Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-05-23
CLOWNS OF THE CIRCUS.
sne of Them Tells OF the Changes Tim,
has Wrought

| INC OF Tnern Tells OF the Changes Tim.
has Wrought.
"You Will hear people say" re.
marked Billy Burke, one of the fun.
niest OF the many funny men with
the Rarnum & Baily show, ''that the
circus clowns of to-day are not as
witty and as funny as they used to
De. The old folks especially, when
they go to the circus feel disap.
pointed because they do not see the
old-time Knockabouts, but really
there Is no comparison between the
circus clowns Of this day and of a
| generation or two ago
probably Grimaldi was the great
5st clown Of his day, but were he Iiv-
Ing now he would be utterly at loss
as to the modern style of clown busi-
ness. 1t does not do now for a clown
TO Jump into the ring with merry
shout and here we are again and
all that sort Of business. The an
tlouated conundrum and the ancient
POKE have passed out OF the clown
business entirely.
"a man who would be a flrst-class
clown to-day must also be frst-class
at half dozen other things. He
must be an equestrian, an acrobat, a
;uggler, a vaulter and clown Every
night have to I'll all these require
ments and appear In several parts
during a single performance.
"Ihe change has been brought
very largely by the proprietors them
selves. They find good general per-
Primer much more valuable than the
bid style clown. Then again the pub
l;c got tired of the old sty'e of circus
tun. You will notice at the Barnum
~ bally show now that it is very sell
HON that clown does any talking
Ii the ring. The shows have grown
so large that It would be almost use.
less for him to do so, as he would not
be heard. So he appears TO be a half
wltted sort OF fool, one who is al
ways getting in the way. He Is, in
fact, comic tumble; aud in the art
bf facial expression lies his chief sue.
ceSs. 1t is what he does and not
what he says that nc depends upol
TO create amusement
The clange from the talking In
the acting clown in the circus busi-
ness really began about ten wears
tgo 1t came about largely through
pm accident There was d clown by
the name OF Eelling in the Berlin cir
Gus who was to appear in the master.
and pupil act The act was a lesson
In bareback riding. Belling was late
In dressing, and when his call came
be rushed before the public in a 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
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
n the half crazy discontinue which
ne had exhibited on the previous
hight 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
1uced In other circuses, and is now
The proper sort Of clown.
Another clown or style of clown
which has disappeared is the old
ohakespearean fun-makeE There
too much talking for him to do,
md talking does not 90 now In the
circus ring. a clown now must bo
general utility man. He must be
ible to fill In all the gaps between
he acts, so that there shall be no
Tliting; to keep the audience in good
ldmor while one attraction is gony
n He must tumble around the
lorseS and other animals In the most
.bsurd manner without regard to his
ife and limb. l myself have been
literally kicked around the ring un-
IL every bone in my body was stiff
nd sore.
Zone of the first things which a
ircus performer must learp, though
e be clown, acrobat or rider, Is how
o fall properly-that is, how to fall
n such way that he will not hurt
imself, or at least in such a way
hat will result In the least injury
his faculty consists in 'balling.' 1t I
onsists in doubling oneself up in ,
lch a way that the head shall not | ,
e expo cd to injury, II you will ,
office the trapeze performers, when ,
hey fall into the net they strike it
18th the lower part of their body,
'hich causes them to rebound. If
hey struck the net with their head
feet foremost they would break
heir pecks or fracture their knees. S
erformers in the circus business
ave reason to appreciate the truth
lat there was in the Irishman's OBJ
'rvatiOn that when he fell from a
1ilding it wasn't the fall that hurt
i'm, but the stopping so QUICK" |