle of my back. be thrown up- 1 wards and then land on my feet. ] have been thrown u., ill the air as nlS. as. 15 feet
 '.Iy. sister alal were born in Ea. land. NC clltere3t he business ,ol pro 4 II : old. ,Dur father was an acrobat. H. was kiil,I in lie Chicago opera hollse l about 25 rcars ago. He was tIain- down his apparatus when he fel j through a skylightaand sustained fata | injuries. i At the time of his death w were mere tots Since that tire w have travelled ill nearly every countr. l of the world. We are both acrobat 1 yyy/, orc rna1lyn fQn0 a 1 OFT work and haye#no thought of fetir l ing. Isknow that couldn't live Wlti; l ait it. q At times Fl have retired ant l I have thought of giving up the Wory ] entirely to devote more time to m children. but | couldn't stay away Iron TO
 it. Tn fact, my physician said that
 should return to it. find yer
 beneficial and healthy. During th
 past two weeks I have gained thfe
 pounds We travelled with Barhul
 & Bailey's circus for one season " liked the work. but we were not ron
 Of the travelling.
 q have little girl about four year
 old. She is a little marvel of an aero
 bat. No, she won't follow the bus ness, for don't want.her to. l don
 want her to be an acrobat or gy II
 nast.
 "We have been in this country fc , the past seven years, coming hel
 about seven years ago to fill an engage
 ment at Roster X Bial's old theate
 where we scored a big success.
 Miss Vaidis. like every other womal
 is rather touchy about her age. Col f sequently. when the scribe slummone I sufficient courage to ask her age, ST
 replied softly, T would prefer not
 answer that question: