Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-10

ing it-across my face and catch it in the right eve
and then walk off with it. This always raised great
laughter, and quite successful little business
But night it unfortunately failed to work.
l should mention that never put grease paint,
and in consequence my face looked rather white
and pallid beside those of the other performers in
the pantomime. One night the manager called my
attention to this fact and to oblige him frightened
up my countenance with lathering of grease
palnt-wlth most untOward results; for when l
came to the critical part of my performance. where
l had to jerk the hafcrown from my left to right
eye the coin refused to stir,-it stuck to the
palnt,-and, much to the amusement of the audi
ence and to those on the stage WELL had to take
it out of my eye with my hand
have performed in all parts of the world and in
rather curious places; but l think the most
awkward place l ever worked in was at street
corner in Boulder City when was doing tour of
the world some years ago. The performance was
garlic, and some suggested that l should 60 to
Boulder for the benefit Of the miners l had plat
form put up at the of the street outside the
hotel where stopped, round which the seats were
ranged. Unluckily for me, terrific gale was blow
ing at the time of the performance, and one fearful
blast sent quantity of my belongings in the way
of hats, sticks, and various juggling implements
into the street, which the miners kindly gathered
up and returned to me. The gale made it impos-
sible for me to perform number of feats; but am
always ready for emergencies and managed to give
exhibition that satisfied my audience
A Feat of Balancing
A VERY little thing may interfere with some
feats. l remember some years ago-it at
Chicago, Think was in my room at the hotel
practising balancing two billiard balls each other
top of a To my horror found | was
able to perform this feat. Now, it is extremely
difficult, and it took eight years practice before
had mastered it, indeed, when was learning to dc
it, | was told by several people that l simply
wasting my time trying to do thing scientifically
impossible of accomplishment My feelings, there
fore, when found myself unable to balance the
described | should not attempc to do any feat in
public if found myself unable to do it with perfect
certainty in private and yet it absolutely
tia that should give this usual that evening.
For an hour tried to balance the balls the
but failed every time to do so, and sat down
in despair What had happened to me could not
say; but the fact remained that l unable any
longer to perform the finest feat had learned after
years of practice.
AS was sitting by the table in my room wonder
ing what l should do, fanced heard faint throb-
bling noise. After listening for little while, sud-
denly jumped up and rang the bell violently.
Tell me quck!' cried to the servant. What IS
oh, replied the man, that is the gas engine in
Stop it at once!" said "stop it if it costs
hundred pounds! Quick!'
The man fled from the room, and by his look
afraid he thought | had gone crazy; but he had
the engine stopped and in few minutes the throb-
Then once tried balancing the billiard balls
on the cue, and succeeded in performing the feat
without the least difficulty 1t was as had thought:
the vibration of the gas engine had upset the balance
of the balls and had made it impossible for me to
perform the feat.
His Mothers Protest
WILL conclude these little "reminiscences of my
career with an incident that still remains fresh
in my mind, though it happened many years ago,
when l was little boy of nine years old | was
then apprenticed to Snowman, who conceived the
notion of Disgusting baboon and making
go through all sorts of strange antics and perform
many clever feats-clever that is, for baboon.
The Snowman exhibited me genuine baboon,
and used to tell his audience the most wonderful
stories about my capture and subsequent training.
All went we'll until l reached Lissa my native