The Daily News Batavia, Genesee Co., NY June 27 1887 THE FATE OF GLORY HUNTERS. The acts of recklessness that many men undertake to obtain notoriety for themselves are numerous. They include high rope walking, swimming, or otherwise going through dangerous channels, and jumping from great heights into the water. It is nothing but fool business, yet many men are engaged in it, and enormous crowds assemble to see the rash feats performed. Many times the seekers after this sort of prominence are successful in their performances, but finally a day comes when they meet a violent death, Sam-Patch-like. The last of this class to go to glory was Stephen PEER, a rope walker, from Canada, who entered upon his career a dozen or more years ago at Niagara Falls at the time Signor BALINO had a rope stretched from Prospect Park to in front of the Clinton House. PEER saw BALINO walk and when the latter had finished, says the Buffalo Courier, PEER got a balance-pole and started out on the rope which had been slackened. He walked across it twice and won the plaudits of the thousands of spectators. About ten years ago he walked across the river on a rope which was stretched about 600 yards below the new suspension bridge; the rope was so loose that it lay right in the water. No one knew of his intention, and when he reached this side not a half dozen spectators were present, and he went up the street as far as the Niagara House, got a drink and returned home across the rope. His occupation was that of a painter, and he was noted for undertaking jobs requiring great nerve, such as the painting of church steeples, bridges, etc. Last Wednesday PEER crossed the Niagara on a five-eighth inch cable, and after that event took to drink. He was watched closely by friends, but on Saturday evening they lost track of him, and his dead and badly mutilated body was found subsequently about eighty feet from the foot of the precipice on the Canada side. He had evidently attempted to walk across the cable after dark and alone, and had lost his balance. PEER was about forty years old and unmarried. His home was in Drummondville, Ont. to be cont'd. submitted by L.C. Schmidt

unsubscribe Linda/Don wrote: > The Daily News > Batavia, Genesee Co., NY > June 27 1887 > > THE FATE OF GLORY HUNTERS. > The acts of recklessness that many men undertake to obtain notoriety for > themselves are numerous. They include high rope walking, swimming, or > otherwise going through dangerous channels, and jumping from great heights > into the water. It is nothing but fool business, yet many men are engaged > in it, and enormous crowds assemble to see the rash feats performed. Many > times the seekers after this sort of prominence are successful in their > performances, but finally a day comes when they meet a violent death, > Sam-Patch-like. The last of this class to go to glory was Stephen PEER, a > rope walker, from Canada, who entered upon his career a dozen or more years > ago at Niagara Falls at the time Signor BALINO had a rope stretched from > Prospect Park to in front of the Clinton House. PEER saw BALINO walk and > when the latter had finished, says the Buffalo Courier, PEER got a > balance-pole and started out on the rope which had been slackened. He > walked across it twice and won the plaudits of the thousands of spectators. > About ten years ago he walked across the river on a rope which was stretched > about 600 yards below the new suspension bridge; the rope was so loose that > it lay right in the water. No one knew of his intention, and when he > reached this side not a half dozen spectators were present, and he went up > the street as far as the Niagara House, got a drink and returned home across > the rope. His occupation was that of a painter, and he was noted for > undertaking jobs requiring great nerve, such as the painting of church > steeples, bridges, etc. > Last Wednesday PEER crossed the Niagara on a five-eighth inch cable, and > after that event took to drink. He was watched closely by friends, but on > Saturday evening they lost track of him, and his dead and badly mutilated > body was found subsequently about eighty feet from the foot of the precipice > on the Canada side. He had evidently attempted to walk across the cable > after dark and alone, and had lost his balance. PEER was about forty years > old and unmarried. His home was in Drummondville, Ont. > > to be cont'd. > submitted by > L.C. Schmidt > > ==== NY-OLD-NEWS Mailing List ==== > County and State Coordinators needed. For more information see: > http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com/volunteer.html > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237