The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-05-21
A CLOWN FOR FIVE MINUTES.
He Made = Big "IIit" with Audience and
Manager, and IL Cost Him $500.

He Made = Big "Hit' with Audience and
Manager, and II Cost Him $500.
There sat in fashionable restaurant
one night recently a man Of iron gray hair
and digniiled bearing, who, If appearances
could be relied upon, had never in his life
done anything ridiculous. He was so dig
nitied that he was almost stately. portly,
pink Of complexion and erect, he was a
picture Of the gentleman Of ease. And
yet this man at one period I'm his life was
circus clown. Twenty-Five years ago he
lived in Norfolk. His father, wealthy
Nirginian, owned teamboat and steam.
boat line To Norfolk one day came a cir
Gus. When 1t had closed its business, there
II engaged n steamboat to take It farther
south. The boat stopped at several places,
but everywhere, as they would say now,
the show was frost" When the end Of
the water route was reached the circus
owed the boat $500 and had not a dollar
TO pay. On the boat, to look after the in
terests of the steamship company, was the
son Of the owner OF the line, He tele-
graphed to his father, explaining the stu
alton.
LET the circus go on, " was the answer,
"but 20 with it. Collect on account when
ever you can.
So the young mantle same who, 25
years later, made so good an appearance
In a fashionable New York restaurant
became a stroller with a circus. He was
with 1t to make collection on account,
but there was nothing to collect Busi.
ness got worse; everybody, even the would
be collector, went broke, and still the cir
Gus wandered on.
The young NirRinian, who was at first
| regarded as prosecuting demon to make
| himself less Objectionable to the circus peo-
pie began to offer his services i'm various
ways. He collected tickets, sold them and
made himself generally agreeable One
evening in little town way down south
In Dixie clown fell ill., 1t was necessary
| to have two clowns, for one said all his
! funny things to a second A circus with
out a clown is worse than "Hamlet" with
the sweet prince eliminated, and 80 the
manager went to the young Nirginian.
you'll have to be second clown to-
| night" he said. "There will be nothing
for you to do Wen paint you, chalk you
and make you up"
So second clown the son of Norfolk pre-
| pared to be-
The two clowns were accustomed to
make their entrance by turning a double
somersault off springboard, landing in
the ring. When the time came on that
evening, the NirRinian made sudden re-
solve. In his boyhood he had turned hand
springs and somersaults. He would try it
| again The first clown-the real article
made his entrance in approved style. Then
came the substitute. He ran out boldly
on the board and sprang. He was shot
high into the air, thrown over and over
and came down with a terrific thud fat on
his back. Slowly he arose, staggering
weakly around the ring, on his face that
| look of comical agony which a man wears
who has had the wind knocked out of
him. He was greeted with &. storm OF ap-
plause The spectators thought that that
was his part-that he was trick clown .
They shouted, clapped their hands and
| howled with delight. Painfully bowling,
be staggered out of the ring and then
threw himself 10 the ground, gasping to
get hack his tEeath. Outside, In the ring,
the crowd was roaring for him TO appear
| again The ringmaster came 10 him.
"They're crazy over you," he said.
"You II have to do that again for them. "
"My GNdI" groaned the new clown,
olasping his stomach. "Do that againS
See here, you owe US $500. Let me of
from doing that again, and we'll call it
square. New York Tribune.