Connecticut western news., 1882-06-14
A CIRCUS INTERVIEW.
How the Style has Changed-What Clown Must Do and What He Gets

''Has the system of consolidating shows under acres of canvas made ahy chauges in the business of the clown P
 ''It has changed it great deal. In old times talking clown was the monarch of his profession. While this style was the rage Nat Austin was 8 great success, but the big shows killed him, and no one ever hears of him now. There is no use trying to talk from a ring to 10000 people. and the managers have found that out. In the big shows now, if clown wants to make hit in talk, he has to talk to his audience in sections. do it frequently. begin on one side of the ring, toss gag at them, and when they begin to laugh, skip over to the other side to give the people there 8 show for their money. But nowadays the knock. about clown is most in demand. mean by that, the clownwho tumbles through the tricks and falls all over himself and every body else in clever naake-belief that he can't possibly do feats performed by the leapers and gymnests. Talk won't win any more. The clown must act to catch an audience in the big tents. And 1t is harder work to talk or act in big ring than it is upon the stage. You don't feel as is if you were removed from the people at all. There they are all around you, and fellow actually seems to feel the weight of the crowd when he runs into the ring,, and finds the people stretching right down on to him from the highest seat to the edge of the cir ole. Now. while we are talking about audiences, am going to tell you some- thing that you may not be ready to be- lieve. I've always found it easier to catch an audience in the cities than in the country towns. The cities are the field for talking clowns. You can hit them with little conundrum, and they'll laugh ai1d applaud. You've got 'em, and your work is easy. But in the country, conundrums don't go. There they want to see the clown do some thing and they never let up on him until he does. A story that would go in the city slick as grease you couldn't shoot into country audience, so as to catch laugh, with 15-inch cannon."
 "How do rank the salary list in the profession ?''
 "The clowns and the riders receive the largest salaries. I have known clowns to be paid as much as $500 g week, and as little as $25 a week for the season, which always lasts twenty4siS weeks, if the sheriff don't get the show in the meantime. Performers of any note have little reason to fear loss of their salaries in these times, however, The big shows all have too much prop eSty to let the bottom fall out, and about the only sufferers are the Jim Grow performers, who have to go with six-by' nine shows or leave the business. The average salary of the clowns who are worthy of the name will run from a7' to $1OO per week; yet few of them save hny Mouoy' AAey aIo AiBn'1lNefs WueL in prosperity, but as class they do not drink to excess. The money goes though"
 "And then what becomes of the clowr when he grows oldP"
 "Well, clown lives about as long aI anybody, and, as rule, he manages tt get enough together to get 8 little farm tt retire to when he is too old for the ring Clowns have great fondness for farmi to die oh. That's about what happenI when clown buys farm. About al soon as you hear he has got it you heal of his death. am not quite ready tt get farm yet, myself"