San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-10-06
HIS ADVENTURES.
A FEW PAGES OF HISTORY
From the Life and From the Lips
of Pete Conkiin, the Circus
Clown.

A very small boy spoke to old Pete
Conklin, the veteran circus clown
who is now with the Bennett Circus
Royal last night, and wanted to start
in the show business. well, my
lad, ;" said he, "sit down and I'll tell
you little of my experience and then
if you want to 60 along We'll make
room for you-give you the job OF cur
rying the monkeys, or something. 1
was born in New York; he began,
Gin 1913, began as a tumSler and &C
robat in Cincinnati thirty.six years
ago. I was about II years old then,
just about your age. I got to be q
clown about 1860, before the war,
During the war was all the time in
the south, except a trip to Europe.
We fioated in '6s in aooat of our own
with all the lights out, past Island
No. 10 when, If q light were seen, we
would have been Flown out OF the
water by their cannon. We got in
Vicksburg after the surrender and
played to $4,000 q day, all soldiers in
the audience, blue coats and brass
buttons-not o female in the crowd.
General Morgan L. Smith gave me q
permit to show, and when l called on
him he gave me a tin cup and . drink
out Of cask of pine-top whisky.
Was in New Orleans when General
Butler was there, land We put up first
bill boards ever esed by . circus.
InCaneyville'ewamp we put down
boards, then dirt, and built the saw
duet rjng>o that. Why, we had to
hegve the lead TO find bottom.
Invent to MeYico with show dur
ing the Macmillan troubles, 1866.
Was theve when he was shot. Showed
before Macmillan, Marshal BaZaine
and the French army, and travelled
Through the interior when we had to
carry our tentand center pole over the
mountains ON uburros' BACKS. While
near Saltillo, we were on the road
with one division of the French army
in front and enc behind us. The rob-
Der, Cortinas, swooped down and cap
tured us ard took US twenty miles off
the read and robbed us and were
going to- shoot us for Frenchmen. Be-
ing Amerieaas saved our lives. We
if we met the 'Austrians or French
men, and told what had occurred,
they would be near enough
to catch us and hang US. We
met the Austrians, ard they charged
down on as and We we're in another
fix had / not been able to speak a
little Pennsylvania Dutch and that
changed matters completely. We
slept within their camp that night
perfectly safe. The commander told
me: Don't go to Matammoras. The
French have been that way eaten all
thesbull frogs and we have eaten all
the lizards and snakes left, and
there's no money in the country.
Besides CCCtlnas was hanging on
their rear and might sgobble us. L
told him we had just been gobbled
and W hilelI talked he began to give
orders and in ten minutes SOC Aus
trians started off and fell on Cortinas,
camp near San Luis Pososi, cut near
ly all of them to pieces and captured
everything they had. Igot to Brown
WILLIE on horseback. Rode in with
four.bitS in my pocket, found an
American saloon man named Bell,
borrowed $50C from himcand gave the
performance that night. We drew
$500, and after the show Col.
Young's fiibusters came in
and sacked the town. They
didn't have time to take the diamond
rings from Off the ladiee' hands, but
chopped off the hands with sabres
and put hands and rings in their
pockets.
They made very complete pilla@e
of the town and rode ont as they had
come in. Next day the Alcalde gave
US orders to get out in two hours or
he would kill US all. He said he be-
lieved we were in the gang, and only
gave the circus in order TO draw the
people out to be robbed. We started
the show, but before they got to the
Rio Grande he had them captured. i
escaped by bribing one OF Gen. Ca
nales' aides to give me q pass, and
this he did, signing the generals
name to it. presented this, got in
the ferry and was nearly across when
the forgery was discovered, but was
safe then, and on landing, found Gen.
Getty at his headquarters and told
my troubles. He wrote note to Gen.
Canales telling him to release every
man of mine or he would send some
regiments to set the town afire. l
took the note and went across, was
seized and hustled before C&nales,
where 1 presented the note. He re-
leased everybody, but demanded
5000 which 1 paid him. Gen. Getty
treated ma well.