The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-07-13
Running o Circus.

/
a reporter of the Philadelphia Times hal
beeE interviewing veteran circus man ant
gives the following story of the. expense o
fitting out show for the road and the sal
aries paid the attaches:
: 1t costs round half million to start q
good circus and menagerie."
$50 much as that ?''
/ "Tes, sir, every cent of it; and then you
can lose $1,000 day easily if you strike
cold spring weather and heavy rains TIC
he sure there are side shows which don't
cost half as much, but they are likely to fly
by night before the season is over. But out
OF the twenty-five shows that have started
On the road this summer, there are at least
I'VE which will have almost as much capi-
tai as this invested. One of these started
from Philadelphia, two from New York,
two from the West. OF course this repre-
sents, horses, animals, wagons, trappings,
eanvas, and not By any means least, sink.
ing fund. The proprietor generally tray-
els with the show. The season consists of
! about 800 performances, usually opening
about the first Of April and ending about
the first Of October. A new season opens
when they pass the wiater months in Cali
fornia, the South or the West Indies. It
requires for the transportation of show
the size of Forepaugh's about ninety-two
wagons, carriages and cages, and they
travel about four thousand miles during
the season, averaging abont thirty miles
per day. The large shows generally travel
by rail. Forepaugh and Henry Barnum
own animal, kitchen and sleeping cars. A
strictly first-class exhibition, like Fore
paugh's and Rarnums, is at an expense of
| $1,000 per day for salaries, expenses and
incidental. Messrs. Forepaugh and Barnum
give their personal supervision to their
shows. They each employ about 225 per-
sons-a small regiment.
In first-class show there are about
twenty-four performers who are the main
stays. It requires years of toll and labor to
become proficient in their different lines
before the necessary experience, agility
and skill is attained. A steady course of
practice from the age of six years gives
the acrobatic expertness and dexterity
shown by the equestrians, gymnasts and
acrobats of the present day. The salary of
an equestrian of Mr. buttons, (the present
equestrian director for Forepaugh's circus
and menagerie) experience is about $125
week. Jimmy Robinson, now in Australia,
is receiving $500 a week in gold, Charles
Fish receives $3.50 and Romeo Sebastian
$125. This is exclusive of expenses. The
salaries of equestriennes range from $50 to
$525, according to their proficiency. Lady
riders like Miss Mollie Brown and Madam
Dockrill readily command $500. The men
who are the delight Of the rustics, the
clowns-and who does not think of their
quaint antics but with pleasurable emo
tion-do not receive the large salaries gen
orally supposed. They average $35 week,
although Mr.. Forepaugh paid Dan Rice
$1,000 week for three seasons. The gym
nasts, acrobats, leapers and contortionists
command the smallest wages, as the supply
exceeds the demand. Their salaries range
f.n.s, -&fs tn e2f &10 mora IA added IN tho
a company and the advance agents get lib
eral salaries. Ben. Lusbie, the lightning
ticket seller of Forepaugh's show gets So, 900
for the season, and Fred. Lawrence, the
advance advertising agent, is paid the sum
of "a, 600 for the time the show is on the
road.
"The pets of the little ones, the children
who take part in the performance, are
generally the sons Or daughters of she per-
formers. The hue and cry about cruelty to
children in the circus profession is in a
majority of instances unfounded. A
father and mothers care and devotion is
usually watchful of their darlings health.
After riding or performing the little ones
are carefully wrapped to protect them from
cold, and the utmost care is observed to
keep their feet dry IN rainy weather.
Their salaries range from $40 to $50 a
week.
"The large caravans have almost univer-
sally abandoned the mode of travelling by
road, availipg themselves of railroad facll-
tiles. The cause of this change vas the
great number of horses lost during the hot
season, often as many as five day. An
other cause was the necessity of stopping
at small points, only being able to travel
25 OF 80 miles day, and the consequent
loss, as they find it almost impossible to
make expenses in towns and villages. The
band of music for large show costs in sal
aries alone about 81, 600 per month. The
routes are never made public until just
prior TO starting out for the season, on ac-
count of the jealousy existing in regard to
certain favorite localities"