The sun., 1916-08-17
"TODY" HAMILTON
DIES AT 10 YEARS
Known Length and Breadth Of
Land Through His Circus
Posters.
HAD WORLD
First Of Press Agents-Mill-
ions Charmed by His Choice
Of Adjectives.

Richard +. Hamilton. known the
length n breadth Of the country as
"Tody." died yesterday in his homo In
Baltimore. 1.-THE nobiest Roman among
all the press agents was In his SEVENTEEN
year M had been in III health for sew
eral years.
"Tody" Hamilton had a career that
never was chronicled adequately. From
time to time In the last twenty-five years
little snatches OF his life have been
printed. but as the result Of his incurable
modesty the full story has not appeared.
Any one who Wanted to interview
"Tody' found him bubbling over with
good stun about the circus. o Euro
pean travelling. about the thousands Of
newspaper offices that he had been in,
but Invariably discovered that he stam-
mered and halted when II came to talk
ing about himself.
Although he was born In New York
Mr.. Hamilton a moro familiar with
thousands Of American and European
cities than his own birthplace. His idea
OF taking q vacation after travelling
with the circus all year was to drop in
on Coney Island.
Powers Charmed Millions.
"Tody' came from a family Of news.
paper men. His grandfather and father
were writer's. and at the age Of ~ he
was In the game. turning out "helr
wanted" advertiser ents. Few persons
read his products In those days. but
later on in life. when he became the
keeper OF the adjectives for the Barnunl
& Bailey Circus. millions Of persons fell
under the charm OF his bowers. lie was
the man who dashed of the circus pro-
grammes. posters. advertisements and
! NIL 10. I- H. 49,
Tho marvels Of ALTERATION that smote
softly upon the ear and sang their way
into the minds OF the ticket buying pop
ulace have become so famous that they
have come pretty rear being fireside
words.
The newer generation Of circus press
agents. talented men all OF them. have
to-day followed In the path that "Tody''
hlazed with the %splendors OF his rhetoric.
One might almost say he created a new
branch o, literature. His works were
translated into many OF the languages
OF the continent. Fourteen years ago.
when he returned from abroad. he
brought with him a Hamiltonian effusion
In Magyar.
W couldn't 20 TO Spain or Russia. e
said "Tody" on that occasion. because
the gauge OF their railroads didn't ~
ctr cars. That is why I didn't have a
chance to study Spanish and Russ an.
l regret that ! couldn't look at n trans
lation Of one OF our posters in Russian
describing the greatest s~howovitcn OIL
oarthsky.'
As for the n, ~sionary work that Ham.
ilton did in Europe. convincing the
editors and lie public that his circus
was about the most wonderful aggrosa-
ton Of marvels on top OF the earth. tina,
Is a story all by itself.
Before he Joined the circus Mr.. Ham!l.
ton worked for W. a. Coup. who hal "a,
aquarium where the Herald square I'hc,
atre later stood. When coup bought 4
circus Mr.. Hamilton made his first
plunge into press agent work. II wa.
in 1851 that he Joined the Barnuu
forces. He was so resourceful that 4
didn't take him long to catch the public
eye. Old timers must recall that famous
episode OF the alleged white elephan,
from Siam which had been put on ex.
hihi,!on by a rival circus.
Before n gathering OF scientists hs
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. that Was the best
thing he did. demonstrate. and as tn,
years rolled on he did more and more
demonstrating for publicity purposes
that II was mighty easy 10 make a
sacred white elephant from Siam IL one
had the right kind OF chemicals.
Tried Many Lines.
BY scientific demonstrating "Tody'
got the circus into the papers more fro
Quently than any other American insti
tuition. When the state was about Il
use electricity instead OF the hang
mans Moose for the execution OF Grim
inals. Hamilton had experiments con
Quoted with different kinds Of animals.
Probably because he had more idea!
at one time than most mcn. Mr.. Ham.l
ton went into many different kinds o
business ~cndeavors. lie published maya
zines and newspapers. he invented things
he took a try at the brokerage business
more than once. Fe worked at on,
time for Roster n Bial In Twerty-thir,
street. He Is said to have been the frs
man who thought OF holding a ball IL
Madison Square Garden and of running
of six day roller skating contests,
Somehow or other Lis ideas seemed I,
now more smoothly in the circus bust
ness than in any other. and he was &C
knowledged To he the k!ngpin OF tn
publicity men ~ the siwdust circuit
TO hear him dilatc upon the science o
publicity was highly educational.
Henry Hamilton Honore.
CHICAGO. Aug. 16.-Henry Hamilton
yyn,1,n Tor ,,npx- x.aarJ ., .1,,,fn.nt Vy