The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1860-05-02
Circus Nvork "a itu Pav-

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constantly peregrinate tue country and
every village in all the land has a neen A.
'Hippodrome" two or three times a
year. But the Circus seems TO be obsoI.
etc. 1t Is true that if the riders were not
called 'equestrians," the tumblers gym
nasts, the clown a Court lester. the
hores ARAB steeds," or "coursers Of the
desert" and the ring "a magic circle" we
mlght still perceive in the "Roval
Aphitheatre" Of the present day some re-
semblance to the circus that used To can.
tlvate our youthful hearts, and set our
| juvenile heels turning over our adolescent
heads for weeks after its departure,
Many of the Objectionable features of
| the old circus have been purged away
the broad, and too often gross Jokes Of
the clown have been abolished. and that
| spotted parsonage mitig.ated from a YER
bose blackguard to an imbecile of few
words. The reprehensible exhibition of
very youngchildren in dangerous perform
ances is now nearly done away with, and
several other unpleasant features of such
performances, which every one will readi-
ly recall to mind, are now unknown. The
establishments have wonderfully increas-
ed in dimensions, and the performances
improved in excellence, as the public
tastes clamored for something better than
could be done by the feeble perambula-
ting shows Of old. A travelling circus
twenty or thirty years ago, consisted of
perhaps dozen performers, who were ex-
pected TO perform equestrian wonders on
the twenty or thirty wretched horses that
were compelled to do the double duty of
running in the ring at night, and drag
ging the dozen or so rickety wagons by
day. But now, a hippodrome concern,
comprises 90 horses and 100 men and
women, and when performing in large
cities, they not unfrequntly add drama
tic corps to their own strength, and pro-
duce with great splendor, plays and spec
tacles in which equestrian effects are the
main feature.
1t may readily be believed that in a pro-
fcssion where the constant risk of life and
limb is a matter Of daily bread, and where
an occasional broken neck is an incident
inseperable from the legitimate carrying
! on OF the business, wages are high. Anoth-
or reason why the remuneration should
be liberal, lies in the fact that even should
n untoward accident extinguish life or
disa limb, the active years of circus
per. 'ormer are very few. The life at the
easie st. is very wearing one, especially
upon those devoted to the equestrian
branch es of it, who, in addition to their
perform ances before the public, are oblig-
ed to devote hours of every day to the
breaking and training of horses, and to
patient, tho ugh dangerous rehearsals Of
their various feats. A circus-rider is out
of his apprentI ceship and is a man at 10,
is mature at 81, al nd old at %, after which
time few continue to attempt the daring
performances of their younger days, but
subside into ring-ma,Nters, or clo~ns, or
| adopt other branches OF the business
whose quieter requirements do not neces-
state constant break neck exposure.
The writer of this article was lately
watching one of the most dashlng riders
OF the age attempt some new and diff
! cult feats at rehearsal, when member Of
| the troupe himself rider of experience,
| observed: yes, he's a splendid rider I;
but he's getting very old; he can't hold
out much longer"
Impelled by curiosity, the writer asked
| the age of the equestrian veteran, and the
reply was, HE must be nearly q years
old. There was no affectation in this sug-
gestive remark; for although the rider
| who was the subject of conversation has
not yet Veached the ripe age of 2 years,
he has for eleven years been one of the
brightest stars in the equestrian galaxy.
How many men in any other profession
stand so long on the summit of the hill
before they begin their march down the
decline?
The apprenticeship to the business is
long and wearisome. Children usually
begin as early as three years old, and
work with more or less assiduity until they
are l6, when they are generally consider.
old enough to be their own masters. In
! former times, these children were many Of
them picked up in the streets, and there
is no doubt that these human waits had q
hard time of it, for, in the days when ri
ders sometimes treated their high priced
horses with barbarous cruelty, it was no
| likely that they should be much more
considerate to children, who were of nc
pecuniary value. But in this more en-.
lightened day the whole matter is chang
Ell very much for the better.
Mr.. James NJ. Nixon, the manager oi
the circus company lately at Nibloe's Gar.
den. and which is in every point the best
establishment of the kind ever in the
country, has been in the business from
earliest childhood. He was once celebra-
ted as a four horse rider, a slack-rope per
former, and a posturist. His own appren-
ticeship was served with Aaron Turner,
| the pioneer of the circus business in this
| country, as follows: Groom, with instruc-
tons in the ring business, . years; Lamp
| trimmer ditto, months; Ring builder
F, | ditto, months; Performer years Ring
Master ! year; Equestrian Manaoer
year. He was then considered "out OF
his time" and competent to make his
own engagements and take care of his
= own money. This is about the routine
:, that every performer has to go through.
Mr.. Nixon's company consists of about
: ca riders and gymnasts, women, men, and
a | children among the latter of whom arr
d three children two girls and boy) of the
managers. Besides these, the force o.
v grooms, carpenters and other assistant
number nearly or quite as many more.
" The number of children connectedwitl
the company is about 20, most of whom
are under the immediate care of thei
parents. Those persons who have imbih
ed the notion that children are now, a
: formerly compelled by harsh words or tn
/, lash, to perform their lessons in riding o
- gymnastics, would have their ideas ma
. terially modified could they witness
= mornings work of the youngsters wit
- their teachers. The patience and uniforI
W. kindness with which the instructions ar
impaired, are seldom excelled in any otl
- er schools of youthful training, and tn
a children themselves, instead of going
as their tasks with fear and trembling striv
in their exercise, to excel each other, wit
N an ardor which other instructors would
!. only too happy to excite.
The principal performers in Mr.. Nixon
90 company are as follows: Ella Zoyar
equestrian, in addition to first class pa
sage from England and back for self ar
two servants, medical attendance
10 orl and hOFe
ne whenever required, and a benefit evel
n two weeks, receives per week $500. N
OF Will am Cooke, equestrian manager, p'
O. sages FOR self and wife from England al
al return, and per week, $500. James Re
inson, equestrian, for self and thr
horses, $3.50. The Hanlon Brothers, 5
II persons, rymnasts, per week, S3OO.
Charlton, silt walker, passages, etc. So
Mr.. Duverney, contortionist, passages, e
TX SIPS; Mile Heloise, equestrienne, SIG
NJ Mile Clementine, equestrienne, 500;
and Madame Du Bach, equestrians, $l(
Master Barclay, equestrian, ten years o
ok SIS: Mr.. Whitby, ring master and equ,
. trian, 500; Mr. S. Stickney, equestri
end general performer, 800; Mr.. J. PEI
l land, clown, 500; Mr.. Ellingham, ri
ur and general performer, $40; Mr.. Ar
strong, equestrian and general perform
aS $40; W. kincaid, do. $40; w Pastor,
ly' $50; W Berthe, do. $50; Brennan,
SOS: f. Sylvester, do. 500; "A. Sylvest
IN do. 500; w. Ward, slack rope and elov
$50; Prof Yates, ballet master, SOS.
Stark, general performer, SOS; S. RI
giles. $50; Davenport, $40; Foster, S:
= Peterson $50; four lady equestrians,
es week each, $50; and twenty ballet gi
and twenty supernumeries.
-, The grooms, carpenters, and other 81
u ordinates receive about what is paid
y, similar services elsewhere. In addition
III these salaries, all travelling expenses
paid by the manager.
Is This list will give an idea of the wa
-. paid. twill be seen that the remunt
NJ NJ ton is liberal. Though the average dI
III ton Of the lives of the riders is v
IN short, the tymnastic department of
profession is very healthy, and those v
az devote themselves exclusively to that
barring accident, usually very Ion,
~. lived. The salaries are high, but scare
high enough, we presume, toinduce ms
u to leave other branches of industry
ne the purpose of devoting themselves
an clusively to the break-neck profession
@!cc " \ Tribune.
nd
md A VENERABLE LADY.-A new vice-reg
of the Ladies Mount Vernon Associat
Jar is Mrs. Mary Chestnut, the mother of
he mother of the South Carolina Senat
her This lady now eiphfv-fvA wears Of a