The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-04-08

How Isaac Cadwalader, the Once
Famous Circus Rider, won
Rich Wife.


said a young Snowman in the rotunda
of the Continental hotel yesterday, as
he shook hands with an old-tim
circus manager.
Yes, said the old manager. witbs a
far-2way look, | hear that old Cad is
pegging out. He had strange his
tory, had old Cad, and although he
quit the business a score of years ago,
he has always been with lis in spirit.
Cad loved the business, and | reckon
has never been thoroughly happy out
of it, and the curious thing of 1t all -
that he should ge. the stroke on the
spot where he scored MS first triumphs.
Didn't know that, Ell? continued the
old manager. Well, lis fact,
Where that bartender stands mlxin
your new-fang'ed drink that you call
a cocktail-straigh whiskey is good
enough for me-was the ring of the old
Olympic, and that's where Cad scored
his greatest success.
I am speaking of Isaac Cadwalader,
answered the old manager, with a
sharp look at the reporter and with
evident Impotence at being Interrupt
su. Would / object to your listen
ing to nv story? Not bit. 1t ma
do you good. Isaac Cadwalader, or,
as us old-timers call him, Cad, came
from somewhere in Ohio. first saw
him in 1929 in Baltimore. He was
with Blanchard's company when they
came on to open the Front Street
theatre. Cad was about 19 years old
then, and q spryer one in the ring L
ne yer saw. Blanchard ran the
atrical and circus COMPANY combined,
as was usal in those days, and Cad
was the star of the ring.
HOW HE TORE THE TOWN OUT.
They opened at the old Chatham
Garden theatre, where Trenches ho-
tel stands now. He tore the town out
with his four-horse act, which was a
novelty In those days, and then he
signed with Cook circus. After that
he Joined Burton's CIRCUS. A few
wears later he was secured by Gen.
Rufus WEIGH, when he opened his
theatre on the spot where We stand. 1t
was the finest show building in the
country and was first called the Olym-
pic. 1t was a combination theatre
and circus and was fitted with an ad-
Unstable stage. If the circus perform
ance came first the ring was covered
over in minute with flooring and in
a minute later the stage was set for a
theatrical performance. Oh the
supes were flyer in those days than
they are now. The cid Olympic was
as fine theatre as your Academy of
music. There were three tiers of
boxes and handsome pit, and it seat
ed more people than the academy.
But where am /? Oh, yes, l was
talking about Cad. Well, Cad was
the director of the ring performance
and was the chief equestrian of the
circus. His great act was with four
horse. This was revelation to thea
tre-goers at that time and Cad was
considered the greatest rider on earth.
The act had just been introduced at
Astley's, in England, by De Crow,
apl, 1 suppose, was brought to this
country by Stickney but the real ex-
ponent of the act in this country was
Cad. Stickney introduced the eigh,
and nine-horse act, but four horses
were considered great ID those days.
CABS GREATEST ACT,
But Cad got his greatest celebrity
through his celebrated act, which, he
called the Sprite of the Silver Shower.
He performed it with the Wells IL
dren, who came to this country with
their father, the famous Grima 'di
Wells. 1t was a pretty act for Il
single-ring show. Cad would enter
on a bare hack, dressed as spri'e.
Then he would lie down in the mid
die of the ring and feign sleep. Pres
emily two little tots, dressed in spang-
les and wings, would trot in and tick
lie his ear. Then they would espy a
golden beehive and, after knocking
IN the top, it would drop omen and
display another little bespang'ed hPby.
Then Cad, or the sprite, would jump
I'D and catch one of the fairies and
waltz around the ring on one horse.
I'll en- ne would take another one on
two horses and finally he would catch
up the third fairy, and with four
horses under him. one little fairy on
his shoulders and one on each knee,
he would make the circuit of the ring
amid storm of applause. This was
a great matinee act, for it always took
with the ladies and children. While
Cad was director of the circus per-