The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-24
A CIRCUS . MANS START.
John Robinson's Force of Caarnctoy\
Traiuir. the baggage Horses.


Trainirs the baggage Horses.
Finally, in the winter Of 1915, tlsA
gypsy caravan. for the Buckley & Wicks
circus was but little more, brought. up az
Boston, seeking shelter from the bitter
blasts Of fierce New England winter, in
a rather comfortable. ii not commodlotr
barn. Just at the outskirts Of the city
John, now some Is years Of age. was EN-
p.oyed as q night Waterman at salary
Of $40 per month. with grave doubts OF
ever seeing the half Of it. Ii was n most
fortunate engagement for HIM, however.
as the sequel will show. His ana
bition, as we have said. was pro-
digious. and having discovered that tho
star of any, circus organization al that
day must necessarily be a rider, no
determined to become master OF tho
pad saddle before the winter closed.
Horses, of course, he had not, especially
those trained to the purpose. as these
were usually the individual property OK
the riders, and kept away from the COM
mon circus sheds y boy of John Rob
binsoa's wonderful force Of character
was not to be deferred from purpose by
a difficulty such as this however, and
the resolve Of becoming an equestrian
having been made, he began looking
about for means of its accomplishment
There were the baggage horses-why
not try them? They had never run tho
ring" it was true. but they could 10
broke. and that they should be was at
once determined upon. At last the long
coveted opportunity came. One dark
night, when every one had left the
barn on shed, John slipped from his bed
of straw, lighted few tallow dips about
the practice ring and then brought out
the lead horse Of the baggage team.
Round and round the twain kept NOV
ing until nearly morn. when both rider
and steed were 50 thoroughly exhausted
that TO move further was matter almost
impossible. The next night. or rather
morning, the young Hercules was at
it again, and rested not until day
light. When the first horse had
been thoroughly broken a second was
brought out, and then n third. and finally
a fourth, John bestridlng them all at
once, and handling them in such man
ner as eventually to win the greatest re-
nown. Thus, under the cover of dark
ness. unassis.ed, discouraged frequently
by the fear of discovery and instant dis
charge, did he labor on. until IN the end
he was the greatest four horse rider in
the world Not until the show was ready
to take the road in the spring, however,
did the audacious STRIPPING present him
self to Buckley & Wicks 20 mako known
his desire to appear before the public as
an equestrian.
However, when he had mustered cour-
age for the task he proposed that he BIO
given position rs n performer, and when
asked what he could do told them OF
his achievements. When laughed at for
his seemingly audacious assertion, no
brought out the four horses and surprised
the entire circus caravan by the boldness
Of his riding.
From this on he was the star Of tho
Buckley & Wcls arena, and frequently
related with pride the startling poster
gotten out by the managers announcing
his daring act lt was Il sheet Of com
mon paper, about 2Sx42 inches in ex-
tent, printed in plain black with q rough
wood cut representing four horses in a
string. with the rider on the back of tho
wheel horse They looked moro
ike rats than horses" Uncle John used
to say. The startling announcement APP
peared underneath that 1.-THE world Ia
nous equestrian. John Robinson, Jr.,
would actually ride three times around
the ring while standing on one foot
and as he would frequently add, Il kept
pretty tight grip on the foot while l
was doine it," This. as he frequently
declared, and his statement is borne out
by the testimony Of others, was the first
piece of pictorial show printing ever got
ten out in America. ard some thirty
years afterward, as manager OF his own
show. he used to carry bundle or two
Of almost the same paper in pair or
saddlebags going ahead to bill the coming
Of the circus. Uncle Johns salary at tho
time of his connection with Buckley q
Wicks was S. month and board, with
s. extra allowed for carrying the center
pole up hill and steep grades and build
ing and leveling the ring. -Cincinnatl
Commercial Gazette.