The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-01-08
BROOT%HAVEN MISS THURSDAY, JANUARY 81 1880. q
me Amusement Repor ter.

-
Yesterday afternoon dapper little
man with two ounce cane and half>
pound cluster diamond pin, came into
the Chronicle Office, and asked il the
amusement reporter was In. When the
man he sought was pointed out, the
stranger grasped him warmly by the
hand, remarking: Delighted to meet
you. sir-really. I am. I've heard OF
you at every place I've stopped on my
way from New York. / had suoh a
curiosity to see you that ! got off at
Reno. aud took a run up. But really 1
had expected to find much older man.
considering the magnificent reputation
your dramatic and circus criticisms
have glven you. All of our boys told
me I'd be sure and see you, if 1 didn t
get aboard Of anything else in the
town.
"Ah!" said the reporter, blushing in
four oolors. I'm glad to see you.
Might l inquire your name3'
"Well, here's my card" said the lit
Re man, handing out piece OF paste
board about Ave inches squate. ''YOu
may have heard Of me before-Clarence
De h6cy Slocum. agent of Sebastian
Van Buena Vista Circus and Menagerie.
This is by far the hugest combination
of ciScuses ever put on the road. We
started out about five years ago IN a
small way, with not over four hundred
thousand feet of canvas, only nine
tents, ard scarcely fifteen hundred anil
mails, but we gradually absorbed all the
small>fry shows. They'd go into bank.
rnptcy along the route, aud we would
bny 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 n desire to see tue great
West" sal.
I'D like to know him, remarked the
reporter. ....s ..f
"Oh, he knows you-that is. by rep
utation. He has your picture set in q
frame that cost him over 500. He was
saying to me one night that whenever
business was dull he just took q look at
that phiz of yours. aud it always made
him feel as happy rs if he was obliged
to turn fve hundred people away at the
door,"
"How came he to get hold of my
picture2"
"Oh, he begged it of Di Murska or
Modiesks or Clara Morris-I forget
which. She hated like thunder to part
with it, but You see he had loaned the
great actress $4,000 once in Paris to
buy a wardrobe and some jewelry for a
new piece, and as the debt was never
Cancelled she couldn't very we'll refuse.
But Ijust came in to give you little
information about our show. [ always
like to give q mau all the points when
l know he possesses the talent to handle
them in the right style. Some fellows
down at Reno, and Carson tried to
pump me, but didn't propose to let a
description of my show be mangled up
by scrub writer's. Besides, Sebastian
telegraphed me from New York last
night not to let anybody but yon get
aboard of the first grand description.
Just mention four miles of cages cons
tanning will beasts. With twelve varie-
tics of elephants and recently discov-
cred monster from Africa. called the
jabberwock. which weighs three thou>
sand pounds.
f"InGeedrf -. IS.
"Yes, sir! and a man like you, with q
fine descriptive ability and inexhansti-
BILE 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 long time to move the an
imals that our progress across the coun-
try is SLOW"
"Just SO. Well, our figures for big
circuses like yours are $1E0 column
cash down, and thirty per cent. of the
gross receipts. if the show Is success.
The circus agent seemed greatly afs
fected. "Isn that rather steep?' he
said.
"It would be. perhaps, for small
provincial Journal like the New York
Sun, or even the London Times; hnt we
circulate such mammoth edition that
the price is comparatively tritiing.
Fourteen freight cars come mp every day
with paper for our edition, which is
WOrkou OH Oh i've DiB VoooA pASoSo'
lightning geared. Cur expense for steam
alone, sir 50 900 day. We have more
carriers than you could pack into your
largest tent. Our Eastern circulation
has been increasing at the rate OF thou
sand day for last two years. By simply
cutting down the size of the paper an
eigth of an inch our proprietor has saw
ed enough money to build four school
houses worth $40. 600 each. and endow>
ed an Orphan Asylum in each county IL
the State. He dosn't run the paper fol
money, but simply for his health, and
because he likes the country. Our mail
ing and folding machinery vonld re-
mind You of the Risdon Iron Works.
''Is it in this building?' 81.
"Oh, no; this is simply the branch
offce-the place where wci write ur
circuses. Our principal establish
ment-" 10 act eaUriruosera
The circus agent Rroanei as if in
agony and fed from the Office.
1 porlin dotaptIVG