The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1909-01-26

|G 49, month will mark
S0oI@-os7kUTS77H In New York a
much more interesting and novel
celebration--the golden jubilee OF a
clown. He is James r, Adams, now
in his fifth season at the Hippo
drome, who in February will com
plete his tlttieth year In the saw
dust ring
Some people in England, where this
dean OF the Hippodrome's clowns was
born, still believe In the divine right
Of Kings. But more, perhaps, cling
to the superstition Of the divine right
OF clowns.
James Adams was born to the purple
Of clowning.
His father and his grandfather, and
his great .grandtathe were clowns. And
true 70 the traditions OF the circus. they
were guilty OF 10 mlsalI!ance with the
outside world, but each and all married
circus riders,
The dynasty goes back in unbroken
line to 1855 Not one OF our millionaire
families can boast such a pedigree, But
James Adams Is the last OF his line, and
because OF that. outside OF his ciown!ng
he 10 q rather sad and subdued little
man.
wife 10 an Invalid.
Fifteen years ago he married a ballet
dancer, who first came TO America with
Adeina Patti. But his wife Is now. a
helpless invalid, whom. In his leisure
hours. the veteran Alown takes about in
wheeled chair,
You have seen him at the Hppodrome,
OF course. He plays the odd ruoe,'
and besides that does an acrobat!c
speciality on stills. Up at the Hippo
drome they think him . marvel OF light
ness and skill, superior TO almost any
performer half his age. Yet the mans
leg was broken just below the thigh
when he was nine years old intention
ally broken. he says. by a master aero
bat to whom he was apprenticed.
Blu. I'll let the little gray-ha!red gen.
tlemanly chap tell you his story himself.
Just as he told 1t 10 me yesterday after
noon-modes;ly, deprecatngly, and with
a soft cockney accent that can't hope
TO reproduce.
IN the old days, In England" ne
SAID, we used to give gigantic specta-
Giles In the circus. Fine carpets were
laid over the sawdust, and everybody
took part n the spectacle.
There was only one ring, and there
was a cylindrical curtain. like that at
the Hppodroms, that shut down over It
when the changes were being made.
Our family had been in the clown
| business since ii35. My mother continued
to be circus rider ons after her chill
dren were born.
Il made my first appearance with the
circus when was four years old as
Gen Boom in the spectacle Of "Cinder-
ella"
AT five was full-tledged little
clown, for my father did Glowing spe-
cialty on horseback, in which he pulled
lot OF things out OF clothes-basket
the last thing being me. in litte baby
clowns costume.
AT six was apprenticed to master,
who took me with two other boys to the
Continent
Il have my apprentice papers framed
on the wall at home, 1t was the Gus
tom to apprentice clowns In those days
outside OF the family.
TT was thought they learned more
quickly away from home, The master
was to have my services free for The
first four years, and after that was &c
send three shill!ngs. or seventy-Ave
cents. a month home to my mother.
But he never sent It, and we tray
eled from place to place SO fast that
mother soon lost track OF me, and cOu,C
get no word even through the Brits.
Consuls as to my whereabouts. TIL,
master had changed my name SO as Il
prevent that.
| we Cllltu MN NldSttl, anu Nc was
our master. I've carried a broken lee
TO- forty years that proves It. Yes
and he broke It Intentionally, too, bu
I'm coming to that later.
He taught us boys the rudiments o.
clowning-the split, how to make {
funny pos.'-that's bending forward
with your knees s,ff and your fee
together TIL your face touches the flool
then we learned to do these thing
sidewise, and then came the lock.
That's how he happened to break my
leg"
The Terrors Of tho Lock"
Now. the sensitive reader had bette
SKIP about the lock" for It's COINS
TO make him feel as faint and sick as {
u Jack London story Of starvation. HI
Is warned. All the time the soft-volcet
clown was telling i to me with abso
lutely no suspicion OF It's narrowing
cruelty, couldn't see the small. gray
haired man before me, but only th'
little, forlorn. homeless. tortured chill,
he had been forty-five years ago.
The lock-" he proceeded. is mad
NV laittins dovu ana locking Zach La