New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-17
Dean of Press Agents
Helped to Make Circus
What 1t Is To-day.
WAS WITH BARNUM
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
Known World Over for
Startling Advertising
Methods.

The big top is down, the loI - "@
serted, the stake and chain crew has
loaded the last fat car, and the tram
is on its way. "Tody" Hamilton has
made the long jump.
r. F. Hamilton, who had done as
much to stimulate Young Americas
| imagination as any other man, died
I Yesterday in his home in Baltimore.
"Tody" was a circus press agent-the
dean, the pioneer, the originator OF the
craft-and the greatest Of 'em all! For
/ twenty-five years he exploited the Bar
mum & Bailey show. "Tody's" genius
as much as P. I. Barnum's or Jim"
Bailey's. made the circus the American
/ institution il is.
/ Hamilton's initials were r. F., but
"Tody" had not used them in thirty
wears. and used TO vow he had forgot
ten what they ever did stand for. He
came by "Tody" from his mother, who
| adapted the nickname from her son's
! first method of locomotion, which
strongly resembled the progress OF
/ toad.
Known the World over.
II was 4 quiet night on the White
, Way and in the Press Club after the
news of "Tody's" death was circulate 1,
J for everybody on Broadway or Park
/ Row knew "Tody" or knew of him. F9;
that matter he was known in every city
and hamlet in the United States tina
boasts q newspaper, and in every cap
| tai in Europe. The circus can never
outlive or outgrow what il inherltei
from "Tody" Hamilton, for he took the
circus in hand when it was IN It's swad-
ding clothes. 49,,
Recall the startling legends which
suddenly blossomed forth on vacant
wall in your home town some thirty
wears ago? Barnum e. Bailey were COM
! ing, and among other things to gasp a.
was:
Another awful, appalling. hazard
Gus, hair raising, aerial somersaultlng
act!" Of the intrepid trapeze per-
/ forming trio" was TO be witnessed IN
| , turning, twisting, tossing, fitting
transposition in midair. No nets to
save them should they fall"
Coiner of Adjectives.
Does il strike a spark in your mem
/ He originated the device of ALTERATION
TO excite interest in the big show. IL
has been said that "Tody" memorized
more adjectives than any man on
earth. Ten per cent of his adjectiyes
were of his own coming, and lot OF
them have become standard words and
are incorporated into the dictionaries:
In the heyday of his career "Tody'
used TO grind out 100000 words a
year-and all of it new and good
AcCpy"-about the greatest show on
earth" >,
The yarns spun around "Tody'
Hamilton's publicity achievements are
legion. 1t was he who made JUMBO,
that mastodonic marvel, the largest
living animal in captivity. For years
Jumbo had led a quiet British exist.
ence in the Geological Gardens OF
London, when, on 'Tody's TIP, Barnum
bought the animal. Immediately Eng
land discovered its loss. From press
rulpit and platform went up wall.
british officialdom was disturbed al
| most out of its wits by protests over
the taking away of Jumbo.
The affair had assumed information
al proportions by the time Barnum q
Bailey were ready TO exhibit Jumbo
10 the gaping American public. The
incident has been described as "Tody's
greatest coup. but there are a score
of other achievements almost as good.
He once offered Admiral Dewey $780,
600 a week to join the show.
Born in Manhattan.
"Tody" Hamilton was born in Canal
Street, Manhattan, in lS47. AT the
age of eight ne entered Fordham Col
lege. He was a remarkable student,
but he and the masters did not get
on well. At twelve "Tody" took to
the sea on a sailing ship bound for
Panama, with nothing but his age to
command respect. Eventually he ar
rived in San Francisco, where he be-
came a printers apprentice, and did
his first writing for publication. Back
in New York few years later. he
successfully made and spent several
fortunes in stocks.
"Tody" was reporter on The
New York Herald" in 1881, when he
went to work for P. T. Barnum. He
retired in 1906, after a season" that
had lasted twenty-five years. and went
to live in Baltimore, whore he had
met the young woman who became
his wife.
Retirement proved an unsatisfactory
life. however, and "Tody" always was
coming back. Last year he Opened
Coney Island. In 1907 he was feted
at the Waldorf in one Of the greatest
testimonials ever given to news
paperman. Charles z. Hughes. then
Governor was the principal speaker.