Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-22
Mistsllansu,ls Rsaains
OLD TIME CIRCUS CLOWN.
Dan Rice's Recipe For Making People
Laugh.

Dan Rice's Recipe For Making People
Laugh.
1.-The funny papers and the three ring
circus have about busted up the clown
business" said Henry w. Wilson the
other day. Wilson was for many years
a circus clown and one Of the best and
funniest in the business, says the Kan
sas City Star.
1.-The blacked up end man still lives,
but the real circus Jester has passed
into history like George Washington,
Napoleon and other famous charac-
ters."
I'm the days OF Dan Rice and Yam
kee Robinson the crowds went to see
the clown and they felt when there
was a good one that they got their
moneys worth whether there was
much else to the show or not. There
was an individuality about the old
time jester, just as there is today about
the actor. Some clowns were greater
than others. Today the ten or twelve
monkeys that jump around in the
three ring circus are all alike to the
spectators. For all they know the per-
formers are graduates from the tramp
class, and they probably are. The big
circus has developed the real jester
out Of a Job. I am not complaining,
because quit the clown business be-
fore the days when they began to use
monkeys for clowns. got converted
and went to lecturing. 1t doesn't pay
quite as we'll, but 1 retained my indi-
viduality, and that is something.
Every now and then run across
one Of our old jokes in a newspaper or
magazine, and 1t brings back fond
memories. Dan Rice was famous for
creating unique situations which would
set the crowd to roaring with laughter.
In the rural districts 1t was common
thing. to see a young couple perched
high up on the seat-in the sky line
row-the boy with his arm around the
girl and both eating candy or popcorn
in supreme content. Dams keen eyes
never missed such splendid subjects
and he would turn to the ring master.
Then would follow a dialogue about
like this, Dan taking the lead:
"'Say, Mr.. Smith, do you know that
Id rather be one Of those people up
there than to be president Of the Unit
ed States?
what exclaimed the ringmaster
in great astonishment I can't imagine
any man in this crowd who Is luckier
than the president Of the United
States
"Well, there is; come here and I'll
show him to you
Dan takes the ringmaster by the
arm and rushes him to the side OF the
ring and then points to his victims up
on the high seats.
There he Isl he shouts. I'd
rather be that young man up there
with his arm aroung his girl than to
be the president
If you don't think that brought a
laugh down you never attended cir
Gus. But Dan made it worse yet. He
would start to go up the steps with his
hand pointed to the miserable couple
and say as If trying to soothe them:
That's all right, young uns; just
go on like you was and we won't say
any more about 1t. had no idea these
people would be so unmannerly as to
laugh
"This Is one Of my jokes which en-
tered upon this life about the year 1855,
and is still doing time In some Of the
almanacs. 1 rush up to the ringmas-
ter crying as IL my heart was being
shiyered to pieces. The ringmaster
sympathetically wants to know:
what on earth are you bowling
about? You act like you had lost ev-
cry friend on earth
Fairly roaring out my sobs, / would
reply:
"You'd cry, too. II you had had the
miserable luck that came to me today
"weli, well, there is TO use going on
that way: tell nae what your trouble -
and maybe can help YOU
Nobody can help mel It's too ter
rible"
"TeIl Il, man! Tell it, commands
the rlngmaster.
"They had a wreck on the Santa Fe
railroad yesterday. Two trains that
were trying to pass on the same track
butted into each other and every man,
woman and child on both trains Was
killed in a minute
More howls.
well says the ringmaster, I don't
see what you're blubbering about. You
didn't have any people on those trains
did you?'
mo; that's what's the matter with
me. My mother-in-law had ticket
to go on one Of them, but was late to
the depot and missed it.
You know how the ringmaster pops
his whip at the clowns. 1t sounds like
he's whaling the life out Of them, but
he don't need to hurt them unless ne
wants to. But once we had a ring
master who not only pretended to
strike me with his whip, but he did 1t
so realistic that he raised great black
and blue marks on my back.
1t happened that this ringmaster had
an uncle in one Of the northern cities
who was not rated as strictly honest.
1t was said that he had contracted
some heavy obligations with friends,
and by some clever transfers OF his
property had evaded payment. Nearly
everybody in that town knew about
his dishonest transaction and was
down on him. When we reached that
place saw a chance to even up with
my tormenter for the slashing he had
given me. Mr.. Ringmaster didn't
know what was coming and 1t seemed
like he was trying to pay me up that
night for all the feeling the people had
expressed against his sanity uncle. so
you'll understand what follows. I'll
explain that the ringmaster didn't get
I'D the Jokes in those days; he was