Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-01
CIRCUS STORY ABOUT
dutch" SCHAEFER
Wanted to Be a Leaper, But
''Renigged" After
First Trial.

Not many people know" says Herman
Schaefer, that I was once a circus aero
bat. Once and only once 1t was when
l was some younger than / am now, and
when i was eager for anything that
seemed easier than work. 1 got the cir
Gus bug, and got 1t bad-nothing would
do for me except a life under the big
tops and with the red wagons. Hence
l watched my chance, and made earnest
appeal to large. red-faced, red-necked.
red-fisred man who was pointed out to
me as the proprietor of a circus that was
playing in Chicago.
Sonny said this large man, kindly
enough, If you were only a good leaper
I'd take you on in a minute. 1 need
leaper worse than Satan needs absolution.
but 1 don't know of any that I can land
right now
Mr. Bingling' said I. impressively. L
can leap some. Maybe l am not as clever
at it as some of your older men, but l
can jump for further orders, and I'm dead
willing to try
THE red-necked man smiled anna bly,,
and told me to report early in the evening
at a certain tent where, he explained,
they would take me in hand and fix me
up. If l made good. he said, he would
you can bet 1 was determined to get in
on that salary. l was some athlete in
those days. and thought particularly well
OF my skill at broad and running jumps,
which, 1 figured. would come in simply
great when 1t came to circus leaping.
Il was on deck half an hour ahead OF
time that evening, and some fine young
fellows in a small tent gave me cool.
comfortable costume Of silk and satin
tights, which, they explained in their
. Friendly belonged
a leaper who had broken his back two
nights before. Just as he was in midalr.
so they told me, one Of the elephants
happened to move over a bit. and the
unfortunate leaper fell where the ele-
plant should have been standing. killing
himself instantly. Fine stuff for begin
ner, but 1 was game.
Other Jumpers Set Pace.
The music brayed, the parade paraded
and all was ready for the leapers. There
was a monstrOus springboard-which
pleased me immensely, as 1 could see
where it would add to my natural skill
and some little way out from the far
end of the board they set three ele-
plants and three camels. Then the
leapers began to go. man after man.
1.-the, sinewy fellows. they flashed along
that board, rose high and curvetted
over the animals beyond. Roars Of APP
plause greeted each whilrwind wonder,
and shouts of laughter came when the
clown did the old stunt Of throwing his
hat over and falling off the end Of the
board.
AT last it was up to Inc. / had been
s." interested watching the others that
before l realized it l was all alone.
rushed down the board. thought C.OOO.-
900 people were all around me. The
board didn't seem three feet lOng-and
| beyond it was an elephant forty-four
of them fifty-nine feet and the other
seventy-four feet high, f1anking him.
Somehow or other. l didn't want to be q
leaper then. but it was too late-I had
| to make good.
| Il rose high in the air, and fell with
| a chuggy thump on the neck of the first
| elephant. 1 rebOunded to the second
| elephant. landing with my stomach on
the hard bones Of his forehead. and
| caromed off on the tail of the third ele-
plant. Still rolling and rebounding. 1
| hit one of the camels a terrific smash
and fell between his feet. whereupon he
promptly stepped on my manly bosom.
Somehow or other, / dragged myself
| free from the camels. and as l wriggled
| away / heard roar after roar Of APP
! plause. Cheer on cheer-the great
| audience was almost tearing down the
| tent. 1 staggered Imply away. and as
| l sought the dressing room the cheers
| were redoubled. l fell down on 4 trunk
and gasped. while / looked around for
| arnica. Still the cheers. and then the
large, red-necked man rushed in.
Son. he shouted, that was the best
| ever saw. Not q clown in my whole
| outfit could do that. They want you out
| there. Come on back and do it all over
| again.
And / handed I'm my resignation right
| then and there. Ball playing was, from
that time on, plenty good enough for
me-