The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-31
FACTS ABOUT
CIRCUS SISTERS
Many Are Related For Professional
Purposes Only.
HOW THE SCHEME WORKS
FAMILIES THAT HAVE WON RE
NOWN AS PERFORMERS
"Are they really sisters?"


This is the unbidden query that rises
in the minds of nine-tenths of those
who witness the performances of the
Grunatho troupe of acrObats in the
Barnum & Bailey circus In fact, the
relationship between the various 'fami-
lies or ''troupes' of performers in the
circus is a matter of universal curiOs-
ity. In the circus company performers
who present their acts in unison are in
the majority of Instances billed as
brothers" or sisters or families"
Whether this relation is one OF fact or
eXpediency is a constant source of in
quiry TO the public. Another almost
equally interesting source of wonder
is the pedigree of the circus artists.
Who are they? Where do they come
from? How did they become circus
performers?
There are few instances in which
these queries, tru1 NfuIy answered,
would reveal some interesting and Curl
Gus facts. The "Grunatho sisters" for
instance, are not all sisters. They are,
however. all blood relatives. To one
who knows. the relationship may be
readily observed IN their clever aero
batic pyramid work. In the trio who
form the pedestal for the four young
women in the air, the sister on the
extreme left is in reality the mother
of the two girls beside her and the
three girls in the center are Mime.
Grunatho's nieces. The husband of
Nine. Grunatho, who is also associated
with the big show, is ring master. The
GirunathOS, like nearly all other sue
ceSsful circus performers, come from a
long line of clever arenic artists Nine
GrunathO's mother and father and
their families before them were circus
performers NJ Grunatho is also. heir
to the CheVernesS of a long list of cir
Gus people. Although German by
birth, the Grunatho sisters have
spent most of their lives in France and
are generally known as Parisians-
The Huettermann sisters. whose per
fOrmances with high-schOol horses are
also notably clever. are sisters" for
professional reasons only. They are
Bohemian women who have won con-
siderable fame in Europe, not only be-
cause of their clever riding, but also
by reason of their dainty and attract
i've cOStUming. They are said to have
the finest Wardrobes of any equestrianS
now before the public. In private life
they are Nine. Guilletti and Fraulein
Ort- Nine. Guillietti is the daughter
of Gustave Heuttermann, who, during
his long career has taught equestrian
ism m nearly every important royal
court in Europe In recent years Herr
Huettermann has conducted a riding
school under the patronage of the no
bility of Prague, Bohemia. He also en-
joys a pension from the emperor in
consideration of his many years of
service in the imperial family.
Although Herr Huettermann'
daughter and FraUlein Ort are not sis
tiers, they have been together since
their childhood. On the death of Miss
Ort's parents she was practically
adopted in the Huettermann family,
and the old riding master taught both
girls in the mysteries of the saddle
in company. They made their first
public appearance five years ago and
have continued to appear together
since that time.
In the Florenz family Of acrobats
there are several families or parts of
families. NJ. FloTenz is the leader of
the troupe He is assisted by his wife,
their son Alfredo, a little chap who
performs some remarkable 'fOur-high' |
sOmersaults; his two brothers. one of
whom has a son who appears in the
act, and a sister and several brothers
of Nine FlOTenZ. NJ. FlOrenz is the
descendant of many generations of cir
Gus performers Nine. Florenz al
though the daughter of a famous Ital-
ian rider, was educated in a convent,
and speaks and reads nearly all the
European languages with fiuency. Her
knowledge of books is unusual, and
her conversational powers are a sur
prise to those who meet this gifted
woman for the first time.
The Siegrist-Silbop troupe of aerial
lists comprises two families. who are
related by marriage. and two young
girls who are cousins Of TOda SiegriSt,
The head of the family" The Went
wOrths are husband and wife. Harry
Wentworth is a clown Rose Went
worth is a rider who has made "A sen
sation this year by turning a somer-
sauit from two-wheel cart to the
back of a swiftly moving horse. Rose
Wentworth is the daughter of famous
circus man of the same name. Her
husband changed his name profession
oil h
uate this well-knOwn family trade
mark.
The Rooneys. the American equestri-
ans, are Mr.. and Mrs. John Rooney in
private life. Fred Ledgett and Dallie
Julian are also among the list of mar
ried folks. Both were, fguratively
speaking. born in the circus. and met
and loved under the circus canvas,
There are. in fact, among the perform
eTs very few who are not either mar
ried or in companies with members of
their own families.
one OF the recent additions to the
circus company is the Baroness A
Kazomyrska. from Prague Bohemia.
Curious to say. the baroness has never
ridden before for money, and yet she
is so clever that she commands a very
high salary with the Barnum * Bailey
circus
Baroness Kazomyrska is not only an
unusually pretty woman, but she also
accentuates her beauty by wearing be-
coming costumes of the latest mode
In the circus she is known as the
Little Hungarian Fashion Plate"
These gIimpseS of the real men
and women of the circus might be eN-
tended without limit Those that have
been given will serve, perhaps, to give
an added interest and charm to the
personal side of the big show when il
exhibits in Salt Lake City Wednesday
and Thursday. Aug. 2 and g.