The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-24


Made and Lost Dozen Fortunes
The Great Wabash Disaster.
Stories have been told about the toss
ing of 4 copper, but the greatest amount
of money thai was ever involved in the
turning Of a copper cent was when w.
c. Coup and his partner Henry Reicle,
Tipped a copper u see who would be the
owner Of the New York aquarium. Each
man had 100000 invested in the acqua-
rum and the copper was thrown into the
air 10 see who would take the whole
thing. 1t was the largest wager ever
made under similar circumstances.
Unique as wagering one-third Of mir
lion dollars upon the turn of a copper
may be, It is but n small circumstance
in the varied life Of the veteran show
man, w G. Coup, who had charge Of the
horse curriculum at the state fair few
weeks ago. He has made and lost many
fortunes and has had experiences that
would have driven many man into the
grave or the asylum.
w. G. Coup is the oldest living show
man with tae single exception Of Dan
Rice. the veteran clown WAC used - rule
in the ring and split the sides Of a gem
GRAFTON now grown Old. He entered the
business in 1853, when there We're but
four other shows in the country. These
were Sp2ulding- & Rogers's. e.
burg's and John Roblnson's. Mr..
Coup is almost a native of Indiana.
He was born in Pennsylvania, but his
parents moved to Washington. Ind, when
he was one year old, and here he lived
until he was fifteen. wnen he went 10
Texas and bought a ranch with the in
tention Of going into the sheep business.
But drought. floods. frosts and grass
hoppers came In rapid succession and the
sheep business ceased 10 be attractive or
profitable. Young Coup decided to aban-
don the prairie and HE himself TO more
densely-populated regions. He was get
ting lonesome. He started for Chicago.
then small town that was attracting
some attention through the West. on his
way to the North he ran across a poster
about eight inches square which adver-
tiscd that NanAmberg's circus would be
along IN two months and would pass
within one hundred miles of where the
bill was posted.
Two months later young Coup rode into
Chicago, hltched his horse IN front Of a
tavern and looked about him. Re was
full OF the idea OF launching a show on the
road and as he had a little money lie was
hunting for some attractions. Backed by
energy and perseverance, two traits that
were Always Characteristic OF the man, ne
the same year had succeeded in getting
few attractions together and started out.
His partner was a man named Butler.
and the show was what was called a
made-up aggregation.
1t was much of a circus and Of course
such n thing as a menagerie was out Of
the question i'm those days. They Travelled
west and within two months were IN Mis-
souri,, where they found the feeling
against the northerners so bitter that al
nearly every town there was an effort
made TO break up the show. In those
days every western town contained a gang
OF toughs who prided themselves upon
their brute force and bullying powers and
who took pride in cleaning out any
stranger that came around their parts. "
Circus hands were a new thing and
afforded opportunity for a fight. This
was all that was wanted.
4 Battle in Missouri.
At the very first Missouri town the
show struck a gang came around before
noon and tried to start a row. \ negro
had joined the show as telt hand in Iowa
and when the Missourians saw the
"nigger" they used him as pre,eXt TO
start a fight. The showmen were accused
of stealing him and he was demanded.
The demand was refused and a fight
started i'm which all Joined and one man
driven off and the negro was left with
a knife sticking in his back. The entire
tent was not as large as the dressing
tent of the last circus Mr.. Coup owned.
but it was considered very large in those
days.
In Arkansas the same experience was
met two weeks later and so desperate
was this battle that the showmen were
compelled to make a barricade of their
wagons and fight for their lives with their
rifles. Mr.. Coup had two men killed and
twenty wounded and the fight was SO
stubborn that he was compelled tC leave
in the night while the gang was rerTgan-
izing to renew the attack the next day.
A start of fifteen miles was secured before
daylight, but there was hot pursuit and
the same evening the gang came up with
them. a running fight was maintained
for 100 miles and the gang did not pull
off until the showmen had reached the
protection of the French settlements of
Louisiana.
There had never been a show In Mex
leo at that time, and IL was determined
after repairs had been made and the
wounded had recovered. to make a tour
Of Mexico. Going from MatamOras to
Monterey bandits attacked the wagons
and everything was stolen. This ended
the expedition.
The next year Mr.. Coup started for
Cuba and the West Indies with the first
circus that had ever visited the Islands
y new outfit had been secured and the
new venture seemed destined TO be pros
nerOus. A heavy storm. however, over
took them during the passage. and as
the ship was in momentary danger of
going to the bottom every horse be.ong-
ing to the show was thrown overheard
In Hayti they couldn't make the people
understand when they asked for food
and they had 10 take it by force or
starve. This brought on another bush
sides. The expedition proved as disas-
trous as the first.
Dan Efce's Wonderful Powers.
1.-The next year." said Mr.. Coup. as he
lighted a fresh cigcr, q got Dan Rice to
travel with me- He was then a green
hand at the business. but had such
powerful personal magnetism and such
wonderful command Of language that the
people went wild over him. and his sue
cess was assured. His first successful
season was made with me- / never saw
a man who had the same gift of language
and the same has been said Of him by
has produced. We had added a meaag-
erie by this time which consisted of a
came. three monkeys and wildcat
But | got tired OF the show business,
in which everything was loss and danger.
and married, removed to Wisconsin and
quit the business entirely in 1860.
started a bank, a hardware store and
cheese factory. 1 was soon the father of
twins. but the little ones died, and after
that I wanted the excitement OF the show
business to divert my attention from nv