The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-17
7 A FRENCH CLOWN.


morning and made his debut in private
family as valet. Not successful in this
role, he ran away with madame's pet femme
de chambre and later turned up at the
Nouveau Cirque as a clown.
Chocolat is the hIackest interpretation
of negro on record, the darkest, jolliest
translation of laughter extant- He is the
most famous black clown in Christendom
and the only one I know whose face is
made up for him by Providence without
the addition of accumulated lines of exag-
gerated paint.
There are two Chocolats-in the ring and
out In he is got up in white duck or
flannel, ridiculously cut in exaggerated
parody of the latest fashion, with white
cotton gloves, every finger of which Is
stretched wide apart from its fellow and
used as means of expressing the most
ridiculous sentiments in the most unheard
of way. He does not do the funny clown
who antics eternally, and whom we all SO
well know. On the contrary, his role is to
pretend to be fearfully awkward and STUN
BILE over everything in and out of sight ex-
haustively, to the uproarious delight of all
the small and large boys in the delighted
audience.
Out of the ring he is the successful ne
gro, full of mischief and jokes and dandy
ism and vanity and righteousness and
of his head at the races. like any other
man, and, his thumbs in his armpits,
struts from the tribune to the betting
stalls, with cigar between his lips and
benign smile for his admirers.
Then there is Foottit, famous for in
venting new situations and conducting
them from the old standpoint, which adj
mits of bad French l'anglais, bad jokes
ad libitum and horse play, with a round
Of ole
saults with Foottit have developed into
things of beauty and infinite redundancy
forever and with his little red eyes. and
his long nose, and his clowns getup, with
its grotesque buttons and short WASTED
opportunities fully lived up to, he is as
delicious as his little cardboard prototypes
in the shop windows.
In private life Mr.. Foottit is noted for
his weakness for his friends wives plus
his own; but, regrettable though it may
be, this trait Of his thus far has only served
to augment his fame.
Last summer he fed the town with a
lady who jumped through rings for live
lihood, which probably explained her care
lessness as to the necessity of a ring in
private life.
Then there is Medrano He is ring mas
ter at present Raised from the ranks of
ticket seller and general factotufn, he
cracks jokes nightly in public with Choco-
lat and Foottit
His fame fell in this wise: The Baron
de Reinach of Panama fame, who was
noted for his affection for circus riders and
coryphees, used him at fancy ball oddly
enough. The ball in question was given
at one of the most elaborate fin de steele
houses in Paris. 1t was a fairy scene.
Electric light and flowers and money and
human nature filled up the gap made by
those who refused to be present for rea-
sons which were obvious
The ball was over. Shepherdesses and
Marie Antoinettes and German officers and
vivandieres and queens and gypsies, one
and all had removed their masks and were
striving to cool of in the giant conserva-
tories, whose fountains played perfumed
water, when a clown sprang into the
room, but such clownl Flashing with
dazzling jewels, clothed in cloth of gold
and brocade, stifened with magnificent
EN- broidery and precious stones, but
masked. A dream of a clown, who leaped
and whir1ed and turned gigantic somer-
saults and stole innumerable kisses, then
off again, in and out between the flower
and the electric lights, into the shadow
again, with diabolical gestures of exagger
ated Importance and little fine suggestions
of indescribable charm and grace, lodged
here and there until they all went mad
over him. and, like flock of varicolored
sheep, followed him from room TO room,
begging him to remove his mask, but he
would not. He eluded them again and
again, and finally, when they were reused
to frenzy of excitement and curiosity, he
led them to the flower twisted staircase,
upon which the tapestried walls frowned,
and just as they had their arms about his
neck and were asking riotously: who are
your Oh, who are you, pretty clown2" he
once more slipped from their grasp, and
with flashing leap through the Initiated
air disappeared. Later, they sat down
to supper, he appeared among them with
out his mask. 1t was the Baron de Rel
mach.
Later still all Paris rung with the news
of his suicide, which Panama disclosures
induced, and then Medrano remarked to a
friend; There were two of US that night
l was the clown who executed the pirou-
cites. He went in afterward. He hired
two costumes exactly alike and gave me
my orders. Twas my last appearance in
that capacity. If he had paid me by check,
instead of in bank notes, who knows Mon
Dieu, but I, too. might have become in
volved in Panama. STANLEY Clark in
San Francisco Argonaut.