The Great Farini

Shane Peacock
Biographer, Novelist, Playwright, Journalist, Screenwriter
Author of The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt

The Lives of Farini Hunt - Freedom (Part Two)

He decided to work for Dan Rice. Here is Shane Peacock’s description of Dan Rice, “By the late 1850’s Dan Rice was one of the most famous men in North America, a friend of presidents and a wit and performer extraordinaire, his clever political and social jests almost household sayings. During the early part of his life he had been a noted jockey, trained-pig presenter, riverboat gambler and strong-man, but found his true calling as a clown. He established his own circus and for a short time competed with former ally, the Spalding and Rogers Floating Palace, in an acrimonious showboat rivalry. He would become so popular that he actually put himself for the Republican nomination for president in 1868, and was a confidante of Abraham Lincoln, made an honorary colonel by Zackary Taylor, created the One Horse Show (temporarily broke, he put on marvelous circuses using a single horse), was paid the astronomical salary of one thousand dollars per week in the 1860’s and is considered by many to be the prototype for the character of Uncle Sam (Rice had the same beard and often performed in a stars-and-stripes costume). He danced, sang, performed dazzling feats of trick riding and loved to engage in repartee with his audiences. A sort of American court jester, he was more comedian and raconteur than painted clown. The quickness of his mind was legendary.” Hunt performed several jobs for Rice, in an atmosphere of violence and corruption. He apparently carried out his duties efficiently and worked for Rice for six months.

NOTE: Mr. Peacock has written several books. His latest series is about "The Boy Sherlock Holmes" This is a wonderful look at the legendary Sherlock Holmes, in the beginning! To learn more about Shane and all of his works, please visit his website at www.shanepeacock.ca.