Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-05-23

DesSS~~
was apprenticed to Gosson, the cell
brated clown, in 1915, when but
years old, and when that worthy We
; attached to Rockwell & Stones eli
Gus. After short time the paper
in his case were transferred to job
Robinson, and the old man, with th
keen eye which has always distin
guished him, at once put the boy OF
horseback. The youth made rapi
progress despite occasional falls, ant
soon became ambitious to out do an,
man in the profession. The riders
of those days were cautious, and whel
one of them ventured on a weak flip
flap it was with fear and trembling
Young Robinson boldly struck out al
original line for himself, Rowever
throwing forward and backward som
ersaults in a reckless way, and pir.
ouetting about in a break neck sort o
n style on the back of flying horse
Just as he does now. He got a baC
fall on one of these occasions, anG
for nine months went about with his
neck in sling as a consequence, but
so far from being discouraged by his
mishap he only redoubled his exer.
tons when he got so he could moo
his head again. From the com
mencement of his career to the pres
ent time he has occupied q foremost
position as an equestrian performer,
and has just returned from a very
successful professional tour of the
world. His conclusion is that
"Anlerica is the only country on
earth but if man wants hot wealth
er let him 90 to India He is five
feet four and half inches high and
weighs 126 pounds. Mr.. Ellingham
is quite as remarkable in his way as
Mr.. Robinson is in his. Since 1885
he has been before the public, at first
az a singer and afterwards as a ring
master, in which capacity he has
travelled the country over scores of
times. What he cont know about
ring matters isn't worth knowing, and
his recollections span more than a
generation. The conference was a
triangular sort of an affair, the repor-
ter asking an occasional question, but
much of the talk was 4 merry sort of
raking among the old embers of men,
ory by the other two.
so, the clowns we have now are
not like we used to see," responded
Mr.. Robinson, to suggestion that
the funny men of the ring were not
of the mirth-provoking stamp of old.
''They don't give time enough to the
business. Some of the clowns you see
now are very good, but you ought to
have heard Wallet"
Yes" interjected Mr.. Ellingham.
''IIe had fine figure, good voice
and was possessed of liberol educa-
ton, besides being first-class elo-
cuticnIst. He was one of those
spontaneously funny people We read
of. Poor fellow! he's pretty well de-
cayed now. Gosson was very
humorous man too. He was good
at anything, from tumbling to the
tight rope, (To Mr.. Robinson.) You
never tried anything high, did you?'
80, no." said Mr.. Robinson, with
a shrng of the shoulders. II never
get higher than q horses bLck. /
got up onto a trapeze once, but one
look down was enough for me-"
In regard to managers, both gen.
tlemen had much to say. OF old
timers they agreed that Seth Howes
was the prince. ''He was the father
of the business in this country" said
Mr.. Robinson, "and every circus
rider ought to get down on his knees
to him. He paid big salaries. Why
he paid me $3.50 a week in 1857, and
everybody thought it ruinous rate.
He paid everybody well. He was
the man who brought Barnum OUT
''In this business?" interrupted
Mr.. El,ingham.
eyes, in the circus business, i
mean. Barnum had his museum be-
fore, but it was in 1843, | think, that
Howes took him on percentage.
Don't you remember (to Ellingham)
Bapnum took Tom Thumb ard u lot
of other curiosities along with him?"
The other remembered, and relat-
ed with much satisfaction, how Howes
had prospered and retired. John
Robinson was another manager whose
career had been success. He was
a square man, although rough, and
perhaps at times almost brutal. Geo.
F. Bailey was another who had pros
pered. So were DIR. Spaulding and
Avery Smith. Charley Rogers was
dashing rider and good general per-
former, and the fruits of his efforts to
please were some $75, 900, with which
he is now enjoying himself. AS a
rule circus men who behaved them
selves, got along first rate, but the
case of Levi North was instanced as
! one where the rule didn't seem to
work. He was rider in his young
er days, and a most promising man.
He was the first of the profession to