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THE CIRCUSOF THEOLD DAYS

FRANKMELVILLE

TELLS ABOUTTHE

CHANGES

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What we want said the Interviewerend the artist to the press ngont as thothree strolled over the tanbark across theexpanse of Madison Squaro Garden Isto talk to ono who will tell us aboutthe circus ns It used to be We all knowwhat It Is now

The Garden was In neglige Thebearded lady In walking suit was allowingthe breezes to blow gently through herauburn mustache and beard while sheexchanged pleasantries with the clownwho was loping about the rings followedby tho big goose At ono end a now vic-

tim was trying to loop tho loop landing onIlls hood neck and back and being picked-up shaken together and started anew

The freaks wero playing tag orvisitors and the giant who

to being called a he declares thathis height 7 feet 8 Inohos la really thoproper altitude In top hat and frock coatwas telling some girls from Brooklyn alittle bit about his lIfo history His wifea woman about 0 feet tall kept an eyeon him from a distant corner The

lady wee trying on the elephantsFaster frocks gorgeous affairs of velvetwith trimming of gold braid and fringe

The man you want to talk to said thepress agent Is Frank Melville He Is thostage manager Ho has reminiscences ifanybody has

The present representative of the famousMelville family who used In the old days todo a whole clroua by themselves ridingjumping playing tho clown c la a smallwiry well knit man who looks his M yearsbut no more There Is a slight restlessness-In his gray blue eyes which prompts thequestion

Dont you ever get nervous with allthis responsibility training horses andriders arranging programmes and all

thatNervous Do you know when I get

some

freakas

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enter-taining

ward-robe

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show arc now land mybrotherOeorgowere strapped on ponies and rode aroundthe rings The ponies fell down every onceIn a while but they got up again and wenton You have seen monkeys tied onWell that Is the way we rode

yes I made my name ns a barebackrider I was the first man to ride a barebacktrotting horns I made a great hit but Itwas really the result of an accident

You know the usual bareback horse loprsabout the ring but one horse I tried to trainsimply wouldnt lope Hed trot or nothing

finally Mr Bailey asked mo It I didntthink I could rldo him trotting and I saidId try and 1 did That was the first tlmoa trotting horse was ever ridden barebackIn thorlng

The difference I notice In the circus nowcompared with the olden time

Generally speaking this The publicIs wild over great risks these looptheloopacts and loop tho gaps and riding fromthe top of the Garden and doing all torts ofdaredevil things They are positively blood-thirsty about It and we have to give themwhat they want

We about the savagery of peoplewho go to see bullfights Well you comparethe risk at a bullfight with Uio risk that aman takes doing a stunt like this last onewo have hero where the wheel jumps fortyfeet In tho air and lands on another slide

What qualities dote a man have to havewho does these stunts Simply strengthand Ignorance There to no art requiredThere Is a very apparent decadence in thearenlo art an there la In the histrionic

Just nerve and Ignorance are requiredfor a man to risk his life He cant fall

and

talk a lot

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FRANK MELVILLE EQUESTRIAN DIRECTOR

I

BflrVous the most nervous Ill tell ycuIve bought me a beautiful place in

Florida I have everything there a mancould wish boats and automobiles find acharming wife but as soon as I get there Inirirestless cant sleep and I cant sit

I go all to pieces n regular nervouscollapse

It when I get back right In thernldftt of things hear the hollering and theyelling have horses fall down and peoplebreak their limbs that as cool aa acucumber Nothing flusters me then Twoor three times Ive consulted the doctorsand every one has said give up the circusgo homo and rest Home and rest WhyId be a dead man if I did that

How long have I been In the circusWhy I was born In the circus literally born

itMy earliest recollection was when I

did a part at the old Fourteenth street placewhore the M rton House and the vaude

THUS DOES PARLIAMENT VOTE

WITH 4 nunnr AD scvnnrTHATS LIKE A FinE SCUFFLE

Never Mlrnl the Question Voted On Thattbe Important Thing ManyJJTuaoberDont Know What It I AnOdd Some British Legislature

LfcRDOtf March 2 The way In whichParliament conduct Itself

to and a Joy to the American-

He Into some gallery somehow whensession and want to know He

U often dissatisfied at of theto know why the Speaker

a wig and the members their hatsMid why the Prime permittedto keep his feet pn the table He wants

S4shhl11 says the attendantWhat

f Quiet for A moment please There a

to be a divisioniA Sturdy figure nppears from behind

one of the columns whloh surround thislaw making cllnlo and begins to speak

Jledmbnd breathes tho attendantWatchlm

IW ond makes It plain at once

fit the Irish have a grievance He leaves

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When he starts he knows that he must doit that Is all If he falls well he willrarely do it again

What prompts a man to take such frightful risks Two things Love of money andlove of notoriety-

He Is better paid for this than any otherperformers in the show unless you exceptthe aerial numbers and the animal trainersWe pay enormous sums of money to boththe latter

At first when we had a man do the looptheloop act he would resign after everyperformance Just as regularly as theperformance came around the man wouldthrow up his job

H had us at his mercy The thing hadbeen advertised that we had to give itIt must be done and we were nil on ourknees to him

Finally he would surrenderbeen coaxed and his salary had been raisedand all that Resign Why he would no

faith In the existing Government Hethinks it should be poleaxed Falling tofind a precedent for massacring tho PrimeMinister offhand he moves that a matter-of a few hundred dollars b knocked offan appropriation of many thousands foreducating the Irish small boy Or maybehe wants to amend the army act o that theDublin Futiliers shall wear shamrocksall the year round Instead of on March 17Tho reason for his torturing the Government doesnt matter at all

Bannerman says the attendantThe big Scotsman leans forward to tell

the Speaker that much as it pains himtodo so he to agree with Mr RedmondThe Government Is no good never will beFact la eleven of the Cabinet ought to bekeelhauled and everybody In the WarOffice garroted He second the motion

8eeh says the attendantBalfour E dont care a

Mr Balfour doesnt He climbs out ofhis recumbent position on the treasurybench and puts his knuckles on the tableHe Is bored at being disturbed Wordstau him to express his utter indifference towhat Mr Redmond or Mr Campbellncrman thinks about anything especiallythe Government Both gentlomen are liReless encumbrances of the earth Bothshould crawl off somewhere and die WhyProvidence In its Infinite wisdom overcreated Liberal or an Irishman the Governmett fnlta to It istho only

so

aft having

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resign than ho would shoot himselfNow wohave understudied and if a manresigns hurts himself It does not makeso much difference

As If to point u moral andjust at this moment the man practisinglooping tho loop came down with a crashTwo or threo circus men walked languidlyforward Arranged his anatomy In placeand with u sort of dared air the man regained his machine and his poise at thesame time

So they had art In the oldtime circusresumed tint Interviewer

Art Well I should say they did Itwas all art nnd tho attitude of the public

different toward a man who had madea namo for hlmmilf-

Ao a barsback rider I was required to-

t Ua all sorts of dancing lessons I hadto walk just so to hold my hands grace-fully Every motion was studied-

It was so with the other performers aswell Not only strength was required butgrace poise experience We did not have

adorn

mono

sir

stale

dos

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quite so large a three rings andthree platforms but we mode up for it In-

artistic and aesthetic worthWhat difference do I notice In regard

to tho women who are employed In the cir-cus now

There is a difference In costume cer-tainly Every year they become more ex-

travagant and expensiveIn tho old days the women performers-

all wore short skirts tarlatan and spanglesNow they wear long dresses made in thelatest styles and most of the gowns aremado In Paris where they ore bought

the vacation season

showno

dur-Ing

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A CI5SE SHAVE FOR TITE BEARDED LADY

ment hasnt been held responsible by theOpposition He asks and expects thedecent and clean minded part of the Houseto stand by him

division says the attendan-tIts fun nowThe Speaker raps with his gavel and

calls tho perfunctoryOrder Order

There being nobody out of order heputs the question to the ayes and noesThere is a chorus on both sides of the House

Division yells every one at once Jfotime for lack of confidence

The strangers will withdraw naysthe Speakerv Tho MraiJKers reluctantly do eo

Paid t sefl the whole show complainsthe American You told me

N mind You dont go But youvekeep quiet Youve gotter do It

The Speaker notes the disappearingthe last person who hasnt a

right to remain and motions to a clerkThe seizes an old fashioned hourglare nnd turns It upsldn down

Thenon the Instantmany thingshappen

Bells rliiR They ring everywhere Theywake up the member who Is sleeping afterhis late lunch in the rwtnurant Theyseriously disturb tho member who in asmall x rnmlUP room had n notrumphand at bridge They break up an argu-

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Ono of tholady drivers has a collocionof gowns each of which host hor from 1576to WOO and when you realize that the

are supposed to Iwo differentgowns for different performances duringtho week you onii we wardrobea circus woman Is no indoiuftderabln Item

The old Idea of n circus wojnan has diedout She was at ono limo preached at fromthe pulpit and railed at by the cheap wtker

notoriety That Is nil over Tho publio accepts her nt her true valuation as anartist merely that

As a matter of fact the circus woman Is

the most domestic creature In the worldAnother fact of Interest la this RarelyIH It that a woman into the circusas she goes on tho singe for instance

Tho women who are in tho circus areeither born In it or they have married ii ItI dont know a single instance in tho showat present of a woman who Is not In ono ofthese classes or the other

You will see the difference Tnko thostage where only youth and beauty are

per-formers

tor

cornea

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MORE THAN A YARD WIDE AND WARRANTEDNOT TO SHRINK

required When they are gone the girlIs left stranded

In the circus she has a distinct placeWhen sho Is unfit for one thing owing toage or Infirmity she has another placegiven her Experience counts for a gooddeal and the moral life for more In allmy long experience in tho circus I havenever known a case where a woman whohas behaved herself and attended o herduties In the ring was reduced to povertyand want Can tho stage say the same

That faithfulness to each other and tothe show Is I believe a distinct attribute-of the circus I have at present with megrandnephews of men who were with mein my prime

The old days when we travelled aboutwith a big tent were great times I havenever had such good times ns I had then

You see we kept to a certain itineraryyear at the same date found us

at the same place Wo got so we knowpeople in these towns and villages and our

hailed with all sorts of festivities The circus was a great event thenand well we were the heroes of the place

And speaking of tents and tho tentcircus my mother and grandmother playedIn tho first tent circus thnt was ever inAustralia They did more than that theymade It yea made the tent outright

The tent circus was practically unknown In Europe and the countries on theother side of the world So when an Ameri-can named Reseller went there ho sawa great opportunity in that direction

My mother and father and grandmotherwere then In Australia and hetalked tho project over with them Thoresult was that the two women got outtheir workboxos and shears and wenttowork and mado a tentthe first tent thatever travelled through Australia Resellermade a lot of money there

In Europe the circus tent Is practicallyunknown and the circuses are smaller thanours The Hippodrome In London is afine place and the one in Paris also Oneof the nicest circuses to play In that levercame across was Henglers In Londonwhich wai just like a little handbox it wasao complete and well arranged

I spent ten yearn In Europe I was Inmy prime then and went from ono triumph-to

I played before all the crowned headsthe present Gorman Emperors fatherQueen Victoria and the father of the presentCzar

The greatest triumphs of my life I hadIn Russia Those wore days I was ad-vertised as the gentleman with two whitehorses The Russians are wild over horsesparticularly trotting horses and theycouldnt make enough of

There was a question Interpolated hereand Mr Melville answered promptly

Wait until they get ready They dontmove as quick as tho Japanese do but whenthoy out Win Of course theywill win-

I know them I have never had anydoubt of the Issue from the first Youhave to understand thorn and rememberthat It is like the movement aponderous body out when it beginsto get momentum

ened somebody somewhere touching aconspicuous turf event They wake up apoliceman

This however Is serious The policeman has been sound asleep but nature hasgifted him with a bearing andonetenth of a second after the shout ofDivislonl comes rattling through the

corridors which radiate about the privateentrance he is on his feet and bawling outthe word with an ardor that arouses morosesuspicion In the minds of the policemenwho have posts where Insomnia Is efwentlal

Division roars a baieoprofundo Insome distant niche and the call parses onIt would be like n persistent and everreverting echo only that fome of the voicesare falsetto and that the bells are ringingand that tall thin gentlemen In top hatsand frock coats and short fat gentlemenin similar garb are dashing madly aboutto the destruction of all sense of harmonyThe astonished and unenlightened onlookersimply asks Wheres the fire

They bolt into the House these frockcoated men They run and jump andlose their hats and tempers and the

doors clash backward and forwardFor many previous hours they have attended with dignity to personal businessaffairs or dawdled over lunch or quarrelledover billiards or lived In other little waystheir normal life But now the ringing ofthe bells and the reverberating cried on allaides mean that the fate of the universe U In-

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What was I telling you about Oh StPetersburg and my career there

I ono morning I was exhibitingmy horses to a crowd of peopjo and amongtho rest WAS the Master of Horse who camein with a woman very quietly dressedHe was very deferential to her and she wasvery much Interested In the horses

Afterward he naked me to breakfastand when I arrived there I looked aboutand finally Inquired If Ills wife wouldnt bethere He looked a little puzzled and I re-

ferred to the lady he had been showing theheroes to He Informed me that she wasthe Czarina

The Czar gave me the third degree ofSt Anne that Is tho decoration that Isto artists sculptors painters writers primadonnas I was very proud of that

Besides this I had the extra honor ofhaving the black bread and salt of Russiapresented to me This Is an honor

like the old English custom of pre-

senting the freedom of tho city In a goldbox

How was It done The bread is brought-In on a blue satin pillow and a little placeIs hollowed out in the wrttre In which thosalt Is placed There were a number of thenobility present at tho time among themCount Prince Galltzln

Dr Lynn the court dentist an Americanwho held much the same plaoo at tho courtof St Petersburg as Dr Evans did In Paris I

during tho time of Napoleon III was alsopresent Ho was treated with a great deal

deference and when I first met him In

a cafe there ho said that he hoped I coulddo better work than Cook

Cools was an English rider After thatremark It was up to me to make good andI did Patti was singing thorn the night ofmy benefit but I beat her all to pieces had-a bigger house and took more money-

In Berlin I had a medal given mo and In

romember

given

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Stockleburg andI

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some-thing

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THE APOLLO OP TUB SATTDUBT

several other Continental cities I havea ribbon from Queen Victoria

The crowned heads of Europe are allright They are the finest most appreciative people in the world Besides theseorders I got all sorts of souvenirs par-ticularly riding whips I had some beautiesgiven me mounted In sliver and gold withmy name or monogram-

I thought those would please Mr Baileybut he didnt seem to care very much aboutthem and so I put them away and I donteven remember where they are at presentOne Is terribly proud of such things whenono is young and enthusiastic but I thinkas you get older you care leas and lew atleast I do I suppose I could have thethings framed and put up in my place at

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Tits BIOOK8T OOOBE OF ALL THE CLOWNS

Inside the House the Speakereye in on the hourglass and he Is obliviousto the allpervading noise and confusionIn tho corridors The glass is timed for anexact three minute run of sand and whentho IdU grain drop the Speakers

Order Orderl sends the doorsshut with a suddenness that collides un-

pleasantly with belated members trying-to rush In They pick up their hats re-

flect that they never did like that particulardoorkeeper and go out Into the yard to paythe handsome fees which are due to thecabbies for hurry calls

The Speaker begins to order the divisionbut Is Interrupted

me sir Bit outo breath Justarrived Rise to a point of order

HatP thunders a good half of the HouseTUB very young member gets Into his hat

and blushes He recalls In a little con-

fusion the rule which says that a point forder cannot be made standing or un-

covered But he sticks to his guns Hewants to know all about it and the Speakertells him Also the clerk reads for hisfurther intelligence the amendment byMr Redmond

Ayes right cells out the Speaker Itsounds like a military order and almostseems one for the Liberal and Irish benchesImmediately empty

NoeH leftThe supporters of the Government file

out behind their leaders There are twodoor leading Into the two lobbiea which

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FRANK MELVILLE itfI

Florida but somehow I dont seem to taroabout It

You to hear some more about theoldtime Did you know that in1880 there jvaa a book published In Bostoncalled 10ObO facts about Boston It saysthat the first circus on Boston Commonplayed In

That Is the first reference I have everfound to the circus in America except astray allusion I came across once to a circusIn Baltimore I think It was in 1747 twentyyears before the Boston one a small circusgiven by the Stuart family

And that brings me back again to thefact that the oldtimer was usually givenby a whole family And they were reallygenuine families as a general thing forthey were brought up In the circus atmos-phere and rarely separated to go intoother professions-

My own family was a large one Thenthery were the Hanlons and the Robin-son

There was another one of my contemporarle that I remember with a greatdealof pleasure His name for the circus wasJohn Worland That man could anythinglie was a whole circus in himself I haveknows him to do tho most aerialperformances ride bareback and then go

circus

lie

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waist

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man can run away and get married at thatit1 to prove thb contrary

doesnt itownfamily is a fair tyro of the old

style circus family I was In NewYork one of my brothers in Australiaanother One in Valparaiso r iy father wasborn In Scotland and my mother In England

My mother was one of till actressesplayed with the famous Georgewho taught elocution to the royal familyHe was lost at sea and the survivors of thewreck tell low he stood in the prow in hisfamous Hamlet attitude and went downthat way It created qplte a sensation inthe papers of the time

My grandmother original DameBarbara in the Black Crook she also playedElita In tho early days of UncleCabin I married Louise Boechello awell known actress of her time and to-

gether we toured EuropeYes it is due to her influence that our

boys are being brought In other pro-

fessions She is the head of the familyThe circus isnt what it was Jt la

great big spectacular affair all show andglitter and sensational nov ltfes handsomeclothes and lots of bluff Every mnnhohis specially and ices ono thing only

The public dont seem to earn aAy longer

age rather goes

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and ohange hk and be the inanflshIn the tank whori the other man had dis-

appeared woa somethingThere was another man older than I aril

who left ths circus a number ofSTion he Sfhe ran away and got mar

TiedHe had considerable money rand hisfamily were vofy much opposed to his marrying again so day he simply elopedThat is where a training comesIn They say it Is a hard life but when a

run lengthwise on both sides of the cham-ber and which lead out of themAnd so as the members trickle throughthey are told Off by the appointed tellers onreturning to their seats One of threetellers likes prusslo acid better than theGovernment and the other has an opinion-of tb Opposition on which one could Ignite-a cigar

But the tote proceeds The House fillsup with returning members The very airIs tense with an of apprehension-that everybody tries to look as though hewas unaware of The tellers with straining

stand at the desk and watch the clerksThen one of them receives a slip of paperand shouts out figures and there Is a roarfrom one sIde of the House thenthe doors are opened and the membersbegin hurrying out

Some of them are befoggedHere Williamson one to a friend

who whirling past What the deuce-Is It AU about

Dunno says Williamson Dunno atall Something Irish I blieve

So I heardThey hurry onRickety old Government this Leven

feet under water one minute and hundredand out of It the next You takemy tip and sell that bunch of Consolidatedyouo got Buy Milk Limited Itsgood

They track the yard and tfjrlll ericofUwj Ulnf rtvwiftw Int clr

drunk

two doors

agony

eyes

Andand

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even

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for the fine artistic touches thework that the old schools demandedbareback rider boto

ilonger but still I must say thV ota circusfeeling is Oliver Mnikeeps tho big family together V i

It was on the WIly ou the glintadmitted otter a little confidential convorsatlon that he didntto feel small that evei girl coaMniipakhim do that and never had

board the vehicle and theydispute over the fare demanded

to work dishevelled awl uncertainbutThe American visitor lias seen how todEnglish Parliament votes

When the Husband Soft MarketingProm Mominlr

A well known officer an Idea that hcan manage the affairs of the pantry tetter than hlsxv

My dear said h on day bakerof yours la oh H ought to lvyou of these buns for sixpence I canset seven that price

So the Major oft the bakers shopOn nrrlvlne lie pointed to a of

on the counter and hie wverMtI of buniiBut said the girl InXo huts Inthe mutter routed the Major-

If you dont jive me seven Ill so

you InMt toe

ldn std the MajorSo wire counted seven ms Into a paper

and gars them to thehome einted with his success

Look what firmness can do li Said to-bin wife 1 sot sixpence

BROWNS

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