New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-23
cIOUyS AND THEIR CLOWNISHNESS.
ANCIENT AND MODERN srECIFS-A po|TN
MEREYMAKEES IL THE CIRCUS
THIS YEAR


.rr. .,,,,.. and clowns change with them. Tho
,I,,r, ~ So oll.u time was as conventional rs the
rcd viz Of -l,ock before Koan smashed 'rad'''"h
and Hr,d himself Into fame By paving INC nan"
hearted money lend r. minu, The ah'"'Ali rd 'or"""
Tie. clown ~ the old one ring circus was th' hhr"
ou.n u TIE paufomlr". With IN" ADDITION OF "
student, voice ana pair Of hagsy trousers. HIS
lut,,s I'm NE ycre - DO thsa-hrd by th" n;ma'"r
vi j. much swapping " the whip. - ask tlHt n'n non
ary -y, able conundrum- and 10 assist the -an/'
leir, divinity Of th" rlns to mount her har"hacA'd
steel. H. Jokes were ancient ai IN" nils am
~, unrhancrnhlc as his costume
Tie. cirru, clown 81 today has NOR" shapes than
Protein, eyer dreamed Of. III, name I, l"lin, he
mu. b. mn athlete - m" frs order and usually an
athlete with specify. III, fun J. all told In ac
tlon III, voice 1, never heart cAceP' In narilcuate
howl, Of laughter provoking intent. The most stem
tcrlan lung, coNld not r'ndcr the best known 81
almanac Joke, audblc 10 ia" thousands Who crowd
m. or,fmon, aiuphiihcatrc Of the modern circus
The solitary clown 81 former days. who was thrashcd
around the ring throughout the entire performance +
now replaced by half Il scorc OF specialists who have
their exit and their entrances and frequently play
many par.,.
The Barnum & Bailey show this year has round
dozen Of funny fellows who continually raokng
their brain, for new make ups" and extra ldlotic
performances. one fellow with an enormous artl-
fetal stomach gets himself up In football costume and
kl,k, the bail ana himself around the nmphltheatrc
according To set Of rules unknown at Yale ar
Princeton. Ccor-" Melville appears In the maxi, up Of
4 crushed iragcdlan ont Of Job and turns Hip
noI,sr without letting down inch Of his dignity.
one or two others stumble around Oh stills. OF
these the bright particular star Of the galaxy Is
Il chap whose legs grow longer every time he takes
a step thanks to mcchancal contrlyancc hidden
In his Noluninou, trousers. One pair Of specified
aaililrs burlcaquc the fcnccrs art and end up by
br, ahlng their swords each Others backs. An
oth,r ,ouplr mound away with .uormnus having
gloves.
Rubc.' the imitation conntryman, wundcrs about
with his mouth open. gets In cycrybody's way
climbs the Roman chariots only TO fail on again.
part the hurdle for the sole purpose Of
barking his Sims the timber. and tackles every
thing That Strikes his fancy from usher up the
wrestling bear. An Illustration Of the dangers
VIII bcsct the clowns life Was afforded by The. cn.
forced retirement Of Ruben for n season after the
nrst week Of the show. lie worked hard with
a pcIsprition and caught pneumonia.
NJ taron has elaborated speciality with Il jump
simply IN rushing around The ring like wild Indian
and tripping up all the unhappy "suprr," Who come
brother GcOr1c tnrOn. who joined the show AT the
beginning of the second week, performs podlgo, with
papcr-coyrrcd hoop such the little lady" used to
junp through In The old days gauzc and spnnelcs
corgc and hi, hoop divide the attention OF the Ell.
tire circus world for few minutes with the champion
rider Shows. all other performances being ,topp.d
lie hold, hoop himself aud jump, through 1t for
ward. fall, over II aud into II, and succeeds In gen
orally twisting himself up with 1t In II manner that
amazes as much a, It nmn,e'.
amuscs. The clowns work IS hard his bruises mnny.
lie must -iir his brains continually for make,
mps'' and new acts. lie must keep his muscles am To
the double summersa'it plich; though general dislo
cation stares him continually In The face and II any
man a. he tries 10 wheel on top Of a pyramid
Of fables and tublcS 10 The ground car fully humping
faS im" ." that II is really an am1n n.r, a. ne
ance-irom the cowniSh point OF vewct him try It,.