Article The Great Round World and What's Going On In It magazine--Anonymous author

Blondin was a Frenchman, his father having been one of Napoleon’s soldiers.

A story is told of him that when he was five years old he saw an acrobat performing on a tight-rope. He was so pleased with what he saw, that when he got home he stretched a rope between two posts, and, as soon as his mother was out of the way, took his father’s fishing-rod, and, using it as a balancing pole, made his first appearance as a tight-rope walker.

He was trained for an acrobat and tight-rope walking, and came to this country with a troupe of pantomimists.

While he visited Niagara Falls, the idea at once struck him that, if he dared to cross those terrible waters on a rope, his fortune would be made. He made up his mind to try it, and stayed in the village of Niagara for weeks, until he had learned just how it would be possible for him to perform the feat.

Then he set about getting the scheme well advertised, and securing plenty of money for himself if he succeeded in accomplishing it.

On August 17th, 1859, he made the trip across the Falls in the presence of 50,000 spectators. This performance made him famous.

His rope was 175 feet above the waters.

He was not satisfied with merely walking across; he crossed again blindfolded, and then carrying a man on his back, and once again wheeling a barrow before him.

In the summer of 1860 he crossed once more in the presence of the Prince of Wales, and carried a man on his back, whom he set down on the rope six times, while he rested.

He died in London, at the age of seventy-three.

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