El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-04-20

. might be found still doing their stuntu
down IN Cuba. or with the permanent
circus IN HOnolulu-but never, ne
/ never. on the vaudeville stage.
! The vaudeville stage is meant for
those who must work IN the winter
I because their sumner salaries VIII
not permit OF oft-seasOn ioleness. But
I II mil1dy aerialist is not found work
I ing IN the winter IL is because The
I salary IS unartra ctive- She does not
have TO work Ny. no She does e
more 70 keep in trim" for the en-
Z suing season.
Miss Bird l1illman. known the World
I over 70 the followers Of the calfioua
as the greatest OF All wire walkers Is
7 another who works in of seasons 70
Z keep in trim They tell the story o.
how Miss Milman. in early girIhood
[ decided to become a circus psrforusr-
How She started.
She stretched a clotleEliue from her
1edposr out through her window 20 a
I tree and started out for a career Her
mother found her quite out OF breath.
but undaunred. When her mother hid
the rope the plucky girl found a wire.
and as often as the ground came Up
TO meet her she was Up and at Il
again
Both continents know Of her sue
Z cess and through il all she has main
tanned a distinct social circle about
her which refuses 70 gives bend or
/
Z friends, and she has but few. She is
too busy and too thoroughly wrapped
CD in her art If the layman scouts
the use Of the word art" then let
him or her try to do a cakewalk on q
high wire
In Circus Social Strata
Throughout the circus world the So
cial strata is ever in existence In
graduating layers. possibly. 6ur ever
present and never 20 be disturbed.
The De koe family OF acrobats-na-
tive Belgians. right from The land de-
vastated BY the inhuman Huns. and
again we run into the blood Of titles
beneath the Barnun & Bailey canvas
Ever mindful OF the suffering OF
their less fortunate countrymen. the
De Kos family regularly dig deep into
their pockets Nor financial assistance.
And when out on the road with the
circus the De koe social strata also
is ever in evidence. Their dressing
rooms is a canvas home within the
Big dressing room There Just as
nearly as possible. are found the
comforts OF an actual home.
Individual dressing rooms. tiny but
nipple. a little living room. a sew
ing room and all the other necessities
Of a circus life
In this connection the question IS
often asked: How did these people
ever get started in the circus NE
The answer. at least in a large per
EeNla=E OF e-EEAe lhees le-
They were born in q circuA
Born on the Road.
rCndispuled circus history tells Us
that many OF these performers were
born on trains. in road wagons OF on
improvised cots on circus lots. TO
the manner born" is a saying truly
chara eteristic OF circuslife. And. in
passing. Just another word regarding
the life Of the circus performer.
Airs. Grundy often contends that
circus folks are not nice. that per
sons dressed in such brazen costumes
cannot possibly have clean minds"
And Mrs Grundr IS just as mistaken
rs she can possibly be. This might
have been true 40 years ago. We
doubt it.
Today the woman OF uuqusstionabis
morals is despised by circus perform
ers- Fast lives are even more damaE-
ing to circus performers than 70 those
in other walks Of life Theirs. OF ne
cessity, must be clean and wholesome
And again. those OF such ca1iber are
not only stunned. but quickly denied
any possible entry 20 Circus Aris-
tocracr-