South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-18

woods farmer, came chasing a squeal-
ing pig around the ring The whole
place was IN an uproar when ne finally
got hold OF the pigs tail and slid along
the ground. But Helen could only
feel sorry for the poor little animal,
who, helpless and unwilling, was
forced 10 20 through this twice a day.
Now the acrobat act was set, and
the jugglers and tumblers went
through many feats. the perfecting of
which had raised years OF patient
training. Yet they received not half
as much applause as had the foolish
clowns. whose work called for no skill,
except 10 ne as absurd as possible.
Dear. that's wonderful, Why don't
they applaud" as after a particularly
marvellous juggling act. the man step
red out and bowed in anticipation OF
some recognition of his skill.
But there was only a faint hand clap
from some one in the gallery.
"Oh. he did some marvellous things"
persisted Helen. why don't they APP
plaud him?"
Warren shrugged his shoulders.
People are surfeited with this sort
Of thing. Nowadays the acrobat has
to do so much to arouse the least en-
thusiasm. In a way, it's a shame, for
those fellows work hard.'
Here tn acrobatic act was quickly
changed for a slackwire number. An
other proJigiOus presentation Of va
rious and vigorous arenic acts of deft-
ress and dexterity," was the announce
ment on me program.
Then came the trained sea lions.
Helen was charmed with their grace
and ability and really mar elous intel
ligence. While riding bareback ponies
they juggled balls. plates and burning
torches on their sleek noses, barking
jOyously when rewarded with a fish.
Watch those men work" said War
rem. as the moment this act ended the
small army of brown uniformed work
! ingmen rushed forward with astonish-
ing swiftness, removed the parapher-
MALTA and put up that for the next-a
| trapeze number. That's the most
| " onderful thing about the circus-its
, organization. Every detail is planned
| and timed to the second. Now just
I watch how they put that setting"
And as Helen looked down ii SEEM
| ed hardly a moment before the nets
were stretched and everything ready
| for the performers, who in their pink.
| blue and lavender tights were climb
ing up the rope ladders to swing dir
lilly aloft. while the band played slow
music to add to the effect.
| There was a gasp from the audience
as one of the most daring aerialiStS
missed a swing in a flying leap and fell
crashing into the net below. But in
a second he was again climbing up the
rope ladder and again flying from
swing to swing. A few moments later
in the end ring there was a sudden
| downward streak of blue, and this
| time il was q young woman whom the
net had caught.
"Oh, Warren. don't you love their
adjectives? Listen" reading from the
program. IAN imperial army of
aerialists in superbly sensational ar
ray of amazing midair exploits on the
| flying traDeZe. Positively the greatest
| aerial display ever assem- bled. AS
tonishing and audacious feats of fin
ished flights and reckless rarity I'm
agine writing a whole program like
| that"
"Oh. that's part of the business, and
| it's mighty hard stuff to write. A man
I used TO know at college did that for
q while. He travelled with the circus
for about a year and wrote all their
publicity dope. Said at first he used to
| sit up all night studying the dictionary
for SYNONYMS of stupendOus' and as
founding Now he's a newspaper re-
porter, and curiously enough his style
| is unusually simple. Never uses a
word of over two syllables if he can
| help il. Reaction 1 suppose.
| But he said that year was mighty
good training. He spent a whole
evening at the club once, telling us
about the tremendous labor of pack
| ing up each night in the one night
stands. They carry their own cars, of
cOurSe-a whole train, and have an
army of worl-men. Think of the or
- -