Mulvaney and Ives - Equilibrists

Date of Application: April 1, 1937
Name: Eric Mulvaney and Carlton Ives
Title of Act: Equilibrists

Description of Act:
We are worthy balancers and gymnasts. We have trained for our act since we were children. We throw ourselves and each other around in a whirlwind fashion and hold one another overhead using feet or hands in various feats of balance and strength. We have a Victrola that plays vigorous music as we perform.

Other Talents: We are talented mechanics and work on motorcars on our off time. We can help repair vehicles for the outfit if needed.

Notes: Mssrs. Mulvaney and Ives are indeed worthy balancers and gymnasts. Rarely have I seen two men fling each other with such reckless abandon. At times, their act bordered on the murderous - it appeared as if the duo were trying to kill one another. This would be thrilling for an audience, if a trifle roughshod for the sprats. Their appears to be genuine animosity between the two, for in the interview process, they constantly bickered and sniped at one another. It makes me fear for the longevity of the act. The Packard the two drove was in fine fettle and purred like a kitten and the boot was loaded with wrenches and other mechanical tools. The two would certainly make a fine addition to the outfit, but perhaps separate coaches might be suggested, to give the two some respite from the company of one another.

- Miller Hatsfield
Senior Roustabout
The Salty Peters Traveling Carnival, Roadshow and Burlesque Review

Gretchen Mobley - Mystic

Date of Application: July 17, 1953
Name: Gretchen Anne Mobley
Title of Act: Mystic

Description of Act:
My mind is a window to the beyond and I am prone to the divine intuition. I can see into the future; not just broad strokes, but actual living specifics. I can read fortune, recite past events and divine illness and disease with the use of leaves, tarot and touch. This is no parlor trickery - I am a true mystic. I also have a tidy, appropriately-decorated caravan, a collection of sweet-smelling oils, candles for mood and brightly-colored robes that convey a sense of mystery and intrigue.

Other Talents: I am adept at the Gypsy Massage, am an able seamstress and not adverse to dancing the hootchie-cootch.

Notes: Miss Mobley seemed a very forthright and straightforward with a no-nonsense air about her. By no more than the touching of my arm with her fingertips, she was able to relate a story about my childhood in Thurmond and my Uncle Charles. It was not a pleasant story and I was shaken to have it brought to mind. She also informed me that my ultimate demise would come at the result of a tussle with a feisty pachyderm. This makes me question how much longer I will be able to muster this carnival life and the dangers that come with it. She seems to be a legitimate mystic and although her asking price is steep, her caravan is quite impressive, as is her array of costumery. If we can find a way to incorporate her Gypsy Massage and use her for the hootchie show, we will probably find the investment quite worthwhile.

-Miller Hatsfield
Senior Roustabout and Hiring Manager
The Salty Peters Traveling Carnival, Roadshow and Burlesque Review

Everett Kilbane - Strongman

Date of Application: October 12, 1947
Name: Everett James Kilbane
Title of Act: Strongman

Description of Act:
I have been working on a strongman act since I got back from the European Conflict. I began a regimen of lifting iron weights and using pulley ropes while I was stationed in France and have since taught myself how to perform feats of strength like bending horseshoes and iron poles. I can snap medium-sized tree branches with my bare hands and have the ability to tear a phone book in half, if it's not too cumbersome. I have three leotard outfits that have a Tarzan-like tiger print to them and with my broad shoulders, small waist and arm musculature, I look more fit than most strongmen I have seen in the local traveling shows.

Other Talents: I can help shoe horses and lift trailers for hitching and repair. I am also a fair shot with a rifle, am versed in hand-to-hand combat and can cook a variety of foods over an open fire.

Notes: Mr. Kilbane suffers neither the skittishness I have observed in soldiers returning from combat duty, nor the aggressive surliness of most of the strongmen I have come across in my years of carny experience. In fact, he was quite soft-spoken, with an easy laugh and an appreciation for the small pleasures. As we held our talk, Kilbane wandered around my trailer, gently picking up various doo-dads I have accumulated over time and asked me for their history, nodding and smiling appreciatively at even the most mundane of stories. He was particularly taken with a small, carved wooden pony that was given to me by a blind Indian wood-carver named Shadrack that I had met in a small town in Iowa in 1937. I gave him the wooden pony as a token and near tears, he tried to refuse the gift, but I told him it was a requirement of his employment with the outfit to accept the wooden pony. He stuck the pony into his pocket with care and proceeded to bend a horseshoe with what appeared to be little effort and tore a local phonebook in half (population 3,200) with ease. I believe Mr. Kilbane will be a welcome addition to the company and his cooking ability may be an asset. His skills in hand-fighting will also likely come in handy when dealing with townie riff-raff, and he looks quite impressive in his leotards.

-Miller Hatsfield
Senior Roustabout and Hiring Manager
The Salty Peters Traveling Carnival, Roadshow and Burlesque Review