Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-02-07
DAN RICE'S LAST NICKEL.
1t Was Soon Increased So That He
Could Spare 800 For n Church.

"Circus people as a rule are the best
travelling class railroads have to deal
with" said n railroad man who has
had much to do with such combinations.
"They are always found to be close fig
urers, presenting a million and one con-
tentions, asking as many, if not more,
courtesies, but in the end the results are
generally satisfactory TO both parties.
1T is only within the last few years
that railroads began handling circus out
fits. The country road and wagon once
afforded q cheap method of transporta-
ton between small towns, where nickels,
dimes and quarters rarely ever failed to
be taken in by the hatful. Those not
on country roads were found on the
large rivers, shifting their dates TO suit
the seasons all the way from st. Paul
and Cincinnati to Cairo, Ills, and New
Orleans. The late Colonel Dan Rice,
who probably pleased more people as a
clown than any other sawdust king, was
a striking figure among the performing
river craft and one of the first TO put his
show on the rails.
"This was back in 1878, when panic
swept over the country and river towns
had hit the sky, right and left, for the
show business. Rice and his animals were
tied up at st. Louis, waiting for times
to grow better, when trading lrm offer
ed q good lump sum for his boats. lie
figured it was go broke in almost any
event, so he sold, and then began to tour
eastward with a train of borrowed cars.
1t was a big undertaking, even for Rice,
who was about the richest in the business
In those days, but everything went rea-
sonably well until he started to enter In
diana. The last Illinois town was rot
ten The show had hardly made ami
NAL meat to say nothing of the money
to get to another stand. AS a last resort
Colonel Rice soaked the show to the rail-
road company to put him into Nincennes,
just over the state line, agreeing that the
company's agent there should play door
keeper and hold out what was coming.
Vincennes did not look a whit good. The
town was dead and the inhabitants
wouldn't enthuse a bit over the bum band
and bright colored wagons. An hour be-
fore the afternoon performance was to
begin found Colonel Rice pacing in front
of the main entrance, figuring with him
self for dear life, when a party Of ladies
approached.
"'Colonel Rice they began. we have
always heard Of you as very charitable
gentleman and unfortunately our church
has been damaged and needs a new roof
We thought you might be willing to sub
scribe toward it,
'There was man who had just stood
up a railroad asked to give money away.
but he was equal to the occasion. when
he pulled from his pocket a nickel and
poising it on his finger replied:
Ladies, ! am now balancing a cash
account 1t appears small to you no
doubt, but in truth represents all the
money ] possess. If this show does any
business hero. III not only contribute to.
ward repairing your church, but I'll put a
new roof on it
''The two performances that day nette6
the old man $50, paid for the next jump.
and out of it was donated $10O to the
church. kansas City World.
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