The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-07-31
G HO OIL A T

~ IA ~ ~ ~ - "A
ChOcolat came from Haiti one fim>
morning and made his debut in pri-
vate family as valet. Not successful.
i'll this role. he ran away with ma
DANES pet femme de chambre and
later turned up at the Nouveau Cirque
as Il clown.
ChOcolat is the blacklist intcrprcta
tiCn of Il negro on rec0rd-the darkest.
jollirSt translation of laughter eXtant.
He is the most famous black clown III
Christcrdom and the only one l know
whose face is made up for him by
Providcnre without the addition of at
ccntuatrd lines of exaggerated paint.
There are two ChocolatS-in the ring
aud out. In h" is got UP i'll white duck
or flannel. ridiculously cut in cXaggrr-
atCd parody of the latest fashion. with
white cotton gloves, every finger of
which is stretched wide apart from its
fellow and used as IL means of express
ing the NEST ridiculous sentiments in
the most unheard of way. He does not
do the funny clown who antics Ctcr-
naliy and whom we all SO we'll know.
On the contrary, his role is 10 pretend
to he fcarfully awkward and stunt
Bile over everything in and out Of sight
cNhauStivrly. to the uproarious delight
of all the small and large boys in the
delighted audience.
out of tie ring he is the successful
negro. full of mischief and jokes and
dandyiSm and vanity and ingenious
ness and good nature. He puts his
hat on the back of his head at the
races. like any other man. and. his
thumbs in lis armptS. struts from the
tribune to the betting stalls, with Il
cigar between his lips and benign
smile for his admirers.
Then there is FoOttit. famous for in
''cnting new situations and conducting
them from the old standpoint. which
admits of bad French a rAnGlais, bad
Jokes ad libitum and horSeplay. with
round up of something really clever.
SOmcrSaultS with FoOttit have de-
velnpcd into things of beauty and in
finite redundancy forever, and with his
little red eyes and his long nose and
his clowns get up, with its grotesque
buttons and short WASTED opportuni
ties fully lived up to, he is as delicious
as his little cardboard prototypes in
the shop windows.
In private life Mr.. Foottit Is noted
for his weakness for his friends wives
plus his own; but. regrettable though
it may be, this trait of his thus far has
only served to augment his fame.
Last summer lie lied the town with
lady who jumped through rings for Il
livelihood, which probably explained
her carrlesSneSs as to the necessity of
ring in private life.
Then there is Mcdrano. lie is ring
master at present. Raised from the
ranks of ticket seller and general fac
totum. he cracks jokes nightly in public
with Chocolat and Foottit.
Ills fame fell in this wise: The Baron
de Rpinach of Panama fame, who was
noted for his affection for circus riders
and coryplccs, used him at a fancy
ball oddly enough, The ball In ques,
crate lin d" steele houses in Paris. 1t
WIS Il fairy scene. Electric light and
flowers and money and human nature
filled up the gap made by those who
refused 10 be present for reasons
which were obvious"
Tie ball was over. Shcpherdesses
and Marie Antoincttcs and German Of
Il Il,
Eylnsics, one and all had removed their
masks and were striving to cool off
in the giant conservatorics, whose
fountains played pcrfumcd water,
when Il clown sprang into the room,
but such a clown-fashing with daZ-
zling jewels, clothed in cloth of gold
and brocade, stiffened with magnificent
embroidery and precious stones, but
masked,
\ dream of clown, who leaped
and whirlcd and turned gigantic somer-
sauits and stole innumerable kisses.
then off again, in and out between the
flowers and the electric lights. into the
shadow again, with diabolical gestures
Of exaggerated Importance and little
fine suggestions of indcscribable charm
and grace. lodged here and there until
they all went mad over him and, like
Il liock of varicoiored sheep, followed
lin from room 10 room, begging him
so remove his mask, but lie would not.
He rludcd them again and again,
and finally, when they were reused
to Il frenzy of excitement and curiosity,
he led them to the flower twisted stair
ease, upon which the tapestried walls
frowncd, and just as they had their
arms about his neck and were asking
riotously, "Who are you-oh, who
are YOU, pretty CLOWN" he once more
slipped from their grasp and with
flashing leap through the vitiated air
disappeared. Later, as they sat down
to supper. he appeared among them
without his mask. 1t was the Baron
de ReinaCh.
Later still all Paris rung with the
news of his suicide, which Panama dis
closures induced, and then Medrano
remarked to a friend: There were two
of us that night. l was the clown who
executed the pirouettes. He went in
afterwarl. He hired two costumes eX-
actly alike and gave me my orders.
Twas my last appearance In that
capacity. If he had paid me by check,
instead of in bank notes, who knows,
mon Dicu. but l, too, might have be-
come involved iii PanamaY"