The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-07
a CLOWN FOR FIVE MINUTES.
He Made Trem endous "dit," But 1t
Cost Him $500.
From the New York Tribune

From the New York Tribune.
There sat in fashionable restaurant
the other evening man of iron-gray hair
and dignified bearing, who, if appear
ances could be relied upon, had never in
his life done anything ridiculous. He
was so dignifiod that he was almost
stately. Portly, pink of complexion and
erect, he was picture of the gentleman
| of ease. And yet the man at one period
OF his life was circus clown. Twenty
tive years ago he lived in Norfolk. Va.
His father, wealthy Nirginian, owned a
steamboat ana steamship line. To Nor
folk one day came a circus. When it
closed its business there it engaged
steamboat to take it further south The
boat stopped at several places, but every
where, as they would say now, the show
was a 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 interest of the
steamship company, was the son of the
owner of the line He telegraphed to his
father explaining the situation.
Let the circus 60" was the answer,
"hut go with 1t. Collect on account
wherever you can"
So the young mantle same who. TWEEN
ty-five years later, made so good an ap-
pearance in a fashionable New York res
taurant-beCame a stroller with a circus
He was with it TO make collections on ac-
count, but there was nothing to collect.
Business got worse; every body, even the
would-be collector went broken and
still the circus wandered on.
The young Virginian, who was at first
regarded as a prosecuting demon, to make
himself less Objectionable to the circus
people, began to Offer his services in vari-
Gus ways. He collected tickets, sold them,
and made himself generally agreeable.
One evening, in little town way down
south in dixie, a clown fell ill. 1t was
necessary to have two clowns, for one
said all his funny things to a second. A
circus without a clown is worse than
Hamlet with the sweet prince elimina-
ted, and SO the manager went to the
young Virginian.
you'll have to be second clown to-
night, i" 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 theVirginian made a sudden re-
solve. In his boyhood he had turned
try it again. The first clown, the real
article, made his entrance in the approved
style. Then came the substitute He
ran out boldly on the board and spring
He was shot high into the air, thrown
over and over, and came down with a ter
rife thud 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 a storm of APP
plause The spectators thought that
that was his part-that he was a trick
clown. They shouted, clapped their
hands and howlsd with delight. Pain
fully bowling, he staggered out of the
ring and then threw himself on the
ground, gasping to get back his breath.
Outside, in the ring, the crowd was roar
ing for him to appear again. The ring
master came to him.
They're crazy over you,' he said.
You'll have to do that again for them"
"Thunder!" groaned the new clown
clasping his stomach. DO that again}
See here, you owe US $500. Let me off
from doing that again and we'll call it
square"