Hi Cousins; Here is the 1st installement of Dan Rice: Daniel McLaren, Jr. was born in NYC on 1/23/1823. His mother was the daughter of a Methothist minister; his father a law student who later became a groceryman. During the boy's early years his mother remarried, this time to a dairyman who was greatly interested in horses and collected them which led to 10 year old Daniel becoming a jockey. His maternal grandfather suggested that Daniel acquire the new stage name as "Dan Rice". When Dan reaced the age of 17 (1840) he came too heavy for the saddle so he took a job as a general laborer in a livery stable located in Pittsburg where he made friends with several performers/workers with the Nichols Circus , one of the early traveling circuses. Making many friends there Dan learned to do a strong man act, dance jigs and do a comedy skits and after acquiring these new talents he began the circus jester. One of his most popular acts starred Lord Bryon and educated pig who respond to questions asked of him by scratching his foot on the ground for the correct answer. This trick was based on Dan Rice's observation that pigs had an extremely keen ability to hear so by clicking his fingernails, Dan was able to get the pig to paw the ground for the appropriate number of times. He also trained the Lord Byron to do a routine which consisted of Dan offering the animal a box of various flags but the pig would select an American flag and wave it grandly to patriotic music. Everybody loved it! His funnist act was billed as "Jenkins from Mud Corners" (circuses that traveled by horse drawn wagons were called Mud Shows") which began when the ring master annouced sadly that the great bareback-riding star was sick and could not perform. Then Dan stumbled down from the stands pretending to be drunken bum. He bragged that he could take the place of that star which would send the audiene roaring in hysterics as he looked so funny dressed old baggy clothes. Dan would rush at the horse snatching his tail. He would slide around the horse's back and fall off clumsily resulting in the spectators laughing louder than ever. But then Dan would begin to shed his old clothes and underneath his was dressed in only spangled tights. He would then ride like an expert performing many tricks. These comical acts rapidly propelled Dan to instant national fame but Dan was was picking up some enemies along the way. Some of the townspeople could not accept this mysterious pig act believing it to be witchcraft and this along with Dan being a "drunkerd" fueled the churches' long burning fires of oposition to these transient people and their circuses of evil magic.Their sermons preached of its "fire and damnation"! To be cont. Part II "What will Dan do now?" Hope you all enjoyed Part I! May all your days be Circus Days! Patti ;)