ACROSS NIAGARA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 603, 17 September 1913, Page 2

ACROSS NIAGARA.

AUSTRALIAN'S DA KING JOURNEY. A MEMORY OF ELON DIN'S FEAT. Few men would have the pluck to walk across Niagara on a tight rope, ays tlie Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney Sun. Fewer atil! would have the pi nek io mount the shoulder.'" of ihe tight rope walker anil earno! across thai way. The <<ne man who not only had the pinek. im!; weal through ihe expc \aee.ee, war- Henry Percival Lyon?. He was Dlontiin's advance agent and business manager and ho died the other day thia home in South Melbourne. Lyons was Australian-born, a small volatile, elightlv-built man, with enough physical fire and courage for dozen average mortals. He commenced his long snow career by entering the employment of Mr R. Stewart, father of Misa Nellie Stewart, and announced their coming in most parts of the Empire. Blondin was a public wonder in Australia in 1877, and Lyons was greatly attracted by the business possibilities of rope walking. He secured his introduction to Blondin in daring fashion. Blondin had asked from end to end of Australia for volunteers to be carried pick-a-back across his tight ropes. Only on rare occasions were people found willing to trust their life and limbs to the daring showman. Lyons came forward one night, and was so eaßy to carry, so light and steady on Blcyidin's back, and so promising in his talk of the money to be made in the business that he became Blondin'B business manager.

Round and round the world Blondin and Lyons travelled, always increasing in the daring of their performances, until they came to the famous wager upon the crossing of Niagara Falls. As every schoolboy knows, Blondin got safely across, and Lyons was the man who went over on his back.

"There waß a lot of money wagered against Blondin," Lyons used to say to his friends "and when we were half way over a guide rope snapped on the American side. Afterwarda we found it had been cut. The tight rope quivered and began to swing dangerously. I did not move, but I must have' shown slight nervousness as Blondin said, 'Don't move; hold tight.' He hesitated for a second and then made a little run forward a few more steps. The rope steadied slightly and the rest of the journey was easily accomplished."

|As was said at the time, it was braver to be carried than to carry. The carrier guided his own steps, whereas the carried man was helpless, and ran the risk of being jettisoned.

Lyons became the moßt famous of Australian advance agents, and he was a friend of everyone in the show business in Australia, He probably travelled more than any Australian of his day. He mu3t have been round the world at least a dozen times. After leaving Blondin he acted for some of the big circuses, including Cooper's, Bailey's, and Barnum and Baley's. He took the Hudson Surprise Party Vaudeville Company round Auetralia as Lyons' Touring Company, and later guided it on a triumphant tour of India and China. He was frequently in the Far East, and was known as the man who managed the greatest touring shows. He took the Taylor-Carrington party for a three years' tour in the East, going to the Khyber Pass and the borders of Baluchistan on the one side, and to Burma. China, Singapore, and Japan on the other. Then he became the harbinger of the first biograph company brought to Australasia. As he mounted the sixties he repeatedly expressed his intention to retire, but the death of hiß daughter in 1908 sent him in sorrow on the roads again. He was happiest when at work and could never settle down quietly in any home. Three years ago his wife died, just after he had comleted a long and successful tour with Carter, the magican. He aged suddenly. He picked up a small tour here and there, and finally started the Tokio Town. He waß working tjis successfully when a few weeks ago he became ill at Broken Hill ar.d returned to Melbourne to die. He left a wide circle of friends, a limitlesß number of friendly acquaintances, and not a few grateful members of the show army, who were helped by him in their time of need.