New York Clipper (Apr 1880)

H 0 ft i Dr " G. R. SPALDING, Circus 1?roprietok and Manager. DR."^ AILBERT R. SPALDINO, wkoae portYftlt appeals on Uili paga and wbose death is teeorded in oar clrcns depamnent, was born elztr-elBht yean aso In CoeTmans, Albany Connty, N. T., and ttie tlUe or "Doctor" was geneially pre- fixed to Ills name by bis IMends and acqaalntances becanse, Itom abont ISiO to ISli .be kept a dmi- Btore at tbe comer of Lydlos and pearl streets, Tn Albany. Tbe cause of bis enterlDg tbe show bnsl- ness was tbe loaning of some money M Sam KIcIioUi, a weU-Uown clrcos-manaaer, wbo gave illm for Mcnrl^ a mortgage opon tils clrcns prop- erty. Bad bnsuiess prevented ur. Klcbols tTom re- kylng tlie money at the time apeclfled, and Dr. p^uiff foreclosed the mortgage, bnt permitted —iTNlcnolB to mn the show. Finding, however, that by porsnlng sncb a course he was not likely to speedily recover his money, he personally visited the clrcns wtth the Intention of rannlng It Into Al- bany;; and there disposing ofthe property by anctlon or private sale. Before reaching Albany he discover- ed that under his energetic management the show was nialdng money, and, as he Uked the boslness, he determined to contlnoe In the management for a time: at least—that time extended over a period of thlr^ years. The show was known as Spalding's North American Clrcna. In the season of I81T-S he visited Kew Orleans. La., and, coming North, upon reaAilng St. Lonls, mo., he divided nls company Into two shows, retaining the original title and ■ mAnagementof one, and putting Dan Bice at the bead of the other, with Cm. Van Orden (Dr. Spald- ing's brother-in-law) as manager. He chartered a etSunboatcalledthe Allegheny Mali, and in It the Xast-named company cnilsed on the Ohio, Uls- soorland UlssUslppi Rivers. Amongthe perlbnn- CFB oT this company were Dau Rice, clown; FrakiAoaston, M. P. Madlgan, Bumell Ronnells and ihmlly, Hons. La Thome, W. B. Bnmlsh, John GOenroy, Ttiomas Osbomo, nirmm Day and others. In the Fail of 1848 Dr. Spalding sold to Charles J. Bogeis one-half of the North Amer- ican Olicns, and the following Spring the show started on the road newly organized and equip- ped: Among the novel features then present- ed Jut thS flrat time were the Appoionlcon, dran by tar^ bones, fonr abreast, and driven by oneman: ttUbanx portraying incldentii from the Uve*«r OeiLPotBam and "Mad" Anthony W ayne; and the cmyliig of u hone and rider on men's Btaonlda*. TbeJ>an Rice Show in the Winter of lUB-L'Btille traveling in the South, were compelled to dntaMOwliig tothe fearful ravages of cholera. In theErlng of IMS Dr. Spalding again .started Dan BWe at the head of what may betermsd In this connection a land show, traveUnglir.ngOns. In the Fan of the year, In settling op . the bus- iness, tbe entire show reverted to Dr. Spalding. ThTspaldlng & Rogera North Auencun uircos conttnned its travels, meeting with tucce><B. and In ISM. during the flrat tour ttarouKli New I^gland, m. Spalding Invented and used the qnarter-poles, eleven-tier seats and extra front seata, now in gen- eral use by all circus companies. A year or two later. In the West, Spalding* Rogers bnllt the Float- (nnon wfilrti fntertAlnmBnts were glTep Ravmo*. Banjo and Oaaille, and also purchased t^^n*Un3VAlleghenyIttU, Loyal Hanna,Korlh lUversnSrtlry^lt*lng nwHiIncondnctlnBtheJr p^pare tEe way for the company, which waa wtrj strong. The chief attractions, according to the flies of The Cuppbb, included James Robinson. and IiiB son Clarence, rank Faator, Robert BUck- ney, O. M. Kelly, Lorenzo Maya, tbe Bollande Brothers, Wm. Conrad, Chartes Rivers, the per- forming norse Rlrem. a perfbrmlng bulIUo, and a troupe of Indiana. Host of the companyi.and all the stock, consisting of twenty-three hones, two mules, and a bnfflUo, also four norses belonging t<> James Robinson, leR New T«ftk In the steamship Oald Ing Star Blareh so, 18tT, David Bldwell and Oei- ard C. Qalck accompanying them. The other per- fomera followed in steamsnips that sailed at later dates. After arriving In Paris, and when nearly- all the preparations for their showing had been made. It was discovered that a local law prevented ana »"» "i'S"?--,n,rTravVlini b» railroads, the erecUon of any wooden building within the ?^Mw'{SeV*^''iri«yp«i«^K^^^ SL»l.l^^li<'i^««.??i'=£Sf.'i^^^ b^rn^S: In iMiSpaldlng, Rogers A BldwclI (Dartd Bidwellhavlng previously been taken Into copart- nenUrtTSok a ten years'W of the FeUcan f hca- tre New Orleans, La., reconstructed Itwid mted It ?plS «cillTnt;tyli«> that It could l» used for either a clrcosor a Ibeafre. It was chrtatened Spald- dlDB * Rogers' Amphitheatre, which tlUe some vears later vras changed to that of the Academy of il^"cVMchltitHl«tiina. "liMiuiaereoK"I" eral reconstructions, U o^^^^Vy^'^^^^P^^i^^.- and U owned and managed by David BIdwell. DurtnK the next f*w years Spalding * Rogers had two and someUmes three companies touring Sta Muntty iSid Canada. traveUngby railroads SKV^Snd'pr^S?^ '^"JeeWaTdreSJln spectac^ ??nture' was about to end in aunrer^en _lb^ Sffi-' imc, and from there they tranaftrred ttehr V*-* A. DAatAv, iVaMiL\ Theatre fthen tnnatsly opportunity was given the American com- pany to playfOr a brief tlme,.bat the t^ultwas Smrefcreerto the Bo8ton«S«>-| ^Iieatre (thM teown as the Academy of Music), where they ?»?d a talSuv auflcesstul engagement of some SSSto' duSSSn. *toalr!»i-S5FSf isaa a mag- 5fliSit.nortable. aniihJrtieMte was constmct- ed npon an entirely new plan, the biigaalte Bomiab was purchased and fitted with ocoommo- datlons far a circus cofnpanr and the next two years were passed In Branl, Dragnay, Bnenas Avres and the West Indie*. On the retamvoyup th; vessel was wrecked at Long Branch, V. J., the people and horses, together with some of the bag- gage, being saved, bnt 'the amphitheatre, ward- robe, properties and vessel were lost Notwith- standing this dUiaster, the venture was a great Bnancial success, and it is aald that more honon were bestowed npon tba oompany than had been received by any other similar troupe in a fbrelgn land. In IBOS Spalding A Rogen dissolved paitaer- ship. and Hr. Rogers retired irbm proflesslonal lite, and has since resided near Philadelphia, Pa. The copartnership between Spalding ic Bldwell contin- ned, and shortly afterwards they leased and rebuilt the Olympic Theatre. St. L<nilB, Mo. Having al' ready the Academy of Hnsle, New Orleans, LaTthey leased theatres In Mobile, Ala., and Uemphla, Tenn., and established a tbeatrlcal circuit, which tliey conducted sncceasfQUy lor a few seasons, Thomas B. MscDonougta being as.soclat«d with them In a man- agerial car " " - --. Bldwi ■ ■ vised _ Paris, France, to perform dnrlng the Exposition. .„ . Tbe manairera and capitalists were Avery Smith. 'Ti"?. w} * f^? >i>*»™«tion nx wiu OerardcTQolck. John J. Nathans, Dr. O.B.8p»hV P'AiKKTci^vS^T.iftlil'XrJ:!}^^"^ "'CD's ingand David BldweU An edifice In which ■mobije ""'"^ ■ were to have performed was bnllt for the pnrpoae' by Mr. Kennedy of Albany. N. T. It was of wood, with a canvas top, and had the following capaet^ not what had been expected. In 1872 Dr. Spalding again pat Dan Rice on the road with a show man- I aged by Harry W. Spalding, who vras dangerously ' woonoed ijy a pistol shot Id Baxter Springs, Kas., which was probably the remote cause of his death, which took. place at bis Cither's resi- dence in Sangertles, N. T., Peb. 4, 18T4. Dr. Spalding's last venture,, we believe, In the cir- cus business, waa during the tenting season «f 18K, when he was the principal backer of Mel- ville, Magtnley * Cooke's Centennial Circus and Tbesplan Company. Spalding A BldweU dissolved copartnership some few years ago, and in the division of the property David Bldwell retained the Academy of^ Music, New Oriesns, and Dr. Simlding tbe Olympic Theatre. St. LoDls, which h B been EnceesafOlly manaaea by bla son Charles for a few years past. SpaMIng A Bldwell had re-. cently tbrmed what may be considered a new co- partnership, as a few weeks ago they parchaaed the St. Charles Theatre, New OrtesiiB, la.; wUch they intended to restore to Its piwtona jgaUlon of » drst-classtheattx The dwia>»i1 leaiiwMowand ,one.eon,CharML ^BetfdeaJ**— " wno <nea,.WTgii Quo b ymiaa, iM l ynr- . _ remains wlu ibe brought froEl Hew Od«aa<(jiM» Sangertles, an^ will probebly ta nat ive town. ^ [erial caraclty, and the llnn-tltla being Spalding. / rr ^'viva, ,— dwell ft MacDonoDgh. In ISST a scheme waa de-"I"A CTWtf^nCi HITmm sed to send an American clrcns comiianr to A W J 1 wmES JHiB^l. [r Jt"tleii jnalilpiL wUInc • IIR^US LICIITS ilTcCTUy.* ME t ^YLOR, Sola Agent ud HualketDrer CIRCUS UOBTS, »rni«-S»fffiy^?S'2^ri- 5.-v-r 'mS- hundred and twenty balcony seats, and a gallery ifOK fiA.t.*3.-i>ViCi" nicV umiy i,iimteii„T capable of accommodaUng nearly two tlmnsnnd , H'"^ togrtlier with the bIe Pi-rfomihe dJII «S 1 pereon8,theseatebelngaUcane-bottomohalrB. OoL I IL'.'^'t.^L'V-'J"- c««e» S«>do«new. By j. m. freInch Van Orden had t>een sent In advance to ParU t- - ' xi'h. »-jyni