Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-11-07

other advertising. As all Oh our per-
formers are the very best that can be
found, their combined salaries are simply
incredible. The salaries Of some of our
assistant managers and agents are &c.
900 each per season. We own every
railroad car which makes up our three
trains, including sleeping cars and adver-
Using cars. We estimate that our ex-
penses average fully $4,000 per day,
rain or shine and yet we are to get this
all this back by showing under our I'M
mense tents twice each day at the same
price of admission as is charged by cir
cuses whose daily expenses are less than
$500, and whose whole outfits cost from
SIC, 900 to perhaps 100000 ; and one of
the greatest wonders connected with our
enterprise is that we show but one day
in place during the whole season, with
the exception of seven cities, and that
our whole city of tents, horses, wild ami
mails. men and women, and all the para
phernalia of this immense show are trans
ported from so to $50 miles each night.
and we scarcely ever miss placing our
gli,tering cavalcade in the streets at nine
o clock of the ensuing morning. And
now, to account for the fact that our
show makes money while so many shows
go into bankruptcy every season, | would
say that it is simply the survival of the
ft,est.' We always give the most, the
best, the purest, and, these facts being
well known the world over, the Christian
mother knows that she can take her
daughter under our tents without ever
having occasion for q blush, and the
great multitude know that with our
amusements we combine instruction no.
where else to be found; consequently,
hundred of thousands Of men, women,
and children visit us who never enter any
other tent show. Next, | would like to
give an inkling of our receipts. Our
tents are nearly always filled, and about
half the time we are obliged to turn away
applicants for want Of room. We OPP
ened in New York at Madison Square
Garden on the 18th of March, 1882, and
closed our season at Chester, Penn, Oct.
II, 1882, period Of 81 weeks. Our
receipts for the first two weeks were
Sl07,O 900 and the subsequent weeks av-
eraged about the same. In Philadelphia
we exhibited but one week, four days OF
which it rained our receipts were S69,-
1855. In Boston we received in six
DAYS S74,05l, and on a single day, June
II, We took in Sl5,742.lj. Our gross
receipts for the season of lS6 days are
about a million and three-quarters, which
is more than the combined receipts OF
any three travelling shows in the world.
Il has often been said to me Mr.. Bar
mum, it is reported that you contemplate
getting together an chronological congress.
Is that so:' And will now say, that,
although | do not like TO divulge details
of our future plans, for years | have con-
,emplated bringing together several hun
dred men, women and children, comptis-
ing, as far as possible, specimens of ev-
ery attainable uncivilized tribe. We are
now commencing the gathering OF nations,
and hope ere long to show them, and ex-
hibit their habits, customs, costumes,
etc, TO a wondering world. | regard 1t,
if successfully carried out, as the most
instructive and interesting exhibition that
has ever been conceived. In conclusion
| will say that, Notwithstanding the i'm
mense expenses of our great combination
the net profits at the end Of the season
run largely into the hundreds of thou
sands, and are greater than those of any
five or six shows combined that ever
travelled the country.
i. L. BARNUM.
net III. 1882