The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-12-09
The Circus In Earlier Days.

Ringmaster Robert Ellingham, a vet
eran Snowman, who has been con-
nected with the circus business since
1886, recalls many experiences of earlier
days. 81 first entered the show bust
ness" he said the other day, "in 1886.
There were some shows in this country
before that time, as early as 1885
Howe's and Browns and a few others.
1 entered the show as singer-a de-
lineator of negro character. There
were no minstrels in those days, but
minstrel singers used to travel with
the shows. They were performing in
New York City when 1 joined the show
and after that they travelled through
the Eastern cities, through Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey, Maryland and the
South. There were altogether forty or
fifty horses in the show. We had no
menagerie. Such things were unknown
in those DAYS in connection with cir
cuses although some showmen travelled
about with wild beasts which they ex-
hibited in the raral towns. The prin-
cipal performers in our circus were
Napoleon and Timothy Turner, Sons OF
the proprietor. They both were riders;
one of them rode a single horse and the
other rode two and sometimes four
horses. There were no bareback riders
IN those davs and the Turner boys al
tons were Signor Vivalli, the plate
spinner, whom Barnum mentions in his
book, and Joe Pentland, the clown
There was also man named Leicester,
a remarkable delineator of negro char
acter, who used to give concerts in a
tent outside and sing old plantation
and negro songs. Were there any
trapeze performances o, no! There
was no aerial performances, no jump
ing or leaping in those days. All they
did in that way was to walk and dance
and leap over hurdles on stills. After
that, between 1887 and 1889, eircuses
and menageries combined. Prior to
that time the menageries were as large
and almost as complete as the menag-
cries of to-day; but they were distinct
from the circuses.
About 1910 the circus business took
a sudden start and made rapid strides
The menageries were enlarged, new at
fractions were added and newspaper
advertising became more general and
extensive. Gilded advertising wagons
with handbills and posters were also
sent out into the rural districts. Every
thing was enlarged and embellished-
The business may be said to have taken
its start from that time. Trsmpoline
performances came into vogue. The
performance consists in leaping from a
board over row of hOrsss on to another
board and turning 3 somersault from
that.
1.-The next innovation was the still
vaulting performance. which consisted
of turning number of somersaults from
a board. Some performers were 50
proficient that they could leap on n
board and turn eighty-or ninety somer-
saults in succession around the ring,
and one man turned as many as 4 hun
dred North, McFarlane and ODale
were celebrated still vaUlters- This per-
Torrance continued TO be popular for
ten or fifteen years, and then it passed
away. The next great feature of the
show business was q pageant of Gle
plants, camels and horses in the grand
entry. Aerial performances were of
later date. They began about 1866
Bareback riding began about 1874. Il
improved gradually to leaping through
hoops and turning somersaults from the
backs of horses The clown was always
feature of the show, but the clowns Of
early days were always performers
not as they now are, only singers. They
used to do more than 10 sing comic
songs and crack jokes. The greatest
advancement is in the employment Of
educated men for all positions Of trust
and responsibility. The managers and
press agents and overseers are all edu-
Gated men, thoroughly acquainted with
the duties which they are called Upon
10 discharge. Even the helpers must
be thoroughly competent men,"