The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-29
STRENUOUS LEE OF CLOWN.

: jectived Diavolo sloops the loon, on !
bicycle. and they scream with excitemen,
over the four-horse chariot race But
aIter All. how many Of them would really
mated?
II is. the clown and his antics that give
spice 10 the circus. and from the little
ooFs and girls right up 10 the gray
haired old folks who bring them to the
show every one enjoys the clown.
In the days OF the one-rfng circus the
clown had a fair and square chance 70
Be funny. He could stand IN the saps-Sast
circle and crack jokes as sharp as the
snap OF the ringmaster's whip. And il
vas no small part OF his duty 10 be able
10 give quick and humorous retorts 10
any remarks hurled suddenly in his diree-
ton from the audience.
Nowadays the work OF the clown is en-
tirely pantomirnic. II he says anything
he says il for his own amusement: no
one else hears ii unless II be the other
clown His field OF opportunity has mar
rowed. and OF course IL takes a better
man 10 be a successful clown now than
It did in the old days Of the one-ringed
show.
The work Of the clowns in the Fore
paugh-Sells Bros circus at Madison
Square Garden is better and funnier this
4 year than il has ever been before. No
price is too high for good hearty laugh,
and al the circus this year one gets a
succession OF them for a very small frac-
ton OF the price OF one. These clowns
/ are genuinely funny and the man who
4 sees them doesn't go away muttering
about the good old days Of Dan Rice OF
some other celebrity OF his boyhood. He
! Just takes the laughs away with him and
has them all over again after he gets
home.
The creator of all the business" AT
the circus this year is a young man
Eamed Frank Oakley who viii be more
readily identified by his friends II he is
called "Silvers." The circus world gave
him the name OF 'Silvers'' long ago. ard
1t has stuck 10 him since Oakley is
without doubt the most finished clown IN
this city in many years. He is funny
from the minute he appears until he goes
out for breathing spell. and the "busi-
ness which he has devised and which
he and the other clowns carry out is ex-
cruciatingly funny
Oakley is everything that q clown
should be and good many things that
other clowns are not. He is a trained
acrobat. and so his horsepiay comes in
with any act. and is always effective. He
Is ready and willing 10 go through any
antic that Will amuse.
Oakley changes his costume about
twenty times during q performance. and
so II Is very hard TO follow him through
ar afternoon or evening. These costumes +
are all Of his own deyising. and a remark
ahle~collection they are. Much that is
funny about them escapes the casual OBJ /
server, because OF The distance one has I
TO look from at Madison Square Garden. /
But there is one hat that Oakley wears 4
which is worthy of description. II is a
wide brim farmers hat. The sides OF the +
brim are brought up against the sides OF .
the crown and held in place by a string, /
at each end of which is a clOthespin +
This makes a clothesline out of the piece
o. string and suspended from the exact
center Of it is diminutive pair of draw
ers.
Not one person in a hundred really
makes out this hat as Oakley fits about
the Garden. but the one who does has
a good laugh. Oakley wears a pair OF
false feet with this hat Around the big
toe of the left foot he has tied a piece
OF red flannel. If you ask him why he
wears that piece of flannel he viii tell
you because he stepped on piece OF
glass out in the ring.
IT is because Of this attention TO de-
tail that Oakley is called the most FIN
shed clown who has appeared with
circus in this city.
He and the clowns under him must be
seen to be appreciated. Their antics are
Tery funny and they are show In them
selves.
Oakley tried TO tell a Sun reporter
about the life OF the clown /
lC-ing the performance one afternoon last
week. He told an interesting story. but I
lie had to tell it in three. five and ten
minute seconds. for he has very little
eisure during a performance. and much
4 that time he spends trying to get back
he breath that has been knocked out OF {
i'm by his comrades out in the ring. For {
he life Of clown is a violent life. He !
1ust punch and be punched. he must kick :
nd be kicked. he must fall hard and :
ften, or else he won't be .the kind Of {
unny person that folks expect and want Z
IF people would only laugh At some :
hing nice and gentle" said Oakley. 1t :
ouldnt be so bad being a clown. But :
hey won't. No; they want a fellow to G
Q everything but break his neck. and c
he would do that too. they'd be even {
lore obliged. I suppose it's our own :
lult. We've educated the people up to :
here they expect violent monkey shines. 3
nd hang il. we have TO give that sort CT Q
hing 10 them. Q
IF one Of the tumblers makes a mis- 9
alculation and lands on the end OF his =
oIne instead Of his feet. there is a cry a
horror from the audience and every b
ne looks anxiously TO see II the man Is 2
lrt. But Il \ clown does q double =
lDtIiefSdllt over three flcIu1Nt5s anu =
tipping the mattress. lands on the bare n
round on the small Of his back. every .
1dy laughs And they expect the next I 2
own to do that or something even fun .
er. When he doesn't they seem sur =
Used and say: 'ay. that first fellow was =
y funniest Of the lot wasn't he7' q
Now, I ride a mule In this show IL z
Re part 81 the performance. and IL or q
r to please ] have 20 let that mule run :
way with me. throw me, KICK me. and n
metimes stamp or me There isn't one D
{ OF fake in that mule acf-not a BIT 2
course. people think I fake the whole 2
ing. but I don't.
Ten years ago I might have faxed :
and got just as much laughter out Of 81
as 7 do now. But nowadays I've Eot 2
let the mule have the FUN Instead q z
:. IN order 20 please the people There y
II q performance after which 7 don't =
me out of that rms lame and sore. but .
I limp out the iast thing hear Is roars =
laughter. =
once In a street parade 7 Vas driving
shetland pony hiiched 60 a light racing =
r. Close TO the curb stood man With 3
small boy. The r1sn carried a heavy :
ne. The boy said =
Oh. rapa. there comes the clonu. Isn't =
funny2 lit him over the head sikh :
" cane.
Para compiled az once. He brought %
u cane down with a srash on ny head
2 7 came pretty near falling out ~ tre
Eon When Z gathered ny scattered
"a together. everybody waE laughter
: 70 one 50 hesrtIE aE the uan uho
J struck ne landed or thsz po.rt
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