The Republican journal., 1876-05-04
"Tenting To-Day

And now the Snowman, unlike the stealthy
Arab, publicly unfolds his tent and nosilv
moves away torthe campaign of the Centennial
year. The season or 1870 was not fraught with
an abundance OF ducats for the circus. and but
very few managers had anything to add to their
bank-accounts from the profits of the tenting
term. When we consider the heavy outlay
necessary to lay out route and place we'll
appointed circus and menagerie upon the road :;
when we run cur eyes over the figure OF the eX-
penses for a sing ge day, and when we look at
the risks they run, We wonder that men can be
found willing to enter into such enterprises,
and ieopardize the capital it has taken them so
many years TO accumulate. To begin with,
there are the expenses necessary to move the
concern before stand can be made; then there
are several hundreds Of men, women, children
and animals who must be fed, whether the
show is in operation or not; and then there is
the cost of printing-and this be it remembered,
is no small amount, for the illustrated-many-
sheeter with its grand combination of colors
and ornamentation, and other bills of all sizes
and of every variety, help to swell up the print
ing-account to almost fabulous sums. BY the
end of April or the beginning of May, when the
tenting season opens, the circus-proprietor has
expended n small fortune, and reached 1.-THE
bottom fucts," as our Brooklyn friend would
say. Should the opening day prove to be ui
propitious should storms arise, the sorrows Of
Werther are as nothing compared with those of
the clrcus-manager, for the canvas presents a
uCsoi'tC appear uICC3 luC tiShGl-WdtSO - III
a slough Of despond and mud, while the treas
ury-box on which all his hopes are centred, con-
talnS scarcely sufficient to pay for hOrSe-feeu.
''ln such Il m2ment we but ask that you'll re-
member him." What the centennial year has
in store for the circus is one of those problems
which time alone can solve; it may loosen the
purse-strings of the rural population, or it may
draw them together the tighter; the circus
must take the chances, and the side-showman
and the candy-butcher must sink or swim, ac
49,
country" When crops promise well, and hay
seed is abundant; when potatoes come up smil-
ing with eyes open; when the blacksmith and
the wheelWrght receive little legal-tender in
stead of pork for their labor, then indeed is the
heart of the Snowman made glad, for he will
rake them all in when his grand concentration
and improved congregation of marvels shall
pass through the town.
Well, the circus is about to take to the road;
the preparations have all been made; the per-
practiced; the tons of show printing have been
sent on ahead; and the boys require but the
word from their commander to begin active
operations. Some will travel West, some East,
some Canadaward, and others will pitch tents
wherever they will do the most good. Let rs
ask, in behalf of the thousands of men, women
and children to whom the circus gives employ
ment, that proper protection be accorded them
by the legally constituted authorities of the
cities and towns they propose to visit; for the
clrcus-manager has rights when snoulu De re-
| spected, and he asks for nothing more than
justice. 1t is frequently the case that gangs of
roughs look upon the circus as fair game for
their assaults, and the nearest shadow of COM
plant is made the excuse for an indiscrimnate
attack upon the entire establishment. Now
and then, driven to the wall, and with their
lives in danger, the circus people, unable to
secure protection from those whose duty it is
| to prevent riot and disorder, feel compelled to
| defend themselves, and an ''unpleasantness"
ensues not always in the interest of the roughs.
Our circus friends endeavor to avoid conflicts,
| and we hope they will be aided in their peace
] full mission.