Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-02-25
An Apostle Of Laughter.

Ine news InoL Ian tNlce - utdu
will awake many memories in the
minds of the old aud middle aged in
all parts of the country Before such
will rise up a mental vision of days
long past when youth and strength
were theirs and the pathway Of life ap-
peared all roseate before them. To
many long resident amid the din and
hustle and crowds of the cities will
loom up the spectacle of country viii
lage with its usually lonely streets
crowded with folks from the adjoining
country side all agog with excitement
over the coming of the old time circus
whose chief attraction was the man
whose life has just ended. The joys
of such a day for many have never
been repeated and after the lapse of
half century the memory Of them
will once more crowd the minds of
men and women now gray and totter-
ing when they hear the news that
Dan Rice has passed into the great
beyond. To large number of the
survivors of those who owe many hap
py moments to the genial wit of the
great clown the news of his death will
come with surprise because of The fact
that they had deemed him to have
passed away years ago. 1t is 5S years
ago since he first became a Snowman
and 56 since he first assumed the role
of clown in which he won such fame.
1t is 35 years since he gave up that
role to assume the management of the
Forepaugh & O'Brien show at $1,000 a
week, and 25 years since he retired to
his home at Girard IN this State where
he remained until nine years ago
when he again for brief season en-
barked as a Snowman since which per-
iod he has lived quietly in New York.
1t is not strange therefore that many
OF his old time admirers should have
thought him deceased long before the
notice of his death on Tuesday last
was received.
Old Pittsburgers will feel partlcu-
lar interest in the news, because it was
in this city that Dan Rice embark
ed upon the career in which he made
such a success. He was born in New
York City in 1928, his family name
having been McLaren,which he chang
ed to Rice when he moved to Pitts
burg in 1S41. Here he became a part
proprietor CT livery stable and de-
veloped his ability as an acrobat. A
year later he began his career as a
Snowman by exhibiting a trained pig
in small towns of western and south
eri Pennsylvania. About this time he
appeared as an athlete in p. T. Barn
um's American museum in New York,
and subsequently Travelled through the
southwest and west performing feats
of strength, singing songs and dancing
In 1874 he appeared for the first time
as clown in Spalding's circus. in
which capacity he proved both witty
and original. He travelled with different
circuses for several seasons, and in
1S4S became the proprietor of what
was then the largest show open to the
public. Finally reycrses overlook him
in 1850, but he soon recovered, and
made a good income from the circus
until 1865 when, as stated above, he
became manager for Forepaugh &
0'Brien. From 1871 he exhibited the
Paris pavilion in New York and else
where. He made munificent gifts to
charitable purposes and for public
monuments. During the Civil War
he promoted recruiting by delivering
patriotic addresses i'll connection with
his performances. Himself for per-
lCd victim CT intemperance he later
became a temperance lecturer. For
awhile he resided in Cincinnati and
he was also large land owner and
resident of Texas for a period
Dan" Rice ascri1ed his success to
the fact that he cary learned that the
people liked to laugh and he bent all
his endeavors to giving them an op-
portunity to do so. That his endeav
ors were appreciated thousands still
living are willing to testify. Wher-
ever Dan" Rice travelled, and there
were few neighborhoc5s of the cider
states where he did net shcw his pleas
ant face, laughter and light accomp-
anied him. His jokes and quibs were
not of the most polished order nor his
antics those CT the greatest actors, but
there was no harm IN either his saying
or doings and no bad taste was left in
the mental mouths Of those who par
ticipated in the feast he provided.
There was no talk of arresting him
for attempting to teach morals by Civ
ing immoral performances and any at
tempt to have molested the genial
apostle of laughter would have been
resented to a man by the thousands
who derived enjoyment from his per-
formances. Many whose early life
was enlived and cheered by Dan"
Rlce's jokes and antics have long ago
grown beyond witnessing a circus or
taking any interest in clowns per-
formance. Their taste have changed
and they now prefer to behold alleged
high class performances in which the
performers portray either their own
or Others past immoI.talitles upon the
plea of teaching the young men and