Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-10-01

Slau Wnen the harvest moon has come
and gone and the hay and grain are in
the barns. More than in other seasons,
it is in the early fall. when all country
roads lead to fairgrounds, that these
men are up and doing-up on high
wires, up in balloons, upon bicycles in
the arching curves of loops. twisting
the law of gravitatlon. September and
October are the months in which the
acrobats are busiest laying away funds
for the winter, when the weather keeps
them down to earth. When the agri-
cultural horn of plenty has become
full to overlooking, the Fourteenth.
/ street agencies, where in August the
open-air performers We're wont to ex.
change daily greetings, grow lonely.
for out in the rural districts the farm
ers are coming to town, and the high
wire men, the aeronauts and "loop-the-
loopers' are fastening away to meet
them.
The "loop-the-loop" on bicycle is
the newest act called for by the fair
managers.
Say, want to get hold of good
rider that's got his nerve with him.
The loop man wiped his brow, for
he had just climbed the agency stairs.
and it was hot, and he had had busy
morning.
I've got to get him right away" he
went on, because that young Gala
hans oopa hanly on ma IIo Gotta 4ho+
when his mother heard he was goin' to
do the loop she threw fit He came
near leavin' me in pretty hole. My
Jersey date begins day after to-moiro row.
I've just been seem about havin' my
stuff shipped out"
The agent consulted his address
book and said that he thought he could
have a couple of good men around the
next morning. The loop man was re-
lieved
! No, faint hard to get riders" he
remarked, except, maybe, at the last
minute, Ike this. There's plenty of
young fellows that's glad to do the
/ loop on bike for the good money
that's in it. But you've got to know
where you can put your finger on 'em
quick
| Supposin' your man gets hurt. You
must have another on the spot, or the
fair people throw down the contract.
That means a nice little bunch O. mon
ey out O. pocket. Six-fifty is what /
set for givin' the ride once day dur.
in a fair week. It's cheap, at that,
when you come to reckon up the dam
age.
I'm the first place, there's your rid
ers to pay. A few of the men LAat
have loop on the road do the stunt
themselves; but, between you and me.
think too much of my skin for that.
even ii was lively enough. 1t taxes
young and active fellows, and not
many of these have money to buy
rig, or business experience enough to
get the contracts. So they ride for
managers.
When I'm film dates out of easy
hailin' distance of Fourteenth street
here, | always carry two riders, givin'
the one that's doin' the act regular
$3.50 a week. and the other that only
does it now and then, but is ready ali
| the time, pretty good stake.
"They get a good deal more than
they could ever make in any other
way that would be on the square, but
they earn the money because there is
no use tryin' to get around the fact
that it's risky business. They know
it well enough, and some o them is
apt to key themselves up for work Oh
booze. | have to look out for that.
always look over my man before let
him mount his bike, and If he amt fit
he don't ride and is fined That's all
in the agreement before he goes to
work.
Another of my troubles is with my
rig. You can't depend on the fair peo-
pie for anything / take everything
along, carryin' the loop in sections
Why, travel with pretty near enough
lumber to build house. 1t costs,
this does, and then there's the extra
help to pay, when you're hustlin' to
get the loop set up.
ooh, it amt easy money, and it drops
va yCh PiCbty 4ulChs AILtT NONPIU-
Der /, there's nothin' dom. You can go
South, il you want to, or even strike
down in Cuba. where they're gettin' a
strong taste for first-class American
outdoor acts, but with all the stuff
you have to carry, and the long jumps,
it pays better, 20 my mind, to lay of
till the summer parks and picnic
grounds open up for business"
One of the growing drawbacks of
following the curve of the loop to
make living is the feeling in some
communities that --e game is too haz.
ardous to be encouraged But at most
fairs and parks great attraction is
, the loop. The authorities don't like to
prohibit it, and to obviate the proba,
bility Of the looper breaking his mech,
experiments are being made with =
new kind of loop.
In the new loop the bicycle is elimin.
ated, and instead of the boYed-in wood