The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini-Hunt - Further Adventures (Part Three)

He announced plans for several wire walks, but due to the financial climate of a war torn country, he financially wasn’t available. Finally he revised his plans and “presented weekly shows at Moffat’s Grove, the pleasure ground just north of Buffalo”. The shows didn’t all go smoothly, but Farini was able to work his way through the problems. One of his walks featured the debut of Signora Farini. Here is Shane’s description, “The exciting prospect him carry “a live woman” brought out another big crown. They watched him step out onto his rope with Mary on his back and head toward his “crow’s nest” in the tree. He had invented a new apparatus for carrying her, a kind of side-saddle made of leather, steel bands and stirrups that strapped onto his shoulders and rendered her ride comfortable and as safe as possible. She was described as “a pale and rather interesting looking person of twenty-two years, or thereabouts” and despite the poor condition of the rope that day she performed her task without fear and was cheered heartily when they reached the crow’s nest and she was lowered safely to the ground”. Farini and Signora Farini three more times and then left town. Farini “was about to temporarily leave show business and plunge himself into the bloody mess that was the American Civil War.”

NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.

(To Be Continued)