The Indianapolis journal., 1903-08-30

Starting into the show business about the
time the civil war began DR.. Gray's career
has been spent in the limelight. His busi-
ness has taken him all over the world and
there are sew places on the globe where
there are people to be amused that have not
known the presence Of DIR. Gray He comes
to indianapolis to take charge of the show
tc be given here the latter part of Septem-
Der with an abundance Of experience.
Or. Gray is native OF the Bluegrass
State. on his mothers side-the De Garmos
he is descen6ent of Ponce De Leon
Or. Gray is fifty years old. Florence, KY,
is the town where he spent his youth. 1t
during this time that ne got his first
experience i'm the show business by helping
TO train horses Of the John Robinson circus.
which was wintering in his town. When
the circus started on the road the next
spring young Cray went with it. He
mained with the Robinson aggregation dur
ing the early years of the wa-.
Then he returned 10 his fathers home,
but his thoughts were with circus horses
and the sawdust arena. Again he ran away
from home to join the same circus. Land
ing in Bridgeport. Conn, he left the Robin
son circus and became attached to the p.
II. Barnum show BY this time he was
adept with horses, and in short time
ne was put in the pony department of the
show He remained there but a short time
and was then made a ring rider He trav-
eled with the Barnum circus as ring rider
fer three years. striking up an intimate ac-
quaintance with the famous Don S. Cos
tello
RAN AWAY AGAIN.
In one of his tours through the country
his father found him accidentally and took
him back to Kentucky, but he ran away the
third time, shortly after completing
grammar school education While in Gin
cinnati he heard of the Chicago fire and
arrived there on the morning of the second
day. He Immediately hunted for theater,
but the only TO be found running was
the Adephi, owned by Jack Haverly. He
remained with Colonel Haverly twelve
years in every department, and last night
Dr. Gray stated that he believed that all
his success in life was due to the thorough
training he received under this pioneer
American Snowman. He travelled all over
America with Colonel Haverly, and went to
England with him in 1879, opening at her
Majesty's Theater with the famous Masto-
don Minstrels.
Colonel j. III. Nicholson at that time was
manager of the show Under Colonel Hav-
erly the first American lithography was in
troduced in London, proving so successful
that the police ordered down the show
bills on account of the great crowds that
blocked the streets TO gaze at them. But
the show bills proved to be the making of
Colonel Haverly. They attracted the at
of Cir E,roy
of the Prince of Wales, and, -one day, as
Dr. Gray was standing in front of the
theater. in his capacity of outside man.
he received request from a modest look
ing gentleman and his wife to purchase
set of the pictures which had set the Lon
don crowds crazy.
DIR. Gray replied that they were not for
SALE but, when informed that they were in
tended for his Majesty,s children, gave Mr..
Knowllys "a set. They were taken to the
royal residence, where they were played
with by the present Duchess of Fife, the
Duke of York. and his brother George, now
deceased. The children tore the pictures
considerably and, when DR.. Gray heard of
it, he sent them set varnished over and
framed, which may be seen to-day in the
royal palace of Sandringham. This was fol-
lowed by royal box party at the theater,
at which the Prince of Wales was pre-
sented to a number of the leading perform
ers. While in England. DR. Gray made an
especial study of horse shows at the agri-
cultural hall at Islington and gained knowI-
edge which has stood him in good stead in
this country
From there he went to Paris and remained
for three years as an attache of the Con-
cours Hippique, where he gained additional
valuable knowledge of conducting equine
exhibits. There he introduced the Ameri-
can system of advertising. From Paris he
went to Monte Carlo, where he officiated