The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-26
THE BIG SHOW At NEWTON.
4 TILk WTTH AZ dNCTENT KNIGHT
or TUE SfWDUsT fRENI.

iug with Rough raw ds-Thc trca' Family
There's 80 much in II about our pro-
fesston that the outside world never dreams 81
or knows anything about that 1t Isn't easy 70
know whore to star. - tell you. why II smart
obervant man would wy. with ciirue qac
season and just take note 4 the strange things
he'd see. he could make the biggest kind
Of book. Artcmns wsri-knew him. did
your Well, yOG don't sayl Wasn't he good
fellowI Well. Artemus ward-or Brown, "a his
real name was-rode in the same wagon with
me one week. No. he wasn't connected with the
circus In any way, Just going along for trip and
TO see something Of the life. lie was lightning
on reading signs backwards, and made more
fun. Why he was just full aud running over
with humVr. Aud lie wasn't a m IN that wO Id
bore YOU to death with a tale. He'd never tell
you one more'n as long as the first Joint OF your
forennger, but there was always pith and
bunor In every one he got Of That
was when we were with Wclch's company
going through Connecticut the first year that
circuscs were permitted to travel in that state
That Rufus Welch, the General us all the
profession called him. was man that we all re.
spectcd and loved. he was so kind aud good
lie used to be In the Purdy, WEIGH, McComber
Il Co. combination, and he had the amphi.
theatre where the Continental Hotel stands now
In Philadelphia When he ran that place his
! company was never full always was room to
engage any member OF the profession who
| came along and wanted work ny the wav.
IL just occurs 20 me, Ia your article
! about the old-ti'ue clowns you forgot to
mention Chris Hughes and Walter williams.
| Hughes nourished about lS,s 90 1874, and VIII
| lams something later. Williams came over
| from England with Vests circus. and his wife
/ Caroline. a very pretty woman and good rider.
was in the sane company, riGiug and doing ne
/ slack wire. George Blythe WAS the principal
] tqueStrlnH 10 that COMPANY remember them
/ very well. They used 70 do fox chase On the
stage, with real live iox. Runs were Fixed IN
such way that Reward had to take certain
! course around the ring and across he stage and
! w one run after another pursued Toy dogs aud
/ men Oh J. orsebask, all III thorough I'D country
! tux-hunting st,le and the act would end with
the killing q the lex. and taxing hi- brush
/ That wouldn't bc allo ed NOWADAYS. suppose.
Bergh would interfere. Bui ii was jDlb exct-
inr sport ior The audiences Ia tbose Gays.
HARD rGurtSG
e Do We ever h We rows With the rough crowds
OF outsiders Yes. indeed We a. l.shty rough
Ones sometimes. I tell YOU. Hat | must say.
Il nes.l,. t1a. never vet heard OF an instance
where the circus ople BEGAN row or where,
wor-t cf n. why. I've known h III dozen
circus men to be knocked down. one after an
otAer, by atough crowd. hefor, they would per
mt Themselves to be forced int conflict, bat
when IL tecaue manifostV necessary tn4t tney
should l.ht to urotect th'lr live AMI property,
u ca they went in and did some VI the uIuat
terrible rrhtinr anvIDdy ever a. see And a
circus COMPANY cau't ue licked. We hAht back
to back oue for all ami all for one. whe the
moo against as .. all loose. me wor hzhi
ever vas IN Was when / was with Nrlru'- Hip
pOUInmc. ont IN Somerset. ohio. m 1873 seven
circus men were snot Ia that ught, out rone ia
tally. ana we dld clean ous tne Mob. liu IL was
a desperate night. There re 800 particular towns
noted Tor getting up battles with TIE circus
folks, b., conflict l. liable to occur almost
any tlme. " an dcpehde SIMPLY upon hp" much
crooked wuiskey the counirSmcn gct INTO them,
and how far they are dis. osed To b. usly ia con
sec Hence. Down IN Texas We ALWAYS cNuect
hEuts and there things are serious, Tor every
man goes armed In tuat country. but we are az
well prepared for them as we can be. and wntn
We haye 70. We do our best 10 take care of our
selves. The canvas men generally have to at
teud To tue RENTING, or most ~ II any way, as ~
~ the ring do all We can TO keen from letting
the people ia the tent know what Is going ON
row Commenced inside. well, we may oe Going
ahead giving a show While the most desperate
sort Of u hight gong ON outside. OF course we
bear the boss canyasman's whistle, Gnd we
know Its signals, but We never let on N we eau
help II. for fear OF .gnteuing the audience.
You were fi.nt in.what lOI SAID about the
circus profession being healthy one aud con
aueiVr to lon..vlty Both horse. ana men .rn,y
old IN II about as gracefully a they could my
and tweu,y 1--WE wear. id. ana n, i,r .rrsies a.
Old when saw MN there. and how much I6r ger
the animal Lived don't know. IIO certainly
come. Ane as Tor uien, well 1ust look al the
father OF that man VINO has lust come IN, for a
sample. That man IS james l.. Cooke, thc NOUS
rider. Well his father Is seventy four years Ola,
years ago. and to-Iay he MalAs ia straight aud
lively t. most men II uiti.'
GLAUINE snow.
James L. Cooke coming forward at this juno.
turc. announced that he was goius 20 ave .
IN w that evening In his ampnithea,re IT New
ton, NJ. a regular old-iime circus SHOW, sue
as HASN'T been seen for tn!rty-lye years. Twelve
bcis q horsem anship. all nnc one after another
That's genuine circus Tor you. No me gre n O.
Geu. Giant or the hius Of the CanuiDal lsllnls,
'WhichtNer YOU please you paws your money
and you takes your choice. M little dears.'"
Tue writer beng assured tnat MIR. Cooke,
senior, would appear IN the RIM, taking p~rt IA
the aftcrpece --for the first time m some thirty
live years-concluded To accept heartily t.n-
ueled invitation, and attended the circus at
Newton that nght.
Mr.. James l.. Cooke. famous as a daring and
graceful equestrian, and especially celebrated
Tor his rding OF SIX horses IN one grand act. Dos
sesses a charming home and admirably appoint
the little town mentioned. Here number OF
leading performers have wintered and framed
their horses and are now buslS engaged ia pi ac-
tising for the tentlng season about cvmmenctrg
p In all, MT Cooke has stabling for thlriy-eight
horses and ponies. and this number he now has
In his stalls. or those, ten ponies and three
horses belong to the Carlo family; seven horses
to Dockred and his wife; six horses to John
II. Murray; two horses 10 Miss Sallie Marks
two horses to Fred. Watson, the bareback
rider; four horses % james Melville, wac
Is famous as a bareback rider, and to his sor
tranS' nne pad rider; and four horses 10 Mr.. j
l.. Cooke himself All the day long, from DAY
llght until dark, performances are going on IL
the ring, each OF the performers named having
his or her specned time Tor Practice, and MneI
pubic entertainment is gwen, sucn as that on
the occasion now under mention, u Is more
full-dress rehearsal by select troupe OF first.
class artists than an ordinary circus show. Hence
tue people Of NowtOwn, who have frequent op-
poTtunities for attending such entertainments
are especially favored In the matter 81 good
shows and are probably spoiled for appreciation
Of the Efforts Of anything less tnan troupe OF
stars.
LIVELY PROGRAMME.
Mr.. j T.. Cooke oniciated n ringmaster and
his Lrother-in-law Charles Adams hs clown
, Adams Is an ola clown, having been in the bust
ness thirty years, eight OF which have been
> spent in this country lie Is recognized as
good one.
The progr mme was too long for recapitula
/ ton, and u 80 high au Average Of excellence
that IL Is am ut To select portions for mention
| without dong injustice 70 those passed over.
, Miss SHlNe Marks, charming little Rirl only
/ six wears Of age rode a very graceful pad Ac
: on the horse Blue Dick, the animal upor
! which Lucille Watson made her reputation II
: the Fourteenth street Circus. MI Cook intro
duced the trained horse Prince, who wen
| through a variety Of marches, dances, ropt
. skippings, etc, in the highest STYLE Of equine
!, ! accompl ishment and with evident pride in h
talent Madame Carlo executed u urum solo II
thoroughly artistic style, ana Madame CaTlott
a de Berg Mrs j. Il. Cooke rode very fine &C
n Oh a superb horse Of Hambletonlan blood, al
y animal that went with unusual speed aud length
4 OF stride, clearing hurdles, etc. with such
a rush Ms DEVELOPED fully the extraordinary eQues