The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-08
THE FAME or a CLOWN.
HOW John LOwlOVv Began His Circus
Life on Liberty square.

7-- forty odd years since the we'll
r-ov-u circus athlete and humor-
in John LowIow now with
ssus great show. delighted his
iii companions in this city with his
Is-rel0us acrobatic feats in a juvenile
~s on the site now occupied by the
- patricks school, at the corner Of
tuOmery. President and York streets.
Ir- boys show was good in its way.
il lad trlck pony, nired from color
Il man a band, consisting Of an accOr-
aeon a triangle. a drum and possibly
-rre ether nOise-producing instrument,
md the usual paraphernalia more or less
..-r.-o1riate TO a ring show. The star
". -forner was a lOnglegged. lOng-haired
[n.u4ster, now the celebrated clown, Mr..
f-vluW. The ring master and also the
r.rsault performer is now a gentle
~ n connected with the county sherims
once. and the clown is a prosperous
T~z.uess man. Several minor performers
e. rHp circus are more or less cOnsplcu-
ans oitizens of Savannah to-day.
Lswlow was a graceful somersaulter
ami could do about everything that cir
s Iers essayed to do in those days
~. mas the wonder of his associates and
many a penny was by them spent in
- oil and hartshorn in their efforts
~ -f Ike themselves supple as he. II was
s--.uosed that vigorous rubbing with that
Txture would loosen the mus
51fsd more sores than agility.
ICrrnv I.owlow stood without a rival as
on who could stand on his head as wen
q
~ born TO fill long-telt want IN a cir
The hoy circus on Liberty square came
I'D am VICTORIOUS end, like many similar
,,rderta kings managed by men or boys
every one wanted to run the business
9rf disaster followed. In other WORDS,
Zoo many cooks spoiled the broth"
The season, or year following the clos
iug of the career of the boys circus,
"Eobinson's Great American Circus ar
rived in town and opened in the OLD CIR
plls lot at the corner of Zubly and Ann
streets In the early SOS there We're no
three and four tent shows and no menag-
erie attachments. A single canvas COW
cred a single ring. The lemonade fend
had not made his appearance. Like the
Telephone. electric cars land booms, rail-
road syndcates, and other great '1nVen-
tions" he had not yet been invented
The od-fashioned circus opened with a
"grand entree" and closed with the
charcoal act" In the former, the sup
posed drunken man, who accidentally
fumbled into the ring, after many kaleld-
oscopic changes came forth full-hedged
acrobat beautifully dressed in tights and
spangles. The -four and charcoal men
turned out about the same way
Ii was with such a circus as this, and a
good show il was, that young Lowlow
cast his fortunes. one night the circus,
after a most successful weeks perform
ance like the often referred to Arab,
"folded its tent. and left Savannah,
Johnny bade goodbye to his friends, and
they We're many, and casting long look,
as IL We're, upon MS nuulDle nome III ] am
acraw, which old suburb, by the way,
then numbered among its residents as
good people as any other part of the town,
cast his bark on the sea of life. 1t was
the beginning of a celebrated career.
Lowlow frank and manly ways and his
undoubted ability as an acrobat, soon
made for him warm friends in
the Robinsons, father and sons,
then the leading men in their
profession, and he rose rapidly in their
employment. 1t was not a great while
before he was known throughout the land
as one of the great humorists of the saw
dust ring.
Mr.. Lowlow is now on the shady side of
nifty but is well preserved and would cas-
lily pass for ten years under his age. He is
a quiet, dignihed gentleman, who, when
away from the circus, would never be
taken for the nimble-footed athlete who,
as the clown of the ring, makes fun for
thousands who see and hear him. Mr..
Lowlow is only on the road for a short
season each year. The remainder of the
time he spends on his beautiful farm in
Ohio
ASsaya1lnal4-s sons have won d1srucJIUn IN
lfiafy fields, but none have been more de-
serving of success than the amiable gen.
tlenan who, many years since, as boy,
lived in this city. Whether in the ring
or out of it, Mr.. LowloW never fails to
give words of good advice to young men.
He is a credit to his profession, as he
would be to any other where the fortune
Of life might have placed him.