The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-08-12
THE CAREER OF A CLOWN.
Dan Rice Tells the Story OF His
Eventful Life.

Eventful Life.
Large, sturdy, erect, giving evidence of
great strength in his youth; round,
laughing face, bearing the rosy tint of
health, and lit up by pair of merry,
twinkling blue eyes; his hair and the tuft
of beard on his chin, white but still thick
and soft; his voice deep, strong and jolly,
he strides down Wall street with an elias
tic step and jaunty air that bespeak
vigor, amiability and good spirits. Who
is this striking fgure2 1t is Dan Rice,
the oldtime clown and showman-he OF
the learned pig, the trained mules and
the. wonderful blind horse, Excelsior, that
used to dance the minuet, and now lies
under a monument that would do honor
to prince after stirring and ad
venturous life has come to seek another
fortune amid the sands and shoals of Wall
street. Alert and hopeful, despite his
more than 70 years, he believes that he
will find if, and perhaps he will. He is a
busy man, but found him the other day
when he had spare half hour, and asked
him to tell me something about his life.
THE SMALL BEG INNING.
'.When did you become circus
clown9"
zone night in the spring of 1843 I was
giving my entertainment in Ottowa, Ill,
and among the audience was Skipworth
Griswold, formely Babtist minister in
Danbury, Conn, but then acting as ad-
vance agent for Spauldings North Amer
lean Circus Griswold came to me after
the performance, and said l would make
a good clown for circus. That had
long been my fondest ambition, and was
immensely pleased with the suggestion.
Griswold gave me letter of introduce
ton to Spaulding, and went to Galena
and had talk with the latter, as a result
of which for SIS a month l agreed to
travel with the circus, do niger business.
perform feats of strength, pull against
horses and whip three men day on an
average These conditions were set forth
in contract, which was duly signed and
sealed, and is still in existence. The wages
were small, but the place gave me the
chance l wanted, and made such use of
it that before long was in receipt of
comfortable salary. l kept my contract
with Spaulding to the letter, and remained
with him until bis circus closed its season
in Albany, in December, 1s43."
THE SUCCESSFUL CLOWN.
"After what models did you fashion
your methods as clown?"
"They were entirely my own. Your
successful clown must be humorist, and
the humorist is born Of Dame Nature in
her merriest moods. He can never be
made in order. The clown must be able
and original, a mimic, an elocutionist and
satirist all in one, and so quick of wit
and ready in answer that while to the
ring master he appears fool and bufoon,
to the audience he is wise man, whose
every remark is charged with humor and
philosophy. knowledge Of these facts,
and that people come to circus to laugh
and be amused, coupled with some small
ability to act upon them, gave me my
success and reputation as clown. Well.
after l left Spaulding I performed for a
while at the old amphltheatre in Albany,
receiving 5000 week. Then came to
New York and secured an engagement
at the Bowery Amphitheatre. Sam John
son, Barney Williams and Dan Emmett
were playing there at the same time. l
made such hit that they became jealous
of me and on the fourth night of my en-
gagement I was discharged. refused
however, to accept any discharge, and in
stead went before the curtain and told the
audience the story of my dismissal. My
hearers demanded my reinstatement, and
the management was forced to yield.
Later engaged with s. B. Howes, the
richest circus man in the world, whose
circus was then exhibiting where Palma's
Opera House afterward stood in Cham
bers street.
HCT YANKEE SULLIVAN WAS DISCOUNTED.
"It was about this time you had you:
successful encounter with Yankee Sulli-
van, the prize-fighter, was it not?"
"Yes, but the encounter was unsought
on my part, and I did not know it was
Sullivan with whom I had been fighting
until it was all over. 1 had room on
Reade street, and nights after the perform.
ance used to go into saloon on Center
street for oysters or something else to eat
Tom Duffy and Country McCloslSey were
both frequenters of the place. One night
when | went in with pitcher to pct somf