FICTION

Pedigree Thompson (The Master Juggler) 

by George W. Rowland

(Adapted from the IJA Newsletter, April 1964)

I never met Pedigree Thompson. But I have heard so much about him since my retirement to the monastery that I feel as though I have known him all my life. It was seeing Wilfrid DuBois practicing with his new set of four Harry Lind octagonal clubs that has made me decide to write what I had heard of that great man. 

Pedigree Thompson was born in an Indiana town where his father was stage manager of one of Gus Sun's many theaters. From the day he started walking, Pedigree attended (with his father) the daily matinees and saw all of the wonderful performers. Pedigree never thought of juggling as a profession for himself until one day when he was 15-years-old when a juggler whose "three-club trick" was a feature of his act got stranded in the town. This man took a job as stage-hand until he could earn enough money to get to Chicago, but ended up staying on until old age forced him to accept the town's offer of room and board at the poor-house... 

This man had made his "fame" by juggling with three clubs, the first ones made by Harry Lind. He gave the clubs to Pedigree and coached him into juggling all three clubs with one hand - a marvelous trick at that time! Pedigree was righthanded, but soon learned (on his own) to do that trick with his left-hand as well. 

Yet it is still doubtful that Pedigree would have entered our noble field if that robust female singer Cora Mittelhof had not arrived for a two-day stand. She saw the young man practicing with his beautifully multicolored tinsel clubs while she was waiting for the band rehearsal to begin, and immediately fell in love with both the clubs and the man who was making them whirl in the air... 

Cora Mittelhof had learned her singing at county-fairs, where her voice carried across the racetracks and far beyond the grandstands. Thus when she appeared in theaters her musical tones could be heard by passersby outside the theater, and she was in great demand for that particular reason. Those outside, upon hearing her voice, would flock to the box-office and buy tickets. Something unheard of happened on the Gus Sun circuit. Cora Mittelhof was booked every place for a full week. During that week she wooed and won Pedigree Thompson. They were married and left town together. 

Whereever Cora played after that she made arrangements for Pedigree to have use of the stage for his practice. She eventually coached him into changing hands while all three clubs were still in the air. Her trick was to place two small tables far enough apart for him to stand between. She put his sandwiches on one table and his coffee on the other, always throwing his clubs high enough to allow time for the change-over for lunch and clubs from one hand to the other. 

Then one day another juggler with Harry Lind clubs went bankrupt, and Pedigree bought those three to add to his collection. Now our boy really went to work! 

Up to this time there had been no thought of showing Pedigree off to the public. But when Pedigree demanded three more clubs Cora sensed that her boy had ambition. She advertised in the theatrical papers for three clubs, with the only stipulation that they must be tinseled. A few days later a carnival came to the town where Cora was appearing. A man who had never been able to educate his clubs well enough to work with came to the theater and watched Pedigree go through his routine. He was so fascinated that he gave his clubs to Pedigree for free. 

Day by day Pedigree Thompson practiced throwing his new clubs up directly in the center of his pattern where they would not interfere with the other well trained Harry Lind clubs. There was a great excitement in the Gus Sun office when one of their booking agents rushed in and announced "the discovery of the century!" He asked all the management to come in person to watch this great juggler who could keep nine clubs in the air at the same time. 

The word leaked out, and long before Cora had Pedigree on stage in position between his tables, there were a good 100 persons seated in the theater. Pedigree began by very nonchalantly throwing his right- hand clubs into the air. Then he followed those with the left-hand clubs. Those six- clubs were spinning gracefully, when, to the amazement of all present, Pedigree grabbed from the table his gift clubs. They went straight up the center perfectly so that all nine clubs were in the air! 

Then, unexpectedly, the theatre manager's two beautiful daughters rose from their seats and applauded wildly. Pedigree's eyes were diverted from his clubs for just an instant, but that was enough. 

The center clubs collided, fell and conked him on the head, followed by all the others. Pedigree fell backwards to the floor. Cora, was so disgusted that she walked from the theater without waiting to take Pedigree taken to the hospital, and was never heard of again. 

Pedigree lingered in the hospital for many days until the doctors decided that there was no cure for the sanity of a man who claimed he could juggle nine clubs. He then lingered in an insane-asylum for several years until he was declared sane enough to become a booking-agent. 

You will find him today in one of our eastern cities where in a corner of his office hang nine Harry Lind clubs, just waiting to be juggled again!

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