Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-05-15
The Circus-InnOvatiO Of Mod.
err ShOWmcn.

Since 1860 the Improvement in circuses
has been great. In that year Lewis b. Lent.
proprietor of the New York circus, which
exhibited on Fourteenth street, began travel.
ing by rail. The innovation was an impor-
tant one, and the other circuses were eventu-
ally compelled to follow. Van Amburgh's
was the last TO leave the "road." Lent's
original train consisted of - cars. He had
no menagerie, but gave ring show. Nine.
Dockrill first appeared in his circus. He
did much to elevate the business. Things
have changed greatly since Lent's circus
train was whirled through the country. Big
circuses now adays require three trains aggre-
eating Is cars. Besides. from three 10 fve
advertising cars precede them, the first by
four or Ave weeks. Until late years wagons
were used for this purpose, but these were
not fast or magnificent enough. The cata-
pult and electric light are late additions. The
employees are fed on the ground, by the cir
Gus managers, and only the principal per.
formers go TO hotel. Where 40 horses
used to be the limit from 200 TO 800 were
employed before the eircuses took the rail-
One tent this year will be 450 bv 200 feet in
dimensions. The expenses of a big circus
amount to $500 day. The largest amount
taken. in single day, is $l4, ,OO0-the receipts
Of a show at Pittsturg, Pa, last season.
1t is often the case that three performances
are given in a single day-in the morning,
noon and evening. The side-shows are a
great deal larger than the earlier circuses.
The advertising has grown to be the biggest
part of a show. The size of the first bill was
80 by 40 inches, and now some of them are
fifty times as large. 1t is almost AZ great a
sight to see the bill boards as it is to see the
performance. 1t has reached that point
where Fourth of July celebration is not
much greater event than the advent of a
circus. The railroads run special trains.
with a coupon for the circus attached to the
ticket, people take holiday and come so or
GO miles. and in the evening the showmen
send up fire balloon, discharge cannon and
send off fireworks. There are not as many
shows now as there were years ago. But IL
of consequence start out this year, while
during the war there were 40, with only half
the country to exhibit in. The larger ones
have swallowed the smaller. Every circus
manager seems bound to see how extensive
a herd of elephants he can collect One has
23,while another has 2l There are at present
rs elephants in the country. The menageres
this year will be particularly fine. Circus
men regard the prospects of the season NJ
good. The timos are favorable aud the crop
yield promises well. The agricultural dis
tricts have everything to do with the pros
perity of the circus. Old showmen say cir
cuses have about reached their limit. There
are too large already and in time they will
return to one large ring. Three rings do not
give satisfaction. People cannot watch them
all at once. The first ''circus pool" will be
formed this year-that is, two rival circuses,
in order not to plunge into ruinous competi.
ton, will divide the country. One will take
one route and the other, another. A word
about circuses in foreign lands. There are
none that are half the size Of the lsrge
circuses in America. although Myers's, in
Germany, is fair. England never saw one
that could equal Howe's old show, and to this
day circuses are given in the open air at fairs
in the country. The people form a ring and
a collection is taken.-Nep York Times.