The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-07
A CURIOUS soar of AN ACToR.
Death of John L. Manning, Who
Played a. Yankee Farmer.
From the Baltimore Sun.

rom the BdlIlLlOT6 sun.
John L. Manning, an actor, who had
been seen of late years good deal more
than he had been known, died at his
home in Dorchester, Mass, Oct. q. Mr..
Manning was a circus clown years ago,
and his wife was a circus performer also,
but for long time he had been an actor
of a school of which he was probably the
only representative. He did little of his
acting on the stage. He was usually in
the audience. He cultivated the appear
ance of typical New England farmer,
and he acted the part everywhere and al
ways. .He wore gray beard with no side
whiSkers or mustache, and his hair was
grayF too. His face was round and his
complexion ruddyl and clear. His dress
looked old and out of fashion. He usually
carried an old carpet-bag and faded cot
ton umbrella.
Thist was his appearance when he was
engaged In performance and also when
ne was not. He was just as conspicuous
an old farmer in the street as he was on
the stage. He found engagements wher-
ever man of his appearance could make
fun for a gathering of people, and as he
had trained himself for so long in this
part and no other and had a ready wit, he
was able to make fun to good effect
at an entertainments and make a comlcal
disturbance of some sort in the middle of
it. He, of course, received salary from
the manager.
One of his best fields was the country
fairs. After arranging his terms with the
managers, he would begin his operations
few days before the opening of the fair
He would walk about the streets of the
town where 1t was to be, and when he
saw shop with number of people in
it he would go in and begin to talk and
ask questions about the fair. What sort
of thing was this fair likely to turn out
to be? Was it a. big thing? Where could
he find out all the particulars? He had
some hogs that he thought of entering;
when ought he TO see about it?
All this was intended to set others TO
talldng and to work up interest in the
fair. Then, when the time came for the
fair ITSELF he was the first to reach the
grounds and the last to leave them. He
was also the most conspicuous person at
all times He passed around and made
the bystanders laugh at his shrewd yam
kee-farmer remarks about the exhibits.
When the time for the races came he had
great trouble in finding the seat that he
thought belonged to him on the grand
stand, and everybody on the stand were
laughing at him before ne found it, Or
perhaps he did not appear on the stand,
but would make a wild dash across the
track, just in front of the horses, and
possibly get himself arrested
Manning was engaged for this season to
travel with Bancroft. the magician. He
sat in the audience and kept everybody
who was near enough to see him amused
by his evidences of ecStatc enjoyment of
the performance. OF course, before the
evening was over he volunteered to go on
the stage to assist the magician, and then
he made more amusement He always
played his part well, and he was quite
worth what the management paid him.
Bancroft died recently, and Manning was
out Of an engagement. He got a short one
at the Brockton fair, and from there he
went to his home in Dorchester.
In the mean time Edward L. Bloom, who
had been Bancroft's manager, arranged
with Henry E. Dixey to become a profess
sional magellan, as he might have done
any time these dozen years. and to make
the tour arranged for Bancroft. Mr..
Bloom wrote to Mr.. Dixey. who was in
Boston, telling him that he thought it
wouldobeya good plan to re-engage Man