Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-09-19
The Fate of the Clown.

ROBBED OF HIS DIGNITY, HE LIVES ON HIS
PAST GLORIEs.
eThere are only a few Of us left" he said
with patronizing air that took off the
touch OF egotisnl- "Only few of us left.
Time was when it took wise man to be a
clown; now it takes-well, an average
fool. don't say much, but 1 bleed in
Wardly'
Frank Reynolds, the clown, was in
reminiscent mood as he stood in the dress
ing tent preparing for the afternoon per-
Torrance. The appointments of the room
We're not sumptuOus, nor was Reynolds
toilet elaborate. Rows of battered, wealth
er-stained trunks encountered the space.
Heaps OF gaudy trappings, the disjecta
membra of many an assumed character,
were scattered on every side. 1t was one
OF those ill-equipped apartments in which
modesty finds its sole screen is a vacant
stare. The clowns costume was a mixture
of the antique and the modern. 1t consis-
ted OF pair of shoes and a pair of trous-
ers. Preparatory to bath, the star was
shaving before an inch OF two of looking
glass tackled to the centre-pole. A water
pail served as shaving mug and the till
of the trunk as table.
''Conyenient, isn't it?" continued the
clown, holding cake OF soap in one hand
'.Ah, we'll, such is circus life. Clowns?
There are none nowadays. AS a class
were like the mastodon plesiosaurus
extinct race. There used to be clowns,
though-the genuine article. w F. Wal
lett, Harry Brown, Jim Seal, Jim Veal,
Joe Pentland, Sam Long, Bob Williams
chief attractions Of the show, the features
that most advertised. They played in a
small ring, where they made grimaces that
people could see and INDUCED in sharp
repartee that the people could hear. They
cracked jokes at everything and everybody,
and the ringmaster cracked his whip at
them. Great days, those! Great pay, too!
The clowns then were artists, and, as
rule, as cOnceited as adOred.'
"And nOw?"
"Well, we've nothing left but our ego
tism, and that, owing to our constant snubs
is pretty we'll dwarfed. Big rings and
multiple performances gagged our mouths
years ago. We're not allowed to say any
thing; we could not be heard if we were.
Glowing now is an extravaganza panto-
mime, nothing more. The fellow who can
fall --LATEST OF most aWkWardly, make the
most wretched apology for a silent laugh,
get in the way and be kicked aside most
trequently-in short, the fellow who has
the hardihoOd to go before multitude of
people and make an ass Of himself for
pittance when he has the assurance that
not one in a thousand is paying the Slight
est attention to him, is the best clown.
'DOnt see where their hardihood comes
in?' calculated the clown, vigorously
scraping the razor over his face without
looking in the glaSS-an art acquired by
fifteen years OF practice on the road. "Just
imagine being the least conspicuous char
&C Ell in host of performers-people to be
looked at chiefly on account of the tinSel
and the way in which they are grouped for
spectacular effect There is scarcely a
clown in the ring to-day who does not
claim public recognition on account of some
trick animal-sOme measlY cur that has
the faculty Of turning somersaults, mon
key that can keep its equilibrium on don
keys back, OIL an ambitious hog-Lord,
how full the world is OF them that can
smoke pipe. The clown is now an adj
junct of his pets, and bOrrows glory from
their intelligence, Glorious position to
be a ringmaster for apes, ours and jaclAas-
ses, isn't it? Grand old Dan Rice He
doesn't blush to go out temperance lectur-
ing and get drunk after the performance,
but he would outblush a clowns rouge
brush were he compelled to enter the ring
under the circumstances we do now. And
the worst of it is that our pay has been cut
down propOrtiOnately with our dignity"
''And the outlook"
"There is no outlook, and there will be
none so long as showmen persist in crowd
ing small-siZed programme into the ring
at one time and making provisions for en-
tertaining all creation under single tent.
The mere intent Of the undertaking neceSs-
itateS making up in the number Of So
called clowns what is lacked in legitimate
artists. Barnum, for instance, has little
army of nOvices -callow youths who have
borrowed gag here and gag there, a
posture from this artist and a grotesque
tumble from that They attitudinize year
in and year out to the tune OF eight dollars
a week. There's one of them now" point
ing to beardleSs boy who was making
love to a pet monkey.
''They originate nothing. They could
not say a bright thing if their future hap
pinesS depended upon it. Yet they are all
clowns, but of the fool type that are con-
tent to brook their own mediOcrity for the
sake OF their bare bread and butter aud
immunity from harder work.
Reynolds, oblivious OF the glass, scratch
ed viciously at his face, the antique part of
his garb becoming of greater extent as the
eXertion caused the modern articles of ap-
parel to gravitate.
Yes, there are only few-but pshaw!-
it isn't our fault. When American Show
men profit by European examples there
will be some hope for us. In the old COZ n
try they have small rings. The shows are
conducted about as our theatres are. In
stead of tents they have elegant perma-
uent buildings. The clowns study new
roles and go from place to place. They
make hit and protlt by it. There is some
incentive to continuous persistent study.
But here, alas big tents, big programmes,
the biggest show on earth and the littlest
clowns. Now, please wear your far-away
look and I'll take a BATH No? Call again.