The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-23
THE oNE-HORSE SHOW.

The mere mention of the one-horse
show brings to the minds of the boys OF
TWENTY-FIVE years ago the name of "Old
Dan Rice" who for time, along about
that date, was the champion circus man
| of the country. 1t is announced that
Old Dan is now engaged in fitting up a
| frst-class one-ring circus and that he
proposes to exclude the modern innoya-
tons and restore the show under the
canvas to its prestine completeness and
erstwhile attractiveneSs. The reappear-
ance of the old pioneer clown IN the
role Of ring-master revives many inter
esting "reminiscences connected with his
early career in the show business and
otherwise. His career as a Snowman,
like that of 2. 7. Barnum, has been
varied and checkered one. He
has had as many ups and downs
as any man VINO has been in any way
prominent before the country. lie mas
been several times on the top or the
highest wave of prosperity, and as often
in the trough of the sea of adversely; but
always the same indomitable, persever-
ing Dan Rice.
He has always had penchant for do
ing the country traversed by the navlg-
able rivers of the central, southern and
western states, and during his prosper
Gus seasons maintained a steamboat for
the transportation of his show. 1t IS re-
lated that at one time, early IN the war,
he had advertised to make show at
Paducah, KY, and that when the day
came for the arrival of his boat a large
number of the citizens of that place
and vicinity, who were intensely
southern in sentiment, and being
apprised of Rice's equally jealous
sympathy with the cause Of the Union,
assembled on the wharf and were IN
waiting when the show boat arrived to
bluff Old Dan off and prevent his land
ing. But as soon as he was made &C
ouainted with the situation he went IN
person and with his own hands, trained
the nozzle Of the boats hose on the
crowd, ordered the engineer to get ready
to turn on the hot water from the boilers
and commanded the crowd on the
wharf to clear it and disperse
inside of five minutes or he would
give them a hot water bath.
1t is needless to say the order was COM
piled with, and in due time Dan ap-
peared in his title role in the arena of
his one-horse show, before fair sized
opened the way for a closer
acquaintance between the resolute
Snowman and the citizens of the Ken
lucky town, and ever after that they
were mutually fast friends. At the
time of one of his subsequent visits to
the town very destructive fire occur
red on account of the town not having a
competent fire protection, and Rice an
nounced that he would donate the pro-
ceeds of his exhibition to the town for
the purchase of a fire engine. Every
body turned out and went to the show
and the result was a sufficient sum was
secured to purchas good fire apparatus.
Rice gave other benefits to Paducah at
OJH6E anu III IL Iouiit tiOiO
convenient asylum more than once from
a season of disastrous business, and he
never failed to get fresh send off.
Dan Rice was the originator of many
| novel features in the tent show line of
amusements, among the latest being the
company of educated bronchos that
proved so attractive for while.
He has been out of the show business
for several years and it was the general
belief that he was dead until the an
nouncement was made public that he
will take the road this season with a
bran-new, first-class one-horse (one-ring)
circus. And everybody will wish for
the now venerable jester a full measure
of success-including big bank ac-
count.