The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-08-14

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GRUS0E
ON DESERT ISLAND IN INDIAN
ocEANFoR sMoNTHs-F
ENTs BELIEVED DEAD.
At Marseiles France. there recsnt-
Ivy landed Liela Ponauet, who had inst
passed through the most remarkable
sexperience that probably ever fell to
the lot of a pretty young girl: For
15 months she had lived upon a ,des-
ert island in the middle OF the Indian
tocean, on which she was cast away,
thrown upon her own resources. forced
to find her own food and build her
own shelter, and living a life whose
exfgencies almost surpass the expert
ences of Robinson Crusoe. Finally
she was founded by the sailors Of a
4 British trading schooner and carried
by them to New Caledonia where she
was placed in charge of French Off;
cials who secured her passage back
to MarseiIles. :
There she reunited with her par
ents, from whom she had been sepa-
rated when the little French barken-
tine Lily sank on December 49, 1908
and who for two years had, believed
her dead. During that hurried escape
from the sinking vessel OF which she
land her parents were passengers
they caught their last glimpse Of her,
and believing her lost among the huge
seas. made their escape to land in
safety.
The Ponquet family, composed Of Ia,
ther, mother. two sons and the daugh,
ter. Leila, were acrobats and animal
trainers. Ponquet, the father, for
many years had supported the family
by means of a little circus. of which he
was the leader. AS is the history Of
most rowing troupes of acrobats, affairs
were prosperous at times. when the
father could afford to have several
men in his employ. At other times
business was not so good, and Pom,
quet was forced to depend upon the
members of his own family in assist
ing him to give performances.
Then came misfortune, when the
oldest son, who babe fair to develop
into a finished performer. fell from
a high wire at a fair in France and
was killed. The other boy was weak
and sickIy. and his parents. despair
ing of training him to be an acrobat
sent him to school that he might pre-
pare himself for the priesthood.
Girl a Born Acrobat.
However. the little girl seemed to
be a born acrobat and hope revived as
her parents watched her take to the
ropes; rings and bars as soon as she
was able to grasp them. Before she
was 12 years old she became a regular
performer and her feats of daring won
the sympathy Of spectators aud
brought forth their applause. She
grew up into a remarkably handsome
young girl, strong and healthy, and-her
father believed she would become the
most wonderful female acrobat in the
world.
But the business OF public perform
ing went into a decline. Money was
scarce and people did not Eel to be
interested. Ponquet had a hard time
eking out a bare living. 1t became
evident hat France could no longer
support them and they decided that a
new field must be sought. America
and Australia were successfully dis,
cussed. The decision was finally
made in favor of the latter. and the
family sailed away for the new world.
Liela was then only 10 years ola,
but well developed, and it was not
long before she was the center Of at,
traction in Australian towns. HeE
beauty, skill and daring became famed
and crowds began to flock to the little
Ponquet circus. Ponquet felt better
for affairs were now prosperous. Mel
bourne, Sydney, Clarendon, Newcastle
and Brisbane were successfully visit
ed. and everywhere business was good
The Ponquet Golfers soon became com
fortably filed.
From Australia the family and the
circus went to New Zealand. They
Travelled. along the coast through Palm
erstown. Christ church. Timaru, Mel
son and over to Wellington. on NORTH
Island, adding to the menagerle ant
increasing the size Of the circus.
Struck BY a Typhoon.
rar lv IN Dacember The circus wa.