The Orton's #1

Scan10911, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Received this interesting article from Don Covington: BISMARK TRIBUNE Bismark, North Dakota 11-02-2008: news-local Top circus performer came from North Dakota One of the most fearless circus performers was born and raised in North Dakota. Vernon Liedtke was billed as the "Sensational Orton," and his death-defying acts, high in the air, caused those in the audience to gasp. Most of his later acclaim was for his "sway pole" act. According to circus lingo, this is defined as "an act in which the performer perches atop an extremely tall pole, then sways and rocks the pole giddily from side to side and is very dangerous to perform." While on top of this swaying pole, 100 feet in the air, Liedtke would do hand stands and other acrobatic feats. Besides performing at many local fairs, Liedtke also performed at the 1940 San Francisco World's Fair, on national television and before much of the European royalty. On Dec. 1, 1957, while practicing at his home in Dallas for another European tour, one of the guy wires, supporting the pole, broke, and Liedtke plunged to his death. Liedtke was born June 28, 1912, to Adolf and Grantie Ellen Randall Liedtke on his father's homestead, one mile north of Robinson in Kidder County. From an early age, he was mischievous and a daredevil. He loved to climb and showed no fear of heights. In the early 1920s, the family went to see the Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus when it came to Jamestown. From that time on, Liedtke knew what he wanted to do when he got older - join the circus. He would study circus posters and practice the tricks that he saw displayed on the posters. To practice the trapeze acts, he erected two sets of swings. One set was in the barn's hay loft, and the other was on the ground. He learned to get one of the swings going at a maximum arc and then let go and grab the other swing. In 1927, the Orton Brothers Circus came to Robinson. He talked to the owners, Miles and Bayard Orton, about joining their circus. Since they could use the help of a strong farm kid in setting up the equipment, they relented, but only if Liedtke had his parents' permission. Knowing that he would probably run away if they denied him, his parents agreed on the condition that he return home every fall to continue his education until graduation. Liedtke agreed. The Orton Brothers were the third generation of circus owners. Their circus performed throughout the Midwestern states and was billed as the "World's Greatest Little Show." Liedtke began his summers with the circus doing manual work, such as setting up and tearing down the equipment. Soon he also was given other duties like being a clown and playing in the band. As he promised, Liedtke returned every fall to Robinson until he graduated from high school in 1930. He soon joined Orton Brothers on a full-time basis. The grandfather of the Orton Circus owners established a town, 25 miles west of Des Moines, Iowa, called Ortonville. It was where the circus people spent the winters, and it was where Liedtke rejoined his circus family. Miles and Bayard Orton had a younger sister, Grace, who was primarily in charge of wardrobe for the circus performers. She had been trained to do trapeze work and often filled in when one of the regular performers was injured or too ill to work. She taught Liedtke the art of the trapeze, and soon the two fell in love and got married. At this time, the Great Depression made it difficult for most people to afford buying tickets for the circus and, in 1932, the Orton Brothers Circus was forced to close. Times were tough for Vernon and Grace Liedtke, but, between infrequent odd jobs, he continued to work on his trapeze skills. In 1934, he made his first public appearance on the trapeze at the Shrine Circus in Fargo. Liedtke worked with a booking agency out of Boston, but, having to compete with other more experienced trapeze artists, he decided to look for another act that was more unique. Liedtke's new act was the sway pole. Grace had experience with the sway pole and was the first female to do a one-hand stand atop a 100-foot high pole. Billing himself as the "Sensational Orton," the couple began to get gigs at state fairs and other exhibitions. Their big break came in 1940 when they were asked to perform at the World's Fair in San Francisco. With this exposure, the Liedtkes were finally able to find steady employment during the summers. In 1946, the couple divorced, and his career suffered until 1948 when he married another performer, Doris Blackburn. In 1950, they were asked to join the Bertram Mills Circus in England. They performed before Queen Elizabeth and other European royalty, and their act was so successful, that they were asked back three more times over the next six years. (Written by Curt Eriksmoen and edited by Jan Eriksmoen. Reach the Eriksmoens by e-mail at cjeriksmoen@cableone.net.)