The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26
FIFTY YEARS AN ACROBAT

brothers, and our brother Tom was soon hugging all three of us at once. He had easily tracked us by the routes Of the show, and right glad we were to see him. l assure you.
 At the end of the season we skipped back to Europe and went. to St. Peters, burg, where, with our regular profes- sional work we established a school for all the brothers and gave ourselves to the business of becoming skilled aero bats. evolving new acts. and acquiring general all-round proficiency in the pro fession.
 The Russians were friendly and en- joyed our performances immensely. We sent for set of bells on one occasion, such as was used by the Peak family, and when we had become sufficiently skillful with these beautiful instruments we would give our bearded auditors the Russian national hymn amid the widest appaluse. We had an offer, with a pen sion attached. to remain in Russia and teach physical development to the Rus sian army.
 But our hearts were turned to Amer ica, and in the fall of 1859 we opened our first real American engagement as the Hanlon Bros. at Niblo's Garden. New York. It was during this stay at Nib- los that my brother Alfred introduced the flying act or Jumping through the
 
 other. It Is said that one man attended the theatre. night after night, with the expectation of seeing Alfred fall to the stage. But he did not fall until the New Yorker quit the game, and a broken an- kle was the result.
 Now, If am talking too much." said MT. Hanlon, ring down the curtain and will stop. Since 1859. and that is 50 years. we have spent the greater part of the time and devoted the greater amount of our efforts as artists, to the apprecia- tive American amusement-lovinR people. Some 30 years ago, or more, the Voyage en Suisee' was written by some French dramatists of minor reputation and who were greatly aided. might say. by Offen- bach, the composer We have showed the Voyage in many countries, and among those who first saw the piece, at close range. in Paris. was King Edward, who was then the Prince of Wales. The prince had his accustomed viewpoint on the stage behind the scenes"
 Do you know" said Mir. Han1on, '-that l think we first introduced the bicycle to this country--or rather the old-styio high- wheel yelooipede. I think the time was in February, 1866. when we were playing at the Continental theatre. Boston. It stood at the south corner of Washington and Harvard streets. It was built under
  We used the yelocfpede in the piece VI were playing, and Harry McGlenen-hlsus his memory-wanted US to give an exhl- bition of the machine on the common
 We also brought over another novelty in Harry Gurr, the swimmer. whom we advertised the man fish Cur could dO most anything under water but sleep. He once promised to jump from the suspen- sion bridge at Cincinnati, but weakened nf Ia. xx,kr,r been widely advertised. Our manager. Rufus Somerby, was a resourcoful New Highlander, and he succeeded In inducfng the mayor to forbid the performance on the ground of its probable fatal result. That outcome let us all down very easy' Oh said MT. Hanlon, ''the big Amer ican cities are all right for show towns. They have always been generous patrons of good plays and good variety acts. ana I love the people in all But sometimss we have had little innocent fun at the expense of our generous patrons.''