Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-17
Old Time Clowns.
Rem embered by Frank Whittaksr.
 From the New York Sum-

The first great clown that I recollect was Archy Madden in the old Mount Pitt circus at the corner of Grand and Pitt streets He was q comic singer, a fair tumbler, medium still vaulter, could run and vault, rode two horses and would keep people S,,n in @ roar by by name he was popularly known by--I can't say why-and he was great favorite with the New York public, who used to pack the house at his benefits always, rain or shine. Mai Gen. Sanford who was part owner Of the Lafayette Amphitheater, was particular friend of his, and one time Archy played in both the Amphitheater and the Mount Pitt circus in one evening, which was considered a great feat in those days. He eventually left the profession and turned temperance lecturer, in which vocation he was quite as successful as he had been in clowning, for he had the power to make his audience cry and laugh by turns. Walter Williams, who came over here clowninR with an English circus and played at the Broadway Amphitheater- afterward the New York Tattersalls-was fair general performer and a really good clown, but could not rival Archy Madden The next clown of note who recurs to my memory was Joe Blackburn, gentleman who had had fine collegiate education, and who took up the clowning business through liking for it simply. He travelled with Oscar and Purdy Brown circus, the best performing circus in the world in my opinion, in those days at least, and was a very great favorite in the South. Another southern favorite, particularly in Baltimore, was Bill Myers, good tumbler and an excellent clown. John Gossin came next, and was the boss in his day. John May, Joe Pentland, Dan Gardner, Sam Thrift, Bob Lowry, Sam Lathrop, Bill Creighton, Mike Saunders, Aleck Rockwell John Wells, Joe Cleveau, Gill Eldred, Mat Buckley, Wilse Hammond, Charley Austin, Archie Hughes, Gil Cullen, Sam Long, George Stone and Tol. alZar oil ola inoa nl0Una yarn not only clowns, but singers as well, and riders, tumblers, vaulters, slack and tight rope and wire performers, and several of them were good actors also.
 A very accomplished clown of the old time was Nat Austin, or, perhaps, to do strict justice to him, I should say jester rather than clown. He was a master of French, Spanish and German, generally well -educat- ed man, and one of the best testers that ever wore the cap and bells. Bill Worrell, the father of those we'll known actresses, the Worrell sisters, was a good clown in his day. At one time I was ringmaster at Welch's Ampthitheater, Ninth and Chestnut streets, Philadelphia, when he, Pentland, Gardner | and Gossin were all under engagement, and my place for the fortnight they were there was not an enviable one, assure you. They were all originators, not the sort of clowns that are made by teaching, but men of na- tive humor, who could always see and utilize | the funny side of anything, and they were liable to spring some new joke, or gag, or trick on the ringmaster at any moment. Samuel Lathrop, the comedian, used to be a | good clown. billy Fay was a jester rather
 than clown, and was also an excellent DOT
 trait painter. Out in Cincinnati his artistic
 work was very highly appreciated. Arthur
 Nelson, Dr. James Thayer and later Dan
 Rice, were all fine testers, but the king in
 their peculiar branch of the profession was
 w F. Wallett. He was, by long odds, the
 best jester I ever heard, witty and prompt ir
 his repartees, with keen sense of the hu 'morous and an almost magnetic sympathy
 with his audience that carried them rlgh
 along with him. In those days, you mus
 remember, we had no mammotbs triple. cen
 ter pole-and three-ring circus Cents, and
 clown could easily make himself heard by tn
 whole audience at once. Brf & steam maj could haldly do that now. m Rice mad