The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-10
FAREWELL. GOOD CtouN.


The death of john I4oWloW in Cincinnati,
as merchant, will serve to bring many a sigh
for vanished youth. l.owlow was OF the days
when life was simple and pleasures few, Small
excitements ranked great events in Elk
perience Of routine no more monotonons be.
cause its surface broken by fewer and gentier
ripples Life held zest in those days ike
a rare dessert. Luxuries came hardly and AT
long intervals. but they met a hearty appetite
Lowlow. it is almost huf quite superlluous
to say, Was clown-a clown OF the old persuas
sion, with nothing 80 aid him in his role except i
Toured face. a few dabs of paint, red and
white spotted costume bagged us to the trous.
like that Of the conventional peYrot
Travelling with the John Robinson Show when
the special train was unknown, when the men.
agerie was small and the acrobat eonbna
ton Of star performer and tent striker he
circus III himself lie was the piece IL re-
slstanes of the parades. the life OF The show.
Under the spell Of his auips aud auirks. en-
raptured by the comieaty Of his grnace, lured
out of themselves by the mystery of his great.
ness descending 10 personal badnage. his a,i-
dienees forgot the limitations OF the circus it
self III delight al his antics. They howled ~
his simple fun guyed him Tor his mock catas
trophies in the ring. followed him ~ rapport
through all his efforts With it all he lost
his own zest or interest He was clown
hard working and faithful in labor, but clown
with heart. Year by year he toured the conn-
try visiting time after time the same simple
places bringing season after season his old
new Jokes. his acquired gibes, making friends
and keeping theu, Finally, when the John Rob
inson shows had reached the point where they
Travelled iii their special trains, when their can
Nass spread measured in acres John Lowlow
still went along, IN citizens clothes. greeting
grey whiskered friends of his early career, re.
moving acquaintance With the hovs who had car
ried the water for thetelephant had been per-
United. on his blind side to creep underneath
the flap OF the lent Only a clown, and even
2hen doing his brief turn ia the sawdust ring
for old acquaintance sake John Lowlow was
loved aud honored and made much of by those
who iii complex day swore by all the
ieCplitGlluliS oi l!dl lilt sGieHNtta Oh
the mountebank had died With Lowlow when he
put flesh.
LoWlow of course, remarkable clown
II was NOT SO much what he said yet what
he did In all conscience his capers and his
jokes were stereotyped enough Rather 1t gas
In the rerre with which he carried his part,
in the good nature with which he met his au-
diences, more than all IN the pride with which
he approached his work. l.owlow saw nothing
lowy in the part of clown. 70 him It was
profession and a worthy one. With the paint
wiped from his face i'll citizens clothes he
mingled with all the world with a charming as,
surance Of his worth. He looked life hon
estls in the face, as who having worked, in
all modesty demands his due
1t was this that caused John LowIoW TO gain
tie respect Of the people among whom for SO
many years he made his yearly pilgrimage II
was this that enabled him, full OF years aud ex-
perlence to leave the sawdust for the desk to
make good in after life Of business as he had
made good in the early years in the business o5
fun.