Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-08-09
Perform Many Tricks Never Attempt
cd BY Western Aorobats.


cd BY Western Acrobats.
"The dexterity Of the Hindoos. In
tumbling, rope dancing and legerde-
MAN," said the poet laureate Of all
the Pascagoulas last night, "is so much
superior to that Of Europeans and ia
panese that the statements Of travellers
on the subject were much doubted
until they were brought to exhibit
their singular feats in this country.
Nothing is more common in India than
to see young girls walking on their
heads, with their heels in the air,
turning round like a wheel, and walk
ing on their hands and feet with the
body bent backward. Another girl will
bend backward, plunge her head into
a hole about 1S inches deep, full OF
water and dirt, and bring up between
her lips a ring that was buried In the
mud. Two women may frequently be
seen dancing together on a rope
stretched over trestles, the one play
ing on the vina, or Hindoo guitar
the other holding two vessels brimful
of water and capering about without
spilling a drop. A plank is sometimes
fixed to the top Of a pole rs feet high
which Is set upright; a man then
climbs up 1t, springs backward and
seats himself upon the plank. Anoth-
er mountebank balances himself by
the middle of the body on a bamboo
pole, Is or 1S feet high. He first sets
1t upright, and then climbs up 1t, with
his legs and arms as II 1t was firmly
rooted tree. On reaching the top he
clings to 1t with his feet and hands,
after fixing the center Of the pole In
the middle Of his sash, and dances
moving about in all directions to the
sounds Of music, without the pole ever
losing its equilibrium. He then de-
scends, takes a boy on his shoulders
climbs up the pole again, and stands
on the top on one leg. Sometimes
boy lies across the extremity Of the
bamboo and holds himself quite still
for a considerable time.
"A man lifts up the pole and the
boy in that state, and moves them
about in all directions without losing
the balance. A still more extraordi-
nary feat is performed by the Hindoo
women. One Of them will sometimes
balance herself in a horizontal posi-
ton. with her arms extended like q
person swimming, on the top OF a
bamboo pole 80 feet high, fixed In the
ground. In a short time she seems To
have lost her balance, and falls. to
the no small terror Of the spectators;
but this is only one of her customary
movements; she catches by one foot
in a rope fastened to a bar which
crosses the middle Of the pole. and re-
mains suspended head downward. The
Hindoos are not only extremely dex-
trous themselves, but they have found
means to communicate their dexterity
to the very brutes. They train bull
locks, for instance, to the performance
of a very difficult task. A Hindoo lies
down upon the ground on his back
and places on the lower part OF the
stomach a piece Of wood cut In the
shape Of a series Of spools. A buffalo
at the command Of his master, sets
first one foot and then the other or
this piece Of wood, and then his two
hinder feet in succession, and bal
ances himself upon 1t. But this Is moi
all. the master Of the buffalo places
q second pedestal by the side Of the
manner @ and waea ss p.sssaesf
four feet on this movable column he
balances himself upon 1t with wonder.
full dexterity. Goats are also taught
Ito perform the trick, in which we
know not whether most to admire the
patience or the docility of the animal.
New Orleans Times Democrat.