Trick Balancing
There are probably few actions more graceful than those of a skillful equilibrist. The necessity of maintaining a symmetrical posture and disposing the body in a well-balanced manner can produce nothing but a pleasing effect. To a lithe and healthy boy there are endless opportunities for creating new figures, whilst many will find an attraction in performing feats rarely attempted by any but professionals.
The whole strain of tight-rope walking is centered in the back. The rigidity of the legs is also an important factor in maintaining the balance. For this reason no child under ten years of age should ever be allowed to attempt anything of this sort, for his bones and muscles will not be sufficiently developed until then.
All the arrangements for a tight-rope exhibition can be made in an ordinary drawing-room. Very few fixtures are required, and the following instructions will give an idea of what must be done.
Fig. 1.—Method of fixing bars of wood.
The rope should be about four feet from the ground, although if the room is lofty the rope may be even higher. A length of good strong sash-cord should be used, and thoroughly tested before every performance.
Assuming that the rope is to be stretched at a height of 4 feet, the supports should be made in the following manner:—
Two stout bars of wood, not less than 1 inch in diameter and 6 feet long, should be fastened together in the form of an irregular St. Andrew’s Cross, as in [Fig. 1]. They must be fastened by running a bolt through them at a distance of 1 foot from the top. The lower ends should then be beveled off at such an angle that the bars will rest evenly upon the floor. To these beveled ends a metal plate should be fastened, projecting outwards, with a hole through which a thumb-screw can be passed, as shown in [Fig. 2]. These plates, together with the metal screw-plate, which should be fastened over the holes in the floor, can be bought for a few cents from any hardware store. The cross-pieces can then be erected and screwed into position, as shown in [Fig. 1].
