The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-07-08
TlIr cIncrs AGENT FolLEp.
He Meets Ris Match In a Frontier news.
paper Ofllee.

4
. paper Onlee.
from the Virginia CITY chTonlpiS, .,t
Yesterday afternoon, q dapper littl,
man, with atwo.ounce cane and hall
pound cluster diamond, came into thl
Clrhiek office aud asked II the amusement
reporter was in, When the man he sough
was pointed out, the stranger grasped hin
warmly by the hand, remarking: "De
lighted to meet you, sir : really am. I've
heard Of you at every place I've stopped
on my way from New York. had such
a curiosity to see you that got OF at Reno
and took q run up. But really had ex,
pected to find much older man, consid.
ering the magnificent reputation your ORA
matte and circus criticisms have given you.
All Of our boys told me to be sure and see
you, i'll didn'tset aboard OF anything else
in the town."
"Ah," said the rep orter, blushing in
four colOrs, "I'm glad to see you. Might
inquire Of your name2"
WELL here's my card" said the little
man, handing out piece Of pasteboard
about five inches square. you may have
heard Of me beiore-Clarence Le Lacy
Slocum, agent OF the Sebastian Van Buena
Vista Circus and Menagerie. This Is by
far the hugest combination Of gigantic cir.
cuses ever put on the road, We started
out about five years ago in small way,
with not over 400, 1000 feet Of canvas, only
8 tents and scarcely 1000 animals, but we
gradually absorbed all the small fry shows.
They'd go into bankruptcy along the route
and we would buy their outfits. Sebastian.
our owner, Is the most sympathetic man
on earth. He'd buy their little shows and
pay double price, Just TO help the poor
devils along. Money Is Of no account to
him. He's travelling simply for pleasure
and desire TO see the great West"
I'D like to know him." remarked the
reporter.
"oh, he knows you-that is, by reputa.
ton. He has your picture set In frame
that cost him over 500. He was saving
TO me one night that whenever business
was dull he just took look at that phiz OF
yours, and 1t always made him feel as hap.
py asit he was obliged to turn 500 people
away at the door,"
ture?"
"oh, he begged it OF De Murska or Mod.
ieska, or Clara Morris-I forgot which.
She hated like thunder to part with it, but
you see he had loaned the great actress
SIC, 600 once in Paris to buy wardrobe
and some jewelry for a new piece, and as
the debt was never Cancelled she couldn't
very well refuse. But l Just came in TO
give you little information about our
show. l always like to give a man all
the points when know he possesses the
talent to handle them in the right style.
Some fellows down at Reno and Carson
tried 10 pump me, but didn't propose to
let a description OF my show be mangled
up by scrub writers. Besides, Sebastian
telegraphed me from New York last night
not to let anybody but you get aboard Of
the first grand description. Just mention
four miles of cages containing wild beasts,
with twelve new varieties Of elephants,
and recently discovered monster from
Africa called the Jabberwock, which
weighs 5000 pounds"
"1ndeedw
Eyes, sir! and a man like you, with a
fine descriptive ability and inexhaustible
command OF language, which has made
you famous In two continents"
"How many columns do you want?"
"Oh, as many as you please"
when will the show be here?"
Perhaps not for two months; 1t takes
such a long time to move the animals that
our progress across the country is Slow"
"Justso. Well, our figures for big cir.
cuses like yours are $3.50 a column, cash
down, and 80 per cent Of the gross receipts
If the show is success"
The CIRCUS agent seemed greatly affect
ed. isn't that rather steep2" said he.
ut would be perhaps, for small pro.
vincial journal like the New York tSun, or
even the London Times, but we circulate
such mammoth edition that the price is
comparatively tritling. Fourteen freight
cars come up every day with paper for our
edition, which Is WORKED off IN FIVE biz
Walter presses, lightning geared. Our
expenses for steam alone sir, are $1,000
day. We have more carriers than you
could pack into your largest tent. Our
eastern circulation has been increas.
ing at the rate of thousand day
for the last two years. By simply cutting
down the size OF the paper an eighth OF
inch, our proprietor has saved money
enough to build four school houses worth
SO, 900, and endowed an orphan asylum
in each county in the State. He doesn't
run the paper for money, but Just simply
for his health and because he likes the
country. Our mailing and folding
machinery would remind you Of the Ris.
don iron works"
"Is it in this building?"
"0h, no; this is simply the branch
ofRce-tbe place where we write up cir
Guses. Cur principal establishment"
The CIRCUS agent groaned as II in agony
and fed from the Office.
You Can BE Happy
II you will stop all your extrayaeaut and