The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-20
ARABIANS HAZE An SOUfING
VAUDEVILLE ON A FERRHsakss.
ODD GAMES BEYOND.

VAUDEVILLE On A FERHHB03e3bs
ODD GAMES BEYON2
Peasant Dancing to the ShrfII Nl5ses -
Reed Pipes-A Syrian Form Of Leap
Fres n o Ganie or somefsauisa
Played On q Staten Island Hnitops
The men in the smoking saloon of the
stanch municipal craft bearing to Staten
Island Oh q recent holiday afternoon
O crowd that bulged over the rails were
treated to a novel tout b Of vaudeville by
some puzzling foreigners. aa
One Of them. who looked like m Irish
man with a Bowery veneer, performed
on q wind instrument, more complicated
and pretentious than a penny whistle.
but not SURPRISING 1t in volume or tone.
1t consisted Of two slender reeds. about
the length Of drumsticks. very neatly
and strongly bound with thread, a..
Each was perforated with eight holes
and each had It's own detachable mouth
piece. The performer put them both
into his mouth and steered this musical
catamaran by stopping the holes Of the
tubes with his fingers. The result was q
scurry OF a few notes within q very limited
range which suggested the hoochee
coochee school of music, with it's Oriental
tenuity and rasping juggle. Of four Of tya
white" little tones, -
This was the monotonous total Of ,hars
mony that the sixteen holes would giyeups
and they surrendered these with q strident
snarl. The ineistence Of the thin. actfd
sounds. plus the irritating rhythm. made
nearer want to do violence to the artist.
~hypnotized by his own ~virtuosity.
Two young fellows dancedto the squeaky
music, and although they did nothing
in the field Of Terpsichore to make Isadora
Duncan see IL her laurels were on straight
yet were the twain as alphabetically
swayed by the piper's hliputian range as
Is che by Clicks severe slayity, In the
"Iphigenia' music. II Miss Duncan our
vets with the abandon of the young buff
falo In the park, no less did they we'd
movement to the stimulus Of the reed by
an intense II crippled jerkiness. -.
Each with an arm on the Others shoulder,
they would throw forward q foot with
a determined stamp as II crushing an
irrelevant bug. crook their knees with
8 sudden sag as Of inebriety and pune
tuate their insidious lateral movement
by a pronounced abdominal mrch that
was a cross between a throe Of NAL de
mer and a derisive glancing at the dapse
sionate gyrations with q furled and knotted
handkerchief held aloft In bis right hand.
They had the air OF rifting To leeward
unoonsciously, while the pipNr, with
a flowing movement like cold ~treacls.
followed them closely, victim to his
enthralling pipe, which made him pureas
them in their retreat.
There was no more terpsichorean abal-
don In their solemn saltation than there
oitai Of swinburne's swelling verses by
q nasal, tonguetied pumpkin, but there
was novelty and primitive passion IN
the movement Of the cumbrous trio, akin
to the staid ardor of undertakers on Q
reyel, II that a be imagined. Aol
When the boat dissorged its load at
panions .}oyously .swarmed UP the slope
Of the hill beyond st. George and took
possession Of q friendly hollow on Its
crest Before them lay the Eat, blue
water, glittering in the glorious sum
light. and peaceful Brooklyn, softsnet
Japanese postcard. But the twenty dwelt
not or the view. nor brought 10 light
holiday packages Of food. ~"
The piper. who graspod his reed ancw,
and eight or ten linked themselves to-
gether and logged their quaint Morris
dance upon that airy upland with ~
tration and ohoric severity.
Then they paused In their dance. but
only to ngage In games. ~yt.s l}
The first was a form Of leap frog, In
which the n who was tt standing
sideways. braoed himself with his hands
nary line the leader would make q jumpoy
jumps that would bring him ~ enough
TO leap over the bending man. IL any q
failed to follow suit In the same number
Of jumps or knocked over the man no
became st 'H.fS
But this palled. partly because the little.
double barrelled flute was in allegiance.
partly because 40 one was stimped,
So a thick set. swarthy play boy Of IS
arranged a new diversion. 80" 50
Two were placed back to back. grasping
each other firmly with their hands asthey
to bury his head between them, made q
platform Of himself. Then the swarthy
man. running forward, took q leap, drove
his head into the platforms back and.
grasping the aide partners, turned q
somersault, curving. to the ground with
ing the others supporting spine I'm his
had touched terra frma. -aE5 15Ne
He proved the most brilliant performer,
several Of the others rolling of at the sides.
while one or two were stuck hopelessly
in the three self -sacriioers. They were
dragged loose with innocent OUTLAW. red
One superior looking young fellow With
superabundant locks which had a mar
celled look impaired the information
that the party was made up Of Arabisns
with an infusion Of Syrians. Several were
from Damascus. The archaic instrument
was called a "Mish -gar"-at least IL
sounded that way; and the staid but pur-
ardor to which its whining appeal
their feet was peasant dancing.
whole swamp Of the piping reeds waiting
sy~nchronously Ia a jolt to the imagins-
ton. As a product Of Arabia Petraas the
instrument should be judged with for
bearanoe. FiA