The Washington herald., 1913-09-21
Entertainer Of Kings, Delight
of Peoples, Idol Of Chill.
dren, Who Has Won Title
of Worlds Greatest Clown.


Barcelona, Spain. He was stocky
youngster, with strong arms and legs
and keen black eyes that sparkled with
fun and mischief
He was always up to pranks, and his
mother would frequently look II him and
say, ~ don't know what will become of
that boy"
When his father came home from work
in the evening he would get a strap and
lead the boy to the woodshed. Then the
father would try TO whip the boy, but
the boy was too quick for him.
He would dodge the flying strap. and,
wriggling from his fathers hold. leap
through the window and rur- down the
street as fast as the wind. turned flip
fiops handsprings. and somersaults so
quickly that all the horses were fright
ened, and even the dogs put their tails
between their legs and ran for dear life.
One day the boy climbed up a tree, and
as Spanish policeman passed under II
he tried to catch the poiceman's hat
Titn hook; but, unIuckily, the branch
on which he was sitting bent over so far
that the boy fell on the policeman's mead
and broke his nose.
Before the policeman could arrest him
the boy few home and climbed up the
chimney. they looked all around for
him. under his bed, in the woodshed, and
everywhere. but they could not find him
he rp1irarr1 n N
whose nose had been broken exclaimed,
''If I ever see that young rascel, will
shoot him"
This so frightened the boy that at
night. when it was very dark, he climbed
up the chimney and ran over the roofs.
Ieaplng from house TO house until he
was out OF danger: then he slid down
a lightning rod and ran all night long
until he came to a little Spanish town
called Zaragosa.
There was big circus there called the
Circus Algeria, and the boy asked the
ringmaster for a job. The ringmaster
said:
What can you dO?"
''Anything." said the boy.
Can you turn three handsprings with
out stopping"
Five" said the boy.
DO it," said the ringmaster
And the boy did seven instead of five.
which won the ringmaster's admiration.
You're funny looking little fellow"
said the rngmaster, so l think we bet
ter make clown out of you. What's
your name"
The boy hesitated for a moment and
then said 'Marceline"
Now that was not his real name. but
he was afraid if he told his right name
the policeman might catch him, so he
gave the name "Marceline"
When the boy appeared in the tent and
played his funny antics, the crowds on
the benches screamed with laughter. and
instantly he became a graet favorite
Then he Travelled from country to coun-
try. making millions of people laugh,
until finally he became the greatest
clown in the world, and went to London,
where, for five years. he was the idoIized
clown Of all England.
Mr.. Thompson and Mr.. Dundy saw him
in London. and Marceline made them
laugh 50 hard that they gave him a big
sum Of money to come to the United
States. and make people laugh at the
New York Hippodrome.
But during all these years. since he
Ir,
found out Marceline's real name. Only
his mother and father know who he is,
because he writes his mother every day
to let her know that he is well and
happy
When the curtain rises on Marceline's
Hippodrome Company, pandemonium
reiEns supreme; off stage. everybody
wonders what the trouble is. "Marce-
line 'Marceline"' the stage hands yell.
and Marceline makes his appearance on
= bucking mule.
MarreIine and the Circus Men.
MarceIine tries to help the men. but he
gets in everybody's way ard is d regu-
lar nuisance. He trips over ropes, falls
over mats. bumps into the big circus
men. and gets knocked down so many
times that it is a wonder he does not
break his neck or bump his head
But that is where Marceline fools you
Every time he falls he just catches him
self in the nick of time to avoid a pain
full accident.
Every now and then he gets tired try
ing to help the circus men and amuses
himself by spinning his old hat on the
end OF his finger, or balancing it on the
bridge OF his nose. Just as you think he
is about to drop it, Marceline ducks his
head and the old. hat lands right on top !
Of his red hair where it belongs. If Mar
celine ever loses that hat he will have
hard time finding another one like it. It
can do more tricks than any hat you
ever saw.
Once, Marceline almost gets hurt 1T
Is when he is standing in the middle of
a big mat and the circus men want it, !
they are in a great hurry and Marceline !
won't get off. so they pull the mat from
under his feet so suddenly that he shoots |
up in the air like skyrocket. But just
as you think he is about to come down I
on his neck and break it, he gives his |
head a quick twist and lands on his ear
instead. MarceIine has the strongest ear
,ou ever saw. He can stand on either |