The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-11-04
About the
Contortionists
ACrObatuS Writes On the Subject
of Human Serpents and Lets
All into the Secrets.

1t has often been said that the life of
the average contortionist is of short
duration. This is not true. Despite
the delicacy and complexity of the cer-
vical and lumbar vertebrae it has been
time after time that with
a little care they could stand more ill
usage than the larger bones of the hu-
man frame However, some physicians
hold different views.
But did you ever ht ar of wrestler
having his neck broken? No. Still on
the other hand. we quite frequently
hear of them breaking other bones, yet
it is the cervical vertebrae that receives
the toughest treatment as a rule in u
wrestling contest.
Contortionists may be divided into
two classes, i. e those doing front bend
ing and those who follow back bend
ing, though there are few who do
both front and back bending. l advise
those who contemplate entering this
branch of the profession to learn either
front or back bending and not both as
there are very few tirstclass contortion-
lists who do both styles of ben ding.
Front bending is the easiest learned for
it was meant by nature that person
should bend toward. This is explained
by the way some of the bones are con-
nected with tie femur bones.
Leg work, such as fancy kicking and
splits, is i'll the same category as hoop
work and front bending, though I'm
sorry to say hoop work is mostly faxed.
In back bending, there is but one joint
that as meant to bend backward, or
should say two, and they are under
the Patellas, or kneepan. In order to
bend back ward, the cervical and lumbar
vertebrae must he developed according
to the class of tricks which are to be
performed. Such tricks as the crab
front and back linbers, etc can be done
by bending the lumbar vertebrae with.
out the aid of the cervical vertebrae
| On the otter hand, chin work or pedes.
tai feats, such as Mr.. Paul Brachard
and other frstclass contOrtionists per
form, are done by developing the neck
as we'll as the back.
The effects of contortions on the body
differ very little from those produced
by doing acrObatic feats. An acrobat
will develop his arms, chest and lower
limbs and harden the muscles, while {
contortionlst develops the neck, bach
and lower limbs and softens the mus
cles.
have been asked several times OF
holidays who was the best cOntOrtiOnis
in the country. Now there are a gOot
many who perform the same class o
tricks and as they are all close bender
it is difficult to designate the best all
around contortionist. But l believ
the following are as good as any in thei
respective lines: Front bending, Her
bert, the Frog Man. Back bending
Mr.. Paul Brachard. And of the Oppo
site sex, Mile Hilda.
There is but one point that is unin
teresting. An acrobat or contortionis
can't say he had to eat certain kim
, of cracked chicken feed manufacture
in Michigan, to make him Timber. VIII,
, doctors and physical culture teacher
insist ON having the public eat just 8
much of certain kinds of food to max
J them strong, is beyond my compreher
sion. There are any number of ''kink
ers" aud physical culture exponents o
! the stage that will eat anything from
! dish of lumberjack strawberrie
(prunes) to big square meal.
. There is school in Philadelphia ths
teaches people how to do contortio
3 work-both front and back bendinl
!, Here are also taught several other kline
of acts. This is the Morphet School.
It is not essential to begin practicin
Q while q person is young in order to b