The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-04

washington Post: Thunderpsals from
the iron larynx Of her majesty the
lIoness, the neigh of the trick horse, the
fackars treacherous whine. the gurgie
Of the hippotamus, and the bleat of the
fawn, a riot Of notes from nature's,key-
board, from the soloists Of brute crea-
ton. To these symphonies from the 200
John B. Doris has given ear these thlr-
~ years and more, man and boy. For
Doris was reared under a canopy Of
canvas. OFT in his babyhood days was
he folded in slumbe7 by the geological
orchestra, by notes from the throat Of
wolf bowling at the brightness of the
splutterlng gasoline lamp. DJrls, even
to-day, partakes Of the gaY& of the
sawdust as he turns back the panorama
OF a busy, eventful past and recalls in
memory'S eye his eariy.days with Dan
Rice. daddy Of clowns, sportlve wearer
OF the cap and bells.
Looking backward through a vista Of
years, Mr.. Doris can trace the circus
from its genesis in We days OF We red
wagon to the little show world eltcir-
cled by miles Of canvas, peopled by up
to-date attractions gathered by the
agents Of Bailey, the nabob latter-day
Snowman. In his circus days Doris
was one Of the most enterprislng Of the
showmen in America, with his hand
ever In touch with the public pulse and
his purse-strIngs loosened and ever
ready for investments in the latest SEN
satlons In freakdom. the newest novel
ties in acrobatlcs and gymnastics.
Now a Theatrical Manager.
Doris fattened his bank account even
TO hundreds Of thousands. But the
career Of the circus man resembles a
flight OF stairs with its ups and downs.
Doris career partook of the see-saw Of
uncertainty and speculation. though. on
the whole. the circus has been kind to
him. 5fil
And so. after life Of action, fever,
uncertainty, he is still able to buffet the
storm Of adversely that is often the Ior-
ton of his lot. Mr.. Doris. however, has
bowed himself from the glamOr and din
OF the circus. and Is now engaged in
what is known in theatrical circles az
the legitimate He is the proprietor
Of the Doris Amusement Company.
which controls the latest farce-c6medy
uccess, I'm Paradise" MrqDorls tilt
ID back In his chair in the borStottlc4 at
the Columbia the other day and dream
tly recalled the days Of his youth, with
We palmy day circus.
~ can see back thirty-six years as
though 1t were but yesterday" said Mr..
Doris. my first visit to Washington
was in 1868. as an agent for the old Dan
Rice show. He played thut season
down on Four-and-a-half street, near
the Avenue. Within stones throw
was the-goverument reservation, after
ward transformed by the Landscape art
list into one OF the most picturesque
oparks in the world, Four-and-a- half
street wasn't a very swell neighbour
hood at that time. It was low. damp,
malaria breeding, and from the door OF
our tent ! could see for blocks over o
vast expaRGe OF mud and IowIond. But
co1on.l Shepherd. the Michael Angelo
Of Washington, came later on and gave
the nation city fit for location in
the corner OF star. Dan Rice was, OF
course. the reisn!ng attraction In those
days.
President Lincoln's VisiE to Rice.
1--WE played here week In'iSSS, and
President Lincoln ana his wife, were
among our distinguished callers. The
President was a personal friend Of Rice
and came around to Dams dressing
room after the performance and recall
ed Dams transforming tours through
Illinois In the fiftles.
MIR. Rice never tired Of recalling that
visit of the martyred President; OF how
the great man tossed aside all austeri-
ties and decofum and sat on the edge OF
huge trunk. his long legs entwined
his knees in his hands, and his high
flat-rimmsd tile on nm angle 'Gs he
chatted. laughed, and cracked batch
Of tavorlte gags We played Washing
ton every season from 1858 to the early
seventies. In 1867 we rented lot neal
the Baltimore & Potomac station, or
sixth street. That was my first yeat
with the ETornnauRh show. In IN early