The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-18
BY WILLIAM ALLEN JOHNSTON

BY WILLIAM ALLEN JOHNSTON.
the hazardous trick of ''Leaping the
Gap?>
| have asked the question of several
performers and the response is lnvari-
ably the same. It is not during the
catapulting descent of the increase, nor
during the brcathless, soaring leap over
the thirtytwo feet Of gap nor yet
in the swift. uncertain plunge TO the
landing platform. All this happens in
the space OF four and one-half seconds.
Four and one half seconds of intense
concentration of every sense, of mus
cles locked rigidly, OF finger nails bur
led in palms, of eyes glued to narrow
ribbon of aerial platform. Every mo-
ment is vital, but there is no time TO
think, no incentive TO any analysis of
motions. The time that YOU do think
is lust before the plunge, when you are
standing high III thc air upon the start
ing platform. That is the thrilling mo-
ment for the performer.
The amphitheater has a deathlikc
gtlllness. In fact, the manager has re
auosted it. Ladies and gentlemen,
he announces, ''this is q moment of
oirest peril. ] must beg of you that you
do nothing, say nothing. to distract the
attention Of the performer. Please be
absolutely quiet. One shout from you,
OHt slutple IuONS OF gesture NAY CduSc
the death of the man who will now
risk his life to entertain you. Silence!
All readyl'
Nov" says Joe Fancher, "you are
thinking hard and fast, If there s any
thrill in you it IS going to come out and
20 wriggling up yonr backbone; if
there s any fear i'll YOU it s going to ap-
Now is the time when you, all alone up
there-and you fee! just then as if you
didn + have friend in all the world
decide to mako that leap.
''That little speech of the manager
sounds like CUFF, intended to excite the
audience, As matter of fact it ism T..
il is rather made for the performer,
for IL S true that at this moment the
slightest unfavorahle incident Will put
his nerves all in wrangle.
"'In 1904, whom | WAS 'leaping the
gap with Forepaugh & Sells Brothers
circus, we showed at Greenville, Miss.
There were great many negroes in
that section. and we had separate en-
frances and main divisions for the audi
ence, marked 'For Whites and "For
Blacks. My starting platform, way
up in thc roof of the big tent, was Just
over the seats crowded with gaping,
big-eycd negroes.
"McCormack. my manager, had made
his speech to the audience and [ had
made my bow and was all ready and
nerved for the leap. Below me every
thing was quiet rs the grave. My ears
were keyed TO catch the slightest sound.
j believe ! could have heard pin drop
''Gradually ont of the silence came
the voice of some one Just under me. so
loud II seemed il might have come from
n mcgaphonc. 'Dcre he goes it said
greefullv. dere he goes-to-break-
his-ncck'' | looked down and saw the
extended fingers and grinning, idiotic
face Of negro
A Tense Moment,
81 'ro break his neck,' The words
hit me with shock and--it may seem
foolish but it ism 't-everv biz OF life
went out Of me Ii happened right at
.the tension of the moment. you see,
ana all the high strung cords Of reso-
luton snapped completely. My muscles
grew lax, ny hands almost slipped from
the handle bars. lust at that moment
] couldr't I have made 2 move % save
my iIfr.
II looked down and straight into
McC crmacl, face, upturned and smil-
ing confidently. He gave me the sig
nal 10 make nv bow, and somehow /
gave it--a rather weak one, | guess,
But that smile gave me nope, and then
suddenly | got mad. ! gritted my teeth.
! actually had murder in my heart. | d
ride down that incline and kill that
fool niger if | had to chase him clear
across the state of Mississippi
gripped my bars. j was all right now
aud down ! went.
Well. ] didu t get the niger. They
caught and held me as ] ran toward
him. But | remember his face. IT S as
clenr in my memory as it was that
night.
Colo had a similar experience in Gin
cinnati. He was doing combination
loop the loop and "leapiug the gap"
act in company with Castclouc, his
one afternoon when voice from the
reserved seats, directly in front and
below. saluted them. II came from a
rollieking, thoughtless group of college
youths; - hope the short fellow breaks
his neclt,' said the kindly spectato
81 don't like his loois!'
''He meant me, - said Colo apollo
geticaIly. '' cause my cousin is pretey'
big. An ] knew who said it. / looked
right down and saw him he had a
straw hat with a red band on IT.
Its funny about that. You can
hear and see everything up there. But
after he SAID that ! could only see his
straw hat, Funny. WASH Z it? All the
time when | went through da loop
could see q straw hat with a red rib.
bon on il. That s all | could see
~ was pretty mad, ! guess. First
] had funny feeling in da stomach, you
know. like YOU have when da elevator
goes down quick, Then feel pretty
mad. WAS glad we went through
without spilling
"When We leave dc platform VIC al