The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-01
THE MILLIONAIRE SHOWMEN
A Famous Circus Clown Who Wanted
to be President of the United States.
The Variegated Careers of Barnum, FOrepaugh
and 0thers-CeIebrate Stars Who
First Appeared in the Ring.

vast fortunes in the show business, from old
Barnum down. have started on absolutely moth
ing, said John B. Doris the weli-known show
man, to Journal reporter "Few people who
60 to see the great shows of Adam Forepaugh,
the Sells Brothers, w. w. Cole. and others, are
aware of the fact that their millionaire owners
hoped about on the seats selling tickets to the
grand concert, which takes place in the ring inn
mediately after the circus performance is over"
stirred circus lemonade at the candy stands
in their younger days But it is the fact con-
corning every one Of them / have been a show
man twenty-five years, and have known every
man that ever enticed the public under canvas
in that time. { have never known man who
started in with money and bought show out
right, without having gone through the mill,
as fakir, performer or Reuben That did not
make disastrous failure of it."
'Who is Reuben!" continued Doris re-
peating the question with which the reporter
interrupted. Reuben is everybody about the
show from canvasmen up. 1t is the name by
which showmen know each other the world
over. Let anyone about the show get into any
kind of difficulty, his first cry is for Reuben
Hey, Reubr yells a canvasman who has got into
fight with some of the townspeople or the
police, and the whole outfit suspends operations
and goes to his assistance, with stakes, mauls,
or anything that comes handy The name of
Reuben is tie that binds men in that business
closer than the ties of Freemasonry or Odd
fellowship. 1t imposes an obligation that can't
be disregarded, and Reuben sticks together
closer than porous-plaster mans back
But was going to tell you something about
famous showmen. Lets begin with old Dan
Rice. He furnishes an extraordinary example
Of the vicissitudes Of fortune Twenty five years
ago his was one Of the best known names in
America. He was brought out as a clown by
Spaulding & Rogers who ran show along the
Mississippi river before the war and got about
$50 a month. With them he ran the blockade
the river during the early part of the war. He
Became famous through his old white horse
Excelsior that is remembered by everybody
who saw the shows of twenty years ago. Dan
trained the horse himself and thus originated
the trained horse feature now SO prominent in
every circus. Rice started his own show about
1868, and made barrels of money, but he gob an
idea that he was going to be great man in poll
tics, and gave up the business. He was great
Democrat and--would you believe it! he actually
wanted to be President Of the United States. He
not only wanted to be President, but he set about
scheming to get the nomination. He made no
secret of his ambition, but talked about it to
anybody who would lister. to what he had to say
Eventually he did succeed in getting
nomination for Congress in the Erie, Pennsyl-
vania district, but was beaten so badly it rather
y~nI II
an offer from Adam Forepaugh to 60 to the saw
dust ring. Forepaugh gave him $25, 900 a year
for himself and the use of Old Excelsior BY
that time Rice had drunk himself nearly to
death, but his name was worth all that Fore
paugh paid him, and the show made fortune.
A few years ago he went to California with old
John Robinson, but was found to be too old and
worn out to make much of hit; After that he
settled at Girard, Pa, Quit drinking and became
regular temperance crusader. He is still liv-
ing at Grard, delivering temperance lectures in
that neighborhood, and will talk man blind on
the subject if given half a chance.
"Old Adam Forepaueh is another striking in
stance. He was butcher in Philadelphia, and
got 80 a month and his board as starter. After
wards he went to Cincinnati and worked
louisville, Ind. He went back to Philadelphia
about 1848, and went to trading horses and run
ming line of stage coaches Finally. he sold
lot or horses in 1861 to John O'Brien, who was
then running small circus in the East and
had TO take mortgage on the show to secure
himself. O'Brien failed, and Forepaugh had to
take the show He made a.itte money out Of
it-got stuck on the business, and finally bought
a little 10cent menagerie run by Jerry Mabie.
That was the way Forepaugh got into the show
business About 1906 he started tweiity-cage
menagerie aud people referred to him as crazy
Forepaugh,' thinking that such show would
bankrupt the national treasury Now a show
that is no larger than that couldn't dra " enough
money to buy hay for Its elephants. suppose
show to-day is worth million dol
lars.
Probably no man in America is better known
one has tackled more lines of business or had
more varied experiences. He has engaged in
pretty nearly everything from Keeping an oys-
ter saloon up, Which he did nearly fifty years
ago. Then he had some sort of a lottery, and
pedded its tickets. For quite while he was
preacher, then Bohemian dramatic critic, then
he ran a clearinghouse afterwards was presi-
dent Of a bank, then he was a book agent and
later was the proprietor and manufacturer of
patent bears grease mixture for the hair. Even
that DOESN'T end it, for In his early days he was
bar tender and professional singer of negro
melodies Later in hfe he was part owner Of |
clock factory, and was, at one time-quite re-
cently-the mayor of Bridgeport. His first
prominent venture as snow manager was With |
Jenny Lind, the famous singer, whom he
brought to this country and managed for a long
time, and through whom he accumulated a for
tune. He made most of his money, however,
out of curiosites and in the management of mu
seums He made an immense fortune |
out of Tom Thumb and wife, whom |
be managed for several years and sent for a |
trip around the world. He lost nearly all the |
money he made with Jenny Lind in the clock
factory, but with what he made out Of the |
fba tod 10 Tar
museum attractions, he started the Barnum
show, which has since made him fortune of |
50. DOC, 900.
Then there is w. w. Cole. Next to Barnum he |
is the richest Snowman in America. Coles |
mother was Miss Cook, famous circus rider |
of forty years ago, and his father was an acrobat
After he got old enough he went with different |
shows as tcket-seller, candy butcher or side |