Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-04
VETERAN CIRCUS
OWNER RETURNS
To THE j. 6. A.
William J. Hart, After Fifty
Three Years of Continu-
GUS Residence in Far East
Comes to Albuquerque.

Born in 1914 in Hopewell, n. j.,
he early in life started in the
| theatrical business at which he be-
came a master. During his early
twenties he made his first tr,p
across the continent, travelling
| through this western country by
the old Fremont trail and through
what Is now Old albuquerque,
where he stayed for a month g.v-
| ing performances at what WAS
known as the old Hunky Dunk.
Going on to California, he decid
ed to make an attempt to lind his
| father, who was then in India, the
! owner of circus. Landing in
Bombay, several months later, he
soon learned of his fathers where
abouts and in a few days Joined
him. His father, who was the orig
inal Billy Hart and the manager
and organizer of Christy Mn
strels in New York, placed his son
in charge OF the menagerie, and it
was in his charge and possession
tor period of fIty-three years.
While travelling with the circus
Hart visited practically every far
So'ltil IL 'OuIlll anu tIiOEl III Tue
islands once each year. For forty
nine years the shows were man
aged without a hitch and until af-
ter the outbreak of the great world
war, when the British government
passed a law forbidding any white
man in its possessions to spend
money for amusements. This, of
course, crippled the show industry,
as the regular entrance fee for the
negro amounted to about II cents.
This left Mr.. Hart the choice Of
quitting the show business, playing
exclusively to negro audiences, or
finding new quarters, He decided
to take the latter course and went
to CeylOn and then across to Su-
matra and later to the Malay Pc
ninsula, from which place he took
his company overland to Apia in
Mongolia.
1t was at Apia that this veteran
circus and menagerie owner met
the first great loss of his life.
Twenty three members of his COM
pany, including his three daugh-
ters, lost their lives in an epidem-
ic of white plague" a disease that
often prevails in central Asia and
which begins with a swelling in the
throat, choking it's victim in about
twenty minutes time, If medical a.
tention is not given.
The other members of the COM
pany, together with what was let
of town of several thousand in
habitants, hurriedly took their de-
parture across the desert to within
a few miles of the great Chinese
wall, and then over the Nang Pc
pass, which is forty-tWo miles due
north OF the city of Pekin, where
fate had in store another great
misfortune for this king of circus
performers. His wife, profession
ally known as Dollie Davenport,
and who was considered at one
time among the greatest bareback
riders in the world, while training
a horse, fell from it's back, alight-
ing face downward on a rope stake,
the stake piercing her heart, Kill
ing her almost instantly. The BODY
was cremated In Pekin and the
ashes placed in a vase, which Mr.
Hart carries with him.
From Pekin Hart wendell his
way southwark to Java and from
Java to Garonte, where he met
with what ne termed the crown
ing loss of his life.
On a beautiful day in June, his
three grandchildren, ranging IN
age from IL to Is years and VINO
were his leading actors, togetnef
with eight Persian children, also
members of the show company,
climbed to the rim of Mount krako,
a famous active volcano. While no.
body knows just what happened, II
is thought that a tremor OF the
earth Jared a mass of rock loose,
which fell on the children, killing
them instantly.
Disheartened and broken In
health but still hoping for a cnange
of fortune. Hart went to Soera-
boya in Java with the company
that had now been reduced to al
most nothing. At Soeraboya he
left a few of his animals in the
geological gardens and with the
remnants of his company Went 10
MaKassar in the Celebes lsianus.
After playing this town he decldeu
to 60 to Borneo, a distance of 100
miles. While playing his thlrd
town in Borneo. Balik-Papen, on
the 10th day of last September,
while his tents were pitched out in
the native quarters, a typhooh
swept the island and completely
wiped out of existence the entire
village, including the circus, thus
ending a career of over fiftN-tWo
years of circus life in the Far East
From Balik -Papen word was
sent by Mr.. Hart to Won Stonberg.
the Dutch governor and a lie long
friend of the performer, VINO
brought the few of the company
that were left to Soeraboya, where
a lengthy conference was held and
after much persuasion to give up
the show life, Mr.. Hart decided to
return to the United States.
Through the good graces of Gov
ernor Won Stonberg, Mr., Hart was
| given passage on Dutch tramp
| steamer, which was just a little
over three months in making the
trip via Barcelona, Spain, to Ha-
yana, Cuba. After spending four
months in the Cuban capital Mr.
Hart came to Key West. While
looming over on the boat he chanc-
ed to meet up with John McGraW
/ of New York Giant fame, who dis
couraged the former circus man.
ager from going to New YORK. as
he felt sure that all of Harris for
mer associates would be dead and
lgone.
Leaving In the springtime Of life
he returned to the land of his birth
at the ripe old age of rs.
While In Key West Mr.. Hart
Learned that two members OF ms
company, "The Jolly CorKers',
William Bowern and Billy Shepard
had years before gone to Albuquer-
que. Believing that 1t might be
possible to meet up with these for
mer acquaintarces or some of their
descendants, he decided to come to