The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1913-09-29
CIRCUS CLOWNS
WHEN THEY WERE
GENUINELY funny
Veteran "Jack" Clark Tells
of the Days When He Made
the Whole World Laugh.
MODERN CLOWNS TAME.
Great Sport for Audience
When Clark Was Shot While
Doing an Act.
MODERN CLOWNS TAME.

Doing an Act.
Thirty years . clowa. back in the
old Dan Rice show days, when Canal
street was uptown and circus tents
were pitched on the vacant lots In
Houston street! Old Capt. John c.
Clark, who celebrated his eighty hrst
birthday this week at Long Branch.
has some lively experience to relate.
In those days everybody went TO the
circus. II wasn't: "Shan We 20 to
Hammerstein's or take in an act OF
the Casino show. but: "Aro we COINS
to the big SHOWN And II there
was 80 cents in the old stocking hang.
Ing In the corner. you can bet that
We wsfei
Just think Of those old days when
nobody had heard Of tho high cost Of
living or the red light drama, when
women never drcased 90 that they
blocked the tranhe on broadway and
no one said. II should worry" Thoss
were the days whom old Jack Clark
made the whole world laugh.
HG's BEEN EVERYTHING tx.
cEPr TICKET TAkCR.
= have been everything IN the circus
s1eeet the ticket takse." saad Capt
Oark, nut the best days I svsr spent
were - . clown with Daa Rice Bless
- a ha
"a them days! 1hsrs amt anything
like Il now. DID you ever 80 Jacob
0howlss DO his dancing act on . running
hsrssf OF course you Amt for he hasn't
done Il for thirty yearA I gueaA And
cid Horace Smith and Tom Kine-you
eusAt 10 e sssn Tom DO the backward
jump. He vas the champion Backward
Jumper (ths Captain chuckisd) until
baAt him. And can stfn iumpi The
) day was sixty-six I did ten feet on
. backward jump. and u didn't have .
nttis touch Of rheumatism I could stii,
- II.
THE most exciting time 7 ever had
n the circus? That's easy. We we're
playing on Houston street At that time.
and II was the second night after We
haA brought the show 10 New York.
~ trick was to balance . chair on top
Of . long pole and do acrobato and
oo0tortionist stunts on the chair. There
was certain cal that I was head over
hssis In love with and ehe was settin'
In the front row. sortsr knew that
u che ever saw me DO that act shed
come around and quit making mo wait
asy longer. % was anxious 70 have
hee 80 me. had . rival and knew
No was setting somewhere IN the audi
snes. ! guess he know too that ~ I
ever pulled OF that stunt before her
tAat / would BE- goodby for him. 30
was kind Of expecting something.
oNor WHILE PERFORMING MS
oREATeer ACT.
gust - began workin' and every
tAinS was going Just a. nice A. Il could
was . revolver shot ana iookin' down
NV that my hand was bieedin. There
wasn't . bit Of pain. 10 kept on. only
Aalf realism what had happened. Al
Ses the audience. they thought Il was
Sast Of the show and got the biseest
rsosption ever landed in my whole life.
TIE fellow that did II got away. but
- never turned UP AGAIN." Tue Cap.
tain stopped 20 exhibit . scar on his
right hand whsrs the bullet had
Grassd Il.
"You got used 10 shootin' IN thos>
days." he continued. when frs'
started In the show business. the trainl
eaiy went - far West 40 Albany. and
I played at every Western town In tn,
country worth stoppin' At.
'Did you ever hear about ne tims
sts,s John Robinson's show from Aimi
He had got hold Of an act where Z
Malps believe French noble and his wife
exhibited . large wardrobe and did Z
few tricks Of their own You WOULDN'T
- believed Il. but II made the bieges
hit that ever was. ] went to soc II on,
slight After that went and had tn,
wardrobe all carefully copied and ",
began rehearsing the act. Frank Rostor
WAS Monsieur and Alexander 6anfrett
vas Madame. Dan Rice WAS the ciowI
go ! played the part Of the valet
Then We went 70 washinGton and 20
exclusive yights 10 the piecA Vine,
Jaok Robinson brought his act 20 Nsv
York and Il was stopped he could "a
killed the whole Dan Rice company
but We went on pisyin' Il a. long q
Il drew. which was long time. That,
the way the show business vas IN thos
laya
svhgv WAS REAL CLOWNS" N
THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
prank Drew. the uncle OF John Drew
vas In the company then. Dan Learned
him to play second clown. and ne va
good. tell you they was real clown
when the Dan Rice company played
Ths last time I went 70 New York
80 this fellow Aarcsiins. but ] can
80 much In him.
II don't have much to DO with In
ahow business now. My business now
eavin' people I have been . license,
evangelist for thirty yeara In Extes,
days ] have converted ~ persons. An,
u am GOin' In kNem NJ n n. loo~ a.