When Old Pals Meet They Have Their"Pictures Took"

Article taken from the Sunday Times Signal June 22, 1924.


When circus man meets circus man there are a few tales to tell and a few things to be done. So on the last day of their week of reunion, Doc' Waddell, press agent of the T.A. Wolfe shows which visited this city last month, and his three Zanesville friends. Uncle John Richardson and WIlliam N.Merrick, circus cronies, and Mannie Levi, schoolday chum, had a picture taken to commemorate the event. The reunion was the first in almost a half century.

It was when they played hockey together or shot marbles for keeps in the yard of a Portsmouth schoolhouse, that Mr. Levi and Doc first became acquainted. The boys were inseparable friends and the friendship was somewhat of a worship. Docs father was for many years Portsmouth's fire chief. The boys grew up together studied and played together, the fire chief's son, a happy-go-lucky fellow who "studied less and got better grades than any other boy in school." Before the two boys parted Doc was connected with old Portsmouth Blade and, after he left the paper and Portsmouth the boys met again several years later when "Doc" was an "announced" at Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in Buffalo, N.Y.

"Uncle John and Mr. Merrick became great friends of the circus man about thirty-five years ago. At the time Mr. Richardson was playing the tuba in the band of the Sells show and "Doc" was the press agent. Mr. Richardson, during his eighteen years with various big shows, met and traveled with Mr. Wadell many times. During this same period Mr. Merrick, who was leader of circus band, became acquainted with "Doc" and at different times for almost ten years they traveled together.

In speaking of Mr. Waddell his two friends of the circus declared that there never was a circus man better known or better liked. The picture is another memory in their friendship of more than forty years. The men in the picture are left to right: Mannie Levi, John Richardson, William Merrick and "Doc" Waddell.