, 1888-09-04
A CIRCUS MANS START.
John Robinson's Force of Character.
Training the Baggage Horses.

oO AOANO p" SbaA
Training the Baggage Horses.
Finally, in the winter Of 1916, the
gypsy caravan, for the Buckley 6 Wicks
circus was but little more; brought up at
Boston, seeking shelter from the bitter
blasts of a fierce New England winter, in
a rather comfortable, if not c-ommodious
barn, just at the outskirts of the city.
John, nov some Is years of age, was en-
ployed as a night Waterman at a salary
of $40 per month, with grave doubts of
ever seeing the half of it. 1t was a most
fortunate engagement for him, however,
as the sequel will show. His am
bition, as we have said, was pro-
digious, and having discovered that the
star of any circus organization at that
day must necessarily be a rider, he
determined to become a master of the
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 of
the riders, and kept away from the COM
mon circus sheds. A boy of John Rob
binson's wonderful force of character
was not to be deferred from a 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 the
ring" it was true, but they could be
broke. and that they should be was at
once determined upon. At last the long
coveted opportunity came. One lark
night, when every one had left the
barn or shed, John slipped from his bed
of straw, lighted a 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 SO thoroughly exhausted
hat to move further was a 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 a third. and finally
a fourth, John bestriding them all at
once, and handling them in such a man
ner as eventually to win the greatest re-
nown. Thus, under the cover of dark
ness, unassisted, 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 s. Wicks to make 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 be
given a position as a performer, and when
asked what he could do, told them of
his achievements. When laughed at for
his seemingly audacious assertion, he
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 the
buckley 81 Wicks arena, and frequently
related with pride the startling poster
gotten out by the managers announcing
his daring act. 1t was a sheet of com.
mon paper, about 2Sx42 inches in ex-
tent, printed in plain black with a ROUGH
wood cut representing four horses in a
string, with the rider on the back of the
wheel horse" '"They looked more
k rats than horses" Uncle John used
to say. h startling announcement APP
peared underneath that "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, 81 kept
a pretty tight grip on the foot while 1
was doing 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, and some thirty
years afterward, as manager of his own
show. he used to carry a bundle or two
of almost the same paper in a pair of
saddlebags going ahead to bill the coming
of the circus. Uncle Johns salary at the
time of his connection with Buckley &
Wicks was S. a month and board, with
S5 extra allowed for carrying the center
pole up hill and steep grades and build
ing and l~eveling the ring.-Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette.
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