Smyrna times., 1879-07-09
The Amusement Reporter.
CIRCUS AGENT WHO ENCOUNTERED Ills MATCH
IN a FRONTIER NEWSPAPER OFFICE.

CIRCUS AGENT WHO ENCOUNTERED Ills MATCH
IN a FRONTIER NEWSPAPER OFFICE.
Yesterday afternoon dapper little man
with a two.ounce cane and a.half Mound
cluster diamond, came into the office and
asked if the amusement reporter w@s in.
When the man lie sought was pointed out.
tn" stranger grasped him warmly by the
hand, remarking Delighted 10 meet YOU,
sir-reaily, | am. I've heard Of You at
every place I've stopped on my way from
New York. had such curiosity to see
you that ! got off aL Reno and took a run
up. But really had expected to Gud
much Older man, considering the magnifi-
cent reputation you" dramatic and circus
criticisms have given you. All OF our hoys
told me to be sure and see you, if didn't
get aboard OF anything else in the town"
All, said the reporter bushing in four
coiors, I'm glad to see you. Might | in
Quire your name?"
Well. here's my card, said the little
man handing out a piece Of pas,eboard
about five inches square. You may have
heard OF me beiore-Clarence De Lacq So.
cum, agent Of the Sebastian Van Buena
/ Vista Circus and Mena%erie. This is by flr
/ the hugest combination OF gigantic cjrcuses
/ ever put on the road. We started out
about five years ago in a small way, with
not over 10000 feet of canvas-only nine
tents-and scarcely 1900 animals; but we
! gradually absorbed all the emaIl.iry shows.
lhey q 90 into bankruptcy along the route
and we would buy their outfits Sebastian,
our owner, IS the mos. sympathetic man on
earth. He'd buy their little SHOWS and pay
double price, just to help tho poor devil.
along. Money Is OF no account to him
He's travelling simply for pleasure and a
desire to see the great west
I'D like to know him. remarked the
reporter.
"Oh, he knows you-that is, 10y rcputa
ton. He has your picture in frame tina
cost him over 800. lie was saying to IN,
one night that whenever business was dul
he just took a look at that phiz OF yours
and it always made him feel as happy as !
he was obliged to turn five hundred ! eopl,
away at the door,
How came he to get hold of my pict
ure?'
"Oh, he begged it of De Murska O
Modjeska, or Clara Morris; | forget which
She hated like thunder to part with it: tn
you see that he had loaned the great actrcs
$4,000 once in Paris to buy a wardrob
and some jewclry for 4 new piece, and a
the debt WAS never cancelled She couldn'
very we'll refuse. But | just came in t.
give you little information about on
show. ! always like to give man all in
points when know he possesses the taIpn
to handle them in the right style. Som
fellows down at Reno and Carson tried I
pump me, bUt | didn't propose TO let
description Of ny show be raanged up b
scrub writers. Besides, Sebastian tc!t
graphed me from New York last night nc
to let anybody but yoI get aboard Of tn
first grand description. just mention fou
miles of cages containing wild beasts, wit
twelve new varieties OF elephants, and a +,
cently-dScovercd monster from Africa ca
led the jabberwock. which weighs 300
pounds.
"Indccd =
: " Yes, sir! and man like you. with
descriptive ability ana iueXhaU-tcd con
. mand Of language, which has made 80
, famous on two cOntinerts-'
+ " How many columns; do you wan, q
son, as many as you please.
When will the show be hcre?'
+, Perhaps not for two months; it talk
Is such long time to move the animals tn;
% our progress across the country is slow"
= lust so. We'll, our figures for big ci
cU,os like yours are $3.50 column cas-
. down, ana tnFty per cent. oi the gross =
3 ceipts if the show is a success"
~ The circus agent seemed greatly atfecte
IS Isn't that rather steep?' he said.
1T would he, perhaps. for small pr
90 vincial Journal like the New York SIN,
81 even the London Iglace but we circula
10 such a mammoth edition that the price
g. comparatively triiling. Fourteen frcigI
ly cars come up every day with paper for o.
rs edition, which is worked oil on five /
" Walter presses, lightning geared. Our e
,d penSe for steam alone, sir, IS $1,000 4 da
rs We have moro carriers than you could pax
in into voUr largest tent. Our eas .crn circ
re laton has been increasir at the rate OF
". thousand day for the last two years.
,ls simply cutting down the size of the pap
an eight Of an inch our proprietor h
saved enough money to build four scho
al houses with $4,000 each, and endowed
~ orphan asylum in each county in the Sta
;955 He doesn't run the paper for money, b
SO Just simply for his health, and because
likes the country. Our mailing and 70
93 ing machinery would remind you OF t
ii9a99 Risdon Iron works."
3S2 - Is it in this building9'
"Oh, no; this is simply the branch off
3G3 the place where we write up circus
j67 Our principal establishment"
l2s The circus agent groaned as if in ago
77O and fled from the Office Virginia {
m Chronicle