MEMORIES OF BLONDIN

Evening Star, Issue 20989, 31 December 1931, Page 10

MEMORIES OF BLONDIN

DAUGHTER’S EXPERIENCES Memories of Blondin, tho tight-ropo walker, were revived recently at the Crystal Palace, in London, in which ho performed nearly sixty vears ago, by tho name of Mis Blondin Eobiolio, of Streathain, appearing in a catalogue of a dog show. ohc was exhibiting terriers. Mrs Ilobiolio, a vivacious elderly ■woman, stated that she was Liondin’s daughter. “ I saw my father walk across a ropo m this very hall,” Mrs Ilobiolio said. ‘ When I was aged about nine ho carried mo across a tight-rope in South America. 1 was usually tied on his back, but once ho forgot to tie me. He was very upset a Iterward, but I was delighted and told him I never wanted to bo tied again. “Jn London the young bloods used to pay to be carried by my father. Sometimes they bad a drink to give them coura"e, and they could not hold on properly. They would loan to ono side, and my father had to Jean the other way to balance. Young officers of tho guards sometimes used to put on a false beard so that they might ride on my father’s back without being recognised.” , . Blondin, who was a J; renclmian, died m 1897. He crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope in 1859,