Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-06
By M'LISS

Yesterday was a day TO make even
s,ssInlst want TO live. but "Daredevir'
1ohnny Reynolds. who spends most Of his
waking hours trying to make the public
A>lleve he has more lives than cat, felt
a. surge" within him TO go forth and
Srnpt death with a few spectacular stunts.
ne selected the roof of the Bell Tele-
esone Company building for the scene OF
ki activities and two photographers and
myself as audience. The photographers.
hardy men caught the contagion Of his
Saredeviltry and leapt around the cornices
of the skyscrapers like antelopes on their
native crags in order 90 shoot" him In
hIs most perious moments. was not con-
tpicuous for bravery.
with a nonchalant wave of his black
velour Johnny saluted Billy Penn. who made
A effective background for his perform
ance. and balanced the hind legs of
chair on the necks of two bottles. which
stood on the very edge of the buildings.
II was one OF those still moments when
even the gentle zephyrs which are wont to
play round about the tops Of high buildings
seem to hold their breaths One felt that II
was tactless, 10 say the least of two ener-
fetIc flies to pursue their busy chasing.
y Reynolds prepared to sit upon that dizzy
chair.
Never before have known well where
my diaphragm was situated. Never before
5 my tonsils. nor found itself 30 de trop In
shs language of the fictloneers. swallowed
hard.
Down in the street the passers-by looked
nke crawling things But Johnny looked
not down with the infinite precision of
movement that characterizes these rattle
brained creatures Reynolds swayed gently
hack and forth rocking in the breeze, his
arms extended horizontally, his feet
stretched out over sheer drop of 1 don't
know how many hundred feet. The time for
The playing OF soft music had come.
Nothing happened. The daredevil" looked
somewhat disappointed
Get me a broom" he said.
A broom was brought. The daredevil"
turned back the cuffs of his vivid pink
shirt and with the airFof chef who is
about TO offer a piece de resistance placed
the broom between two chairs balanced
another diagonally on this and climbed
sloft broom was not meant for this
nor was man. But some call Reynolds
the human fly"
Nothing happened. Once more Reynolds
looked disappointed.
Il need more chairs" he said.
More chairs were brought.
Placing one ups de down on another. and
balancing third on the legs OF the second,
daredevil johnny took fourth in his
hand and mounted the structure he had
bnit He then put the fourth chair In his
nohu on toD ana. with an air which said
mat fate was meant to be .hirted with. sat
down. and once more rocking on the back
legs viewed the surrounding landscape
Nothing happened. Some day undoubt-
edly something Will. and then Reynolds
Wn have TO be picked up in the dustpan
or something like that
In the meantime no fagpole seems too
h'gh. no building too aititudinous. no fool
nArdy feat too hazardous for him to at
He Is the man who several years ago
made the aeroplane flight with Charles
srown which was fatal to the operator of
The machine.
~ pays sometimes to take chance"
<nis crazy youngster told me- You see,
marley Brown was brave. but he wasn't
pfave enough. When the time came to Jump
q didn't have the nerve. We were flying
mkh II was alta county fair In Vermont
Somethins went wrong with the machine.
['ety soon saw the ground coming up
y meet Us then ! saw a tree. II looked
n.qdy Let's jump said TO Brown.
we're safer TO stick 20 the machine he
answered. ! jumped and caught the tree.
I'm here and he amt"
a. us true, up 10 date, he's still here, but
y you look on the back page you'l wonder
now he manages IL.