Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-03
BIRD ACROBA7S
DELIGHT WOMEN
OWNERS KEPT PRISONERS IN
suLTAN's PACIFIC
German Consul Compelled to Take
Action to Have M. and Nine.
5arthoIdi Released and
Paid

Men OF all tongues and all nations un-
der the sun come to the Orpheum in tho
course of the year. The stage hands
and attendants are obliged to have a
smattering of every civilized language.
and by actual count, seventeen different
languages are spoken by the employees
of that theater.
But Madame and Monsieur Bartholdi
can go these polyglot stage hands ono
better, for they understand a language
spoken by no human being language OF
squawks, screeches and whistles-the
tongue of that wise old bird, the Aus-
trialian cockatoo. AS a result of MANY
years spent In training these birds.
madame and monsieur are able to inter-
pret the elemental speech of their feath-
cred performers.
There is no such thing as bird con-
versation," says M. Bartholdi "The
cockatoos have different sounds for hun
ger. thirst, liking, dislike, fear, curiosity
defiance and the like. Many sounds ex-
press two or more meanings. They usa
the same sound for loneliness and fear
They also have calls of individual recog-
milton, which might be called names.
But such thing as conversation. that
is, interchange OF IDEAS is impossible
for them.
Imprisoned in Harem
M. Bartholdi and his wife are world
wide travellers. They tell of many
strange experiences, but nothing more
bizarre than their virtual Imprisonment
for seven months in the harem of the
sultan of Turkey.
Several years ago NJ and Nine. Bar
tholdi were engaged with fifteen other
variety actors from Germany and France
to give series of performances at the
court theater in Constantinople. The
Bartholds did not travel by the same
route as the others, and escaped rail-
way accident which held up the other
fifteen acts for three days in Austria.
AS a result they were the only ones on
nand at the date of the engagement.
When his troupe failed to appear, tho
royal chamberlain, who has charge Of
such matters as entertaining the sultan
and his consorts, was in despair. tie
feared the loss of his office and perhaps
his head unless the entertainment were
given as scheduled. So it was Bartholdi
to the rescue.
Like most German performers. the Bar
thodis received a circus training. They
know the science of acrobatics from the
simplest balancing through all the grad
uations of wire, trapeze ground and lofty
tumbling up to the height of attainment
the doubleback sommersault. For tie
entertainment of the sultan and his
guests they exhausted their science. But
it was the birds that saved the day.
Cannot Leave Palace
The tricks of the cockatoos so capti-
waited the women that the sultan ordered
The Bartholdis to remain in CONSTANT
nople, and engaged them at a generous
salary to entertain the royal harem.
They were given a residence in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the palace. Three
soldiers were assigned them as servants.
who were equally their guards to pre-
vent their leaving had they desired to do
so. The royal purveyors were ordered to
supply all their household needs
Twice or three times weekly they were
called upon to entertain the harem in
the private theater in Yidliz palace. This
theater is a novel structure. The stage
and pit are similar to those of an Ameri-
can or European theater, but insteadAof
balconies there are tiers upon tiers Of
boxes or stalls built into the wall, each
with a small round lattice behind whicn
the occupant watches the performance
without herself being visible In this
way the women can attend the theater
without violating the strict privacy
which their religion entails upon them
Favorite officers of the household
guards and others whom the sultan
wishes to favor are seated in the pit
or orchestra. None is admitted except
by order of the sultan through his
chamberlain.
When the sultan himself attends he
occupies a larger box in the center of
the first tier. This is distinguished from
the others by having a large lattice
through which the Commander of this
faithful and his favorite wives may
view the acts.
Paid with Promises
1t was small matter of payment for
services rendered that finally ruptured
this pretty family party. The first week
Of his residence in the palace M. Bar
tholdi was duly paid the amount stipu-
lated After that the ghost walked not
at all, and for seven months his demands
for back pay were met with the prom
ises in which Turkish treasury officials
endeavor to pay their obligations.
One day NJ. Bartholdi managed to elude
his soldier servant-guards and reached
the German consulate An officer Of the
consulate guard was sent to escort Nine.
Bartholdi and to demand their parapher-
MALTA and payment in full. This tina
the demand was met with smiles and
money.
M. Bartholdi still has many of the
birds that were then members of his
feathered flock. Among them are Eff
fendem and Dorie the pair who ride the
tandem bicycle at the Orpheum. Dorie
also rides alone but Effendem will not
ride unless he has Dorie as a passenger
In the photograph Dorie is steering the
tandem. These two are the most highly
priced of the Bartholdi collections. for
both professional and sentimental rea-
sons.