The Baptist headlight., 1894-05-30
CLOWNS OF THE CIRCUS.
One of Them Tells of the Changes Ao
Has wrought

circus clowns of to-day are not ds
witty and as funny as they USED TO
be. The old folks especially WITCH
they go to the circus feel dlsap-
Dointed because they do not see tne
old-time Knockabouts. but really
there is no comparison between the
circus clowns of this day and OF
generation or two ago.
"ProbablY Grimaldi was the great
est clown of his day, but were ne ll'-
ing now he would be utterly al loss
as to the modern style of clown Ousl-
ness. It does not do now for CLOWN
to lump into the ring with a merry
shout and a here we are again ana
all that sort of business. Inc an
tiouated conundrum and the anclenb
ioKe have passed out Of the clown
business entirely.
"a man who would be tirst-class
clown to-day must also be frst-class
at half dozen other things. tie
must be an equestrian, an acrobat,
iuggler, a vaulter and clown Every
night [ have to fill all these require
ments and appear in several parts
during single performance.
"The change has been brought
very largely by the proprietOrs them
selves. They find a good general per-
former much more valuable than the
old style clown. Then again the pub
lie got tired of the old sty OF circus
fun. You will notice at the Barnum
& Baily show now that it is very sell
oil
in the ring. The shows have grown
| so large that it would De almost use
| less for him to do so, as he would not
| be heard. So he appears TO be half
wltted sort of fool, one who is al
ways getting in the way. He is, in
fact, a comic tumble aud in the art
of facial expression lies his chief sue
cess. 1t is what he does and not
what he says that he depends upon
to create amusement.
THE clange from the talking to
the acting clown in the circus busi-
ness really began about ten years
ago. 1t came about largely through
an accident. There was clown by
the name of Relling in the Perrin cir
Gus who was to appear in the master
and pupil act. The act was lesson
in tare- back riding. Belling was late
in dressing, and when his call came
he rushed before the public in rec
wig which he had forgotten to re-
move. His confusion and odd appear
ance created rOarS Of laughter, the
audience supposing it to be a part of
the show. The people shouted at
him and Belling's discontinue was
great.
1.-The following day he appeared in
his usual makeup, but the people
would not have it. They insisted
upon the red wig and on a repetition
of the half crazy discontinue which
he had exhibited on the previous
night Belling, instead of losing his
position as he thought he would, be-
came the most popular man in the
Berlin circus Other circus man
ayers took the hint and the fool
| clown, the half-witted fellow who is
always gett ng in the way, was intro
du ed in other circuses, and is now
the proper sort of clown.
Another clown or style of clown
which has disappeared is the old
Shakespearean fun-maker There
was too much talking for him to do,
and talking does not go now in the
circus ring A clown now must be a
general utility man. He must be
able to ill in all the gaps between
the acts, so that there shall be no
waiting: to keep the audience in good
humOr while one attraction is go NJ
on. He must tumble around the
horses and other an mails in the most
absurd manner without regard to his
life and limb. | myself have been
literally kicked around the ring un-
til every bone in my body was stiff
and sore.
Zone of the first things which a
circus performer must learn, though
he be clown, acrobat, or rider, is how
to fall properly-that is, how to tall
in such a way that he will not hurt
himself, or at least in such a way
that will result in the least injury.
This faculty consists in 'balling' 1t
consists in doubling oneself up in
such a way that the head shall not
be expo ed TO injury, If you will
notice the trapeze performers, when
they tall into the net they strike it
with the lower part of their body.
which causes them to rebound. If
they struck the net with their head
Or feet foremost they would break
their necks or fracture their knees.
Performers in the circus business
have reason to ap Tecate the truth
that there was n the Irishman's OBJ
seryatiOn that when he fell from a
building it wasn't the fall that hurt
him, but the stopping 50 quick"
The Paris Norguc and Its Dead.