The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26
SAD STORY OF A QUEEN OF
 THE CIRCUS IN EARLY DAYS

From the Chicago Tribune.
 There recently died in New Orleans the one-tlme "queen of the circus" Elizabeth Howard who forty years ago divided hon ors with Dan Rice. Tn the old days Miss Howard was easily the most popular fo- male performer in the sawdnst ring. but the last twenty years of her life were spent selling newspapers in the streets of the southern city
 Time was when Elizabeth Howard re- celved S150 for forty minutes work each night. And the success of the entire per formance depended upon her whim as much as the singing of a grand opera does upon the humor of the prima donna.
 During her life in New Orleans "Old Miss Howard" as she was known to the newsboys and street urchins, earned about 50 cents a day, and to do this she was forced to rise at o'clock in the morning, summer and winter, and be at Newspaper row at o'clock when the morning papers sent out their city editions.
 It is said that Miss Howard arrived in New Orleans about twenty years ago. One cold winters morning a sweet-faeed, white haired old woman was seen selling papers at the intersection of Customhouse and Royal streets. She had rude little table with uncertain legs. When it was time to close her shop she asked per mission of a nearby storekeeper to allow her table to remain over night in his es- tablishment. Then she trudged home to a bare, cheerless little room somewhere downtown in the French quarter.
 After while she returned, passing the corner on her way to the levee for walk. She was followed by six dogs. her friends and companions This was the history of each of the last days of the old woman's life. She never selected any other corner, and she was never absent from her little stand. She always went for her walk accompanied by a half dozen dogs.
 Sometimes a change was noticed In the personnel of her canine bodyguard some of them falling victims to age, accident or the dog catcher. But there were al- ways six of them.
 There are times when the most cheerful and willing of souls will rebel at the idea of going out into the darkness of a bleak morning and standing in the face of stiff icy wind that blows straight from the gulf, but Miss Howard was always pa- tient and gentle. While she rarely smiled, she bravely faced life and the changes 1t had for her, and when her work was done she folded her arms and went away
 Miss Howard is held by many to have been the most dashing, the most daring circus woman the world ever knew She was the first person. man or woman, to tumble hoops while her horse was going at mad gallop. She could perform on the horizontal bars, too, and as a dancer she rivalled Carmencita. She had a voice of richness and power.
 Miss Howard deserted the circus for a single season, when she starred in a com edy of the sort in which Lotta was sue cessful. She achieved a triumph her sing ing of Long, Long Ago" being still fresh in the memory of many an old man. But the stage was not to her liking and she soon returned to her old love, the night on which she reappeared under the big tent being an event to amusement seekers. 1t was in Pittsburg. and admirers from Gin cinnati and Detroit made pllgrimages to the Pennsylvania city to give her a well come.
 Before the "grand entry" there was an accident in one of the dressing rooms. A candle was overturned and some fllmsy gowns were soon ablaze. Dan Rice's lit- tie niece was sleeping on a pile of canvas trunks, and the flames had reached the child when Miss Howard went to the res- cue. The queens left hand was badly burned, but the little one was unharmed.
 Miss Howard bowed to the big audience that night, but she could not ride her