Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-06-17
OLD CLOWNH1:RETIRES,
Al HaIs!o Takes lss., ;67
Years. Strenuous Activity! 81 s:
BE WAS s7HfsKlRG '0F: THEMs:2ALL
Veteran Fun Maker Recalls: :gthsi Old
Days-That ef{a:.G!own Is The Only
Life He: Ever knewe-.-fas Always
Worked Hard. 70 Play, the Fool. |. -

New York.---Al Maico,, oldest and
most famous Of circus clowns, ssish III,
but he insists he isIt't through s. "Eli
be in the dressing room when Ringing
is in Jersey City two weeks from IoWk,
he repeated today as, he rocked and
fro in a chair in his littleS Iroom
at No. $40. Eighth avenue, rub6ing ms
hands nervously together and .Rsahg
anxiously at his wife. who sat, by the
window quietly sewing. IL;
I'm only :7s,". he. continued bfaYely,
and there Was.a suspicion of, a catch In
his voice as he spoke a little louder.
I'm only ,7s:; ispiayed ssince = was 9.
Pm going to keep ,ion. playing until
until the cufftaia.s T.: 8 = II ;
He gazed out: 81 :.the window: pull
ing at his: yellow gnarled fingers, Ris
eyes misted with the glowing memo
ries of 81 years OF circus life. They
had been years :fullsof changing. scenes,
of action, Of thrills OF red and gold
and tinael, clown white and carmaine,
swaying rows .of races backed high
against innumerable big tops, peals OF
laughter, ,volleys. Of handclappins'' They
had all been his. For twenty-five ny,
years he had been the head clown '0f
Ringing Brothers. People in the pro-
fession called him, the King OF OF
Clowns" 1t was the only life he;kpfew:
And he didn't feel sick, only g sNttle aa
tired. His lips quivered Just g. bit
I'm only home for a rest" he satl:
you must come over to Jersey sElsy
to see me- Just come into the dressins
room and ask Tor al, Miaco: :, EHsrxa
body knows, me. Al Miaco, IYesbse4
in the business long, time. ," ~; :. ~.
AL has been in the business a. 511
time, indeed. And: he had a sbryS
down the other day While ,ridingSil
crowded: :Philadelphias! street; eat. tH
walked to g t the bigs top, but. Sollaps
while entering the. dressing ::tsnt!s
was taken to hospttak and x tn4H
John Ringling told him gently I'D ste
home, calling him affect ctionatelY bYtsA.
nackname he alone Spsea. ~
/. Take it easy ffrorn, nov, s
You'n get your check teVefy .weaks int
the same, and you needn't come 4Ragk
unless you want to-" t?s.; u 30,
So All Miaco is home SSonly foFs:a
rest" with his wife, Who.ls :tS.: .,a ~. ~:
lures of Harlequins 4 and. ColumbiHfMs M
are on the wall alongside OF. photQ-f
graphs of performers dead and goHe.
There were shows which have .,bsep
all but forgotten. but they ;, repath
viviGly in their memories. fanKee
Roblnson's Circus and: nc Th!eater, with
which Al was apprenticed when he was
Q. He put on his first clown SUIT taen aa
and his first act was 70 be oussieo
with the feet OF the theh famous tas
ley. family. Inen there were nays
& Noyes circus, Cnarile Ames' Caa'ei- s.
on's Oriental S12lh1!n,. !h a. .Rooinsons' Nixons
New York circus ;ffl!1 and the famous u!
Barnum's. NIX . ..t,7.:; .:a.
And a clown mad 70. oe q clo". -
those days, saia Az ms pony iace
lighting up Wltn a Smile .ot fetatn
cence. ~ Was.a si!aAespe:Ae een .tc -
could reclte anything tnae ,ehaAe- &.
speare ever Wrote, WROTE, tpuE as tne siioGs s'l!''
got larger, the spoken pi INES oecame.
less used and now a cio"n rafeiy rare ~ y ).
to speak. }..::i,
i've oeen WIN MY .eiteusee
Ringling's OF 'course'1s the sreaoese y
them, but In never forget. faash'
Chahoers' "Do WV; aiee, nv
he called TO MS "fle' one siniieo a4:a
nodded. 'a* is'Si -
"Haight G. Chambers NE" orieatie
circus and menagerie' tine oio neh IN.
went on, a softer note creeping ih'o nus
voice. we [afeieu 70, M ooo'' ~ Z > :.
Mississippi. Laura ana | ~ met ..LltE;l theH;
Ihat was 90 years :aso -, i,
"tItty-four. Al, correStsu h.s,("ts, !' oi;s!,:
yes thats r1gnt' Of. Halna was. tHe
best gymnast IN the business: 80 t9u
know she played on the hisaes' tfap-
eze in Madison Square garden ~heh
she was So. We were playing IN Ca!ro,
Ill.,, on July q lSeh'When we oecioeo 3''''e''.
tn q.