The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-02
A Colossal Enterprise.
P. II. SHERIDAN,
Lieutenant General

Barnum's preparations for the com
ing season are on a scale of magnif-
cence unrivaled in the history of trave-
ling exhibitions. All his shows have
been merged in a chartered corporation,
known as "The P. T. Barnum Univers-
al Exposition Company" with capi-
tai of million of dollars. Mr.. Bar
mum, who is president Of the company,
and his manager, Mr.. Coup, have spent
months in Europe, visiting every i'm
portant exhibition, and bringing away
many choice features and valuable sug-
gestions, and the result is combination
seen in one exhibition since the world
began.
The Great Roman Hippodrome will
resemble moving camping. There are
1900 men, women, and children in Mr..
Barnum's service, and the stock includes
$50 horses and ponies, besides elephants,
camels, English stays and stag hounds
trained ostriches, lions, bears, tigers,
anu OhASE Tic
of the menagerie and the various shows,
displays, and performances connected
with the enterprise, two enormous tents,
each 500 feet in length and 300 in
width, have been provided, one of
which will be kept in advance, in order
that no time may be lost by delay in
making ready. The question of trans
portation by rail-a very serious one
was solved by the construction of $50
cars, twice the usual length, built ex-
pressly for this purpose. Among them
are number of "horse- palace" cars
constructed with commodious stalls, in
which the horses can lie down and rest
while on the journey, and arrive at the
place of exhibition quite fresh for the
performance. Besides moving the tents,
animals, and all other material in these
! Hippodrome cars, berths will be pro-
vided in those devoted to the personnel
of the company for nearly all the en-
ployes. Besides the great exhibition
tents, there are cooking and dining tents,
and stable tents for the horses and other
animals. There is also attached TO the
company q large corps of blacksmiths
and carpenters and builders, some O:
whom precede the show several days, to
make ready for the exhibition by pre-
pairing the ground, erecting seats, etc
The dressing room tents alone will GOV.
er more ground than an ordinary circus
To move such an enormous establish
ment without hitch or delay requires
the employment of clear-headed, practi
cal men at the head Of each department
Every thing is so arranged as to mov'
with the smoothness and precision o
clock-work At the appointed hour tn
canvas will go up, the street procession
, will move, the performances will com
, mence. When all is over, and the grea
tent emptied, every thing will be packe'
l up by those detailed for the work, an,
the caravan, without the loss of a min
{ ute, will be on the move toward tn
e next place of exhibition.
The programme of performances wi
1 be varied and attractive. Donaldso
! will make daily balloon ascensions wit
j n car large enough to contain a compan
: of five or six persons, at a cost of aboU
y $500 day for this feature alone. The
= there will be the "Roman races" l
chariots driven by "Amazons," th
: "liberty races" in which forty viii
9 horses are turned loose in the arena
e exact imitation of the famous carnivi
! races of Rome and Naples; the "stan'
!. ing races" in which the riders stand @
bareback horses; hurdle races for j