, 1884-10-31
YANKEE ROBINSON.
An Old Associates Rscolleotiona 81
the Famous Snowman.
The Originator OF the Gorgeous
street Parades-Abnity and Eceeu-
rieIfy-How He Wrote HIs
show-BtIIs
rchlcaro rrIbune InteryIew.l

l1nlcdko lTluult lultTNAtNsI
ITO he sure / knew Yankee Robinson - sai1
Mr.. J. l.. Hutchinson, OF the firm OF Barnum,
Baily az Hutchinson. His real name ras
Fayette Lndowic Robinson % Illn'
Were you ever associated with him in the
show businessf uITn
ayes; for several years l Travelled with
him Once l was about TO leave him, and he
said, Stay with me one more year and I'll
make you 80 valuable that / can't afford to
hiru you q.
II was quite prosperous at one time, wa
he notF'
Il should say 80. In 1868 he had the
largest and best show, circus and menagerie
combined there was in the country. He
must have been worth 800 900 at that time >
WAS he a man OF original ideasf'
YES. He was the originator Of the hand
some street parades- or course one of them
in those days wouldn't look like much now,
but they took like wilddre then. He was the
most original advertiser l ever saw. Every
once in a while-well, almost every day-we
take In half dollars stamped in the metal,
Good for one admission to Yankee Robin
sons show OF course the half dollar was
good, and is now, but there are people who
keep those pieces until a circus comes along
for some unexplained reason. Then be used
to have a song he sung, and had a poster
AAoi3 VI 40 AAA4'A@f 01-1
two or three feet long, and he would paste it
up ON the fence. There would be II crowd sur
rounding 1t all day, and humming the music.
He vas also very egotistical. Once the
advance agents got water-bound in SOM I'LL
nois town In high water in the spring, and
the show caught up with them, 50 no notice
was given Of our coming to the people. 1t
was his practice iunder such circumstances
to ride ahead one day ON a horse to some
little town, and, seeing u crowdo OF loafers in
the street or in front OF a saloon, he would
approach them and ask them il they had
ever heard Of the great Snowman Yankee
He would then well out his chest, take of
his hat, and say: He stands before you.
Feast your eyesl The show will be here to
morrow But the poor old man has been
down at the heel for the last ten years. He
played a very successful engagement in
Crosby opera house here before the fire,
having Sanyeah, the first female gymnast.
He made a pot of money there
Robinson was a man Of unbounded ex-
travagance. He presented his family ply
sician right here in Chicago with a $500 dia-
mond ring. when l knew that he had just
brought a horse for 81, 900 in st. Paul, pay
ing down $500 and still owing $500 on the
horse. You remember q play he used to
have, Stand Down in the Hall A sort Of
Yankee play 1t was. Years ago he lived in
Honeoye Falls, N. Y, and I believe he was
born there. The place is right near Canaan
daigua. He used to keep a shoemaker's shop
there many years ago, for he has often
spoken to me of it. l think he married his
first wife there. His second wife he married
in Chicago, He was a man OF great ability,
but he needed some ons 10 curb him and sit
down on bis wild projects. He used to have
n business manager that could control him
pretty well, and then he made money"
Wasn't he rather eccentricF'
Yes. Some people used to call him crazy.
| nave known him at times to
pulling his beard out Il single hair at a time,
and before the season was out he wouldn't
need a razor. That's a fact. But then he
understood people, too. In writing his show
bills he would use the simplest language. lie
never called the show a 'transcendant aggre-
CATION Of wonders.' II was always his big
show, and nothing else. But when left to
himself he would always go to pieces. He
had no idea Of management. He was a man
Of original ideas, but very bad executive abil-
ity. Peace TO his nshes.H