New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-30
A CIRCUS IN DAYS GONE BY.
TALK WITH THE ORIGINAL Jim CROW"
EXPERIENCES OF A MANwHo BEGAN BY TRIMMING
Tux CANDLES, AND NOW LEADS THE PROCESSION
LIZ A RrGGY pRAwN BY A SPOTTED HORsE.

Accommodating more nor less Bury carcass and
they will dig it up eat it, and want more. Hyenas
they are. Look at EN-"
The speaker was q stoutly built man, with n
swarthy complexion, irOn-gray hair and a pair OF
gstening black eyes that were shaded by the broad
brim of his sombrero. He addressed a crowd Of
visitors at the Madison Square Garden who were
craning their necks to catch sight OF the ravenous
animals referred to- One is Immediately impressed
with the idea that the man wearing the sombrero
not only has a smattering of natural history but
knows a great deal about other things in the show
line. Surely enough. when the procession was
ready to enter the arena in the grand entry " he
stopped lccturng" put on coat trimmed with
gold lace and whip in hand appeared in the arena
az Ring Master.
He said aftcrward that he ought To know some
thing about the business having been in it since
1916 Hopkins Il Dover was the name of the
show he began with-a straight" circus, there
being in those days combinations. An English
company put mp the first canvas III this country,
but the Englishmcn didn't have all the glory to
themselves long for some Americans began trying
to ride horses and to 90 tumbng acts and the rest
and before long they arted ont on their own ac-
count Hopkins < ID, were at this time at
Danbury Conn. and it as l'arnum'S first season
too: he was with the same show as smart young
secretary II was rather funny wasn't II. that
I}arnum and ne should get together again after 50
many yearsf What was he hm>clif Everybody
had Inc, ri of Jim row " SPOKEN of hy Hawthorne
IN ms tnimitahlr Wav That's what he was. Negro
minstrel companies had not yet come INTO existence,
aud the solitary burnt cork man who SANG S'vorll
ballads with step oi some Aiild AT lh' emu oil G%h
verse was always sure Ia win applause. IhS
Niger" business the beginning OF negro NM
strelsy company beng formed IN tins city IN 1913
hotel made lis appearance in one OF the thcatrc~
We'll. we had a canvas about ninety ic't ~
di,,up,rr rnnfiuurd the old shuWIuau " \ double
tent wasn't vet thought Of Ten performers. a ring
master three or fuuT good horsc~. ana band ol
four pieces made a proprctnrs WIlsic"dt swell WIN
pride and tins feeling was shared ~ some degree hN
every member of the COMPANY. HE cl"Nn Wa a
much more important person ~ the carly DAYS than
he Is now for besides playing the fool h' bad lo do
all kinds of business. T"pc- walking tumhliu-
yaultIur and ~nmctiinr even hoischaok riding. The
average performer was als' required {" lE'" varied
accomplishments. OWING 10 thr snail sllr ol thr
troupe. >ualv an elephant wAs taken along
which vas much more of "a 'uil"NitN than nov. iir
wuuld bc brought INTO tlr iing ana pui through hi'
tricks by his keeper - the closing I"ri"im1n.c "i
the entertainment. one circus remember. hat q
hippoput anus which Wa - great Wonder and mud"
thu. owner thou>au,~ of dollars uDIr money than
any attraction ever knew oi.
Here Is an elephant story worth hcat.ug
While truigr a. Bailey y Go. < Ci'u' VAS s"int
from one town to another no South Carolina. ~"
clrphaut-a 5ig annual win long t1@N~ ~nidrht
stopped At the IppI"a'h to hrilgr over haIi""
stream The keeper who bad taken ,irr of hin
since, hr WIS 90 blhN elephant, urged HIM T." Z" on;
hut hc wouldnt hudgc hen the annual vent MT"
a tautrum. hnmkcd the keeper upon the rruu'd,
trainpr up,u hi- body and tore h,u Imh from llui'
After BE- had torn tlr unfortunate min 3" pr'">. DO"
beat a retreat INT" n"ithh"rin1 swamp "hri' "'
was attacked ana killed the meat day by a company
of mI,ttlI
The circus va, populnr at IN" start. and drew
well IN all paris ui the country. The church people,
lu Ncw- England. would rll-.. cry
against ~ when wc came around. hut then. N"u
know. there were ALWAYS others VIA" w'ith ~"
paIticular that WhrrtNrr 80 drove our -iakr- "r
Arr- pretty sure Ia hI.r q good hon>". H." man
ncr ui travelling wJ- different Then liuu ld u l~
now. Our ~cI-on Ne wont through no" A'i'Ih
States: another season furuuEh the Wet and nsain
down through the >ouih. Niuirrug every wear -
the same place usually at the home OF i pt"pur-
for We'll tlrr. Vas Turner " leo lived af Ridge
wav Conn: and another company had H. h'ai-
quarters AT S"dom Corners no" btr"'i'rs ia TINS
STATE.
larger towns. W. had to- Tor thry WEI" -" iil
apart. NAM AMI many tImr thr ctfdt au hnourd
for mile. over rough country roads through frnu-
.Il,auIi. ohio Illinois and oihrr Western states
To- plant our centre ;,olr. lhrrr upon -uui' pleasant
green. the cauN o., WI~ uuiutl'd DO" u't, N'lr -"t
lying atop anu 10" Ola ana young i'in i|. IN
country. who bad hoard 81 our coming
through uur man ou hoi~rhIch. thr"u-rd I'r -r' -
of The village the touns ncu m thrr l"-i CLOTHES
and tl" ,cIug V,urn 90 thrlr li'c- and uh"nu-.
utter the Ir,er~-luu Ms COS . The l"op'r u"-k'b
through no" elt 30 Oh" canvas AMI iiilnl ihr ".u~
10 e Vut that wlrnrd mo tHr >h"Wui'u~ hr.tt..
can tell Won. Ilrfr sI- only 'ir Irfi"tufin'' I
that 90 fhr ai'ciu""r There Irl"s u'''I~, i % '"I
attend G uI-ht I.r o. "ia' dut u"i ~i1It .l'r' D."
7n"u 80 the Performances "'t' '"'' id.r". hul u.s.
--inhlrd uu tie gf,-u oilt -i- OF the tent. Wlr.r
ing tie ~l'l-r hammer ahd kindred SPORT. "iui"
th'W s"r ilt"iti- ."'" d go '''m'iin-l'. lhr VS.
their wagons tud upon tl'r h"I-.- many IS &c.
behind her husband and many . mIn'n Joe Elnd hrt
lover and start for an all nights rd" oyer l"irie
I"1d- for them h"iHcr 200 lHr """l@. l"nI' Wrir
made iu tire " inter -,J~uu Through The southern