Here’s another piece by Mrs. Fred (Effie) Warn. This one appeared in the Spring issue of the 1953 “North Country Life.” Her grandson, Charles, has given me permission to use his grandmother’s article on my website. (by Shirley - 2/10/03)

By the late Effie S. Warn

YEARS AGO children in and about Watertown sang this little ditty:

There was a little nigger
And he couldn’t grow no bigger
So we put him in Van Amberg’s show.
He fell out of the “winder”
And he broke his little finger
So he couldn’t play the old banjo.

The Van Amberg Caravan mentioned was a familiar sight in the North Country as it made the rounds with a wild animal show.

In those days transportation was limited to canals, railroads and teams. To reach the small towns throughout the North, horsedrawn vehicles were used. The lions, tigers, and other small beasts were confined in fancy cages in gaudily decorated wagons. The elephants, camels, and trick horses walked. The performers were always gaily dressed in bright oriental robes.

Perhaps one of the most colorful spectacles ever seen in Watertown took place at the funeral of Alexander Cummins held at the Universalist Church, June 1, 1842. At that time the Universalist Church was located where the Electric Building now stands. The show happened to be in town and Mr. Van Amberg, who was not only a close friend of the deceased Mr. Cummins but also a Universalist, asked permission to have his circus retinue attend the funeral.

After parading around the Square they lined up and led the funeral procession down Arsenal Street to the cemetery, the animals and trainers marching two by two, the wagons following, the hearse and mourners bringing up the rear. There was a small wooden bridge at the entrance to the cemetery and the elephants refused to go in. The trainer finally persuaded them to cross the few planks, but by that time they were so angry and nervous that they began to bellow and finally stampeded. The lions and tigers roared, the horses went wild and general confusion prevailed.

All the circus people were wearing their oriental costumes, and altogether it was a “sight to see.” It was long remembered as the oriental funeral.

Before the era of motor cars all sorts of travelling shows came to Jefferson county in the summertime. One-ring circus troupes were common. Village boys would volunteer to help set up tents, carry water and the like for a free ticket. Often they would follow a circus several miles out of town, hoping for a ride on an elephant or a came.

Indian shows had patent medicine, usually some harmless mixture, to sell to the gullible public, as a cure for every disease of man or beast.

Our earliest puppet shows, Punch and Judy, came every year. The ventriloquist was also a sleight-of-hand artist, who could produce eggs, rabbits, or yards of colored ribbon from his high silk hat.

There were the always welcome performing bears as well as the monkeys with their red velvet jackets and jaunty caps to pass around a tiny tin cup for pennies, while the “boss” ground out lively tunes on the hand organ. One Italian man had a harp on which he would play several selections for a few pennies.

Every year the country was overrun with gypsies, who would camp in any field or vacant lot, pasture their horses, and help themselves to corn, potatoes and any other available commodity. Fowl and eggs disappeared in a mysterious manner during their stay in a neighborhood.

Also, there were among them the fortune tellers who would predict a wonderful future for those who crossed their palm with silver. People grew tired of their depredations and appealed to the sheriff to keep them out of the country. Thereafter, as soon as a party of them began to make camp some one would notify the sheriff, who would send a posse to escort them across the country line.

But these are things of the past---a colorful phase of bygone years.

* * * * * *

Note by Shirley: Many were the times I would listen to my grandmother and parents relate stories similar to those Mrs. Warn presented in this piece. Certainly wish I could have remembered them. I do remember my Dad telling about “camp meetings” which came to the Paddy Hill area of the Town of Hounsfield. From what I can remember, they assembled on what was known as the Liddy farm located on what is now Floral Drive. If anyone has stories of this nature, I would like to hear from you.

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