The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-09-25
w. w. Cole Interviewed by
the Baz0O's BOOnville
Correspondent.
What it Costs to Conduct a
Show-The Salary of
Performers.
A Chat With the General Manager
That is Certain to Prove
of Interest


This is a circus letter. Circuses are get
ting to be big things in this age of progress
and they deserve q good notice. w. w
Coles show Was in Boonville Yesterday and
knowing the interest the readers of the
BAzOO take in news of this kind. your
Boonville correspondent sought an inter
view With Mr.. Cole-not for the purpose of
giving him free advertisement, but to gain
and his in particular.
1.-THE circus is growing as q
source of amusement" said this gentleman.
'Ten years ago shows travelled by roads
and now BY trains now they are larger,
and have two rings instead OF one; then
actors are more numerous and better, and
the entire character of the entertainment
is more elevated. With the increase In
responsibility of the circus itself the au.
dieuces have become more respectable and
better behaved"
In Cole circus thirty-one railroad cars
are used for transportation purposes. Two
hundred and Fifty men are employed, OF
whom about one hundred and fifty are
workmen, the remainder being actors. mu-
sicians and officers. 1t requires one hun
dred and sixty horses, of which only forty
appear in the ring. Training horse, y
remarked MIR. Cole, sis one OF the most
difficult things We haye TO do, and requires
from six months to year"
"What the BAZoO would like to know"
said your correspondent, sis, how mpch
do you pay your performers"
"Within the last few years have
heard much Of the paper pub
Iished for the people now on earth. smil-
ingly replied Mr. Gle, and the cheek OF It's
representatives and, Young man, l guess 1t
must all be true. But l will depar; from
nv usual custom and tell you some facts
that but few newspaper men have yet as
certained.
Giving the BAZoo Young man seat on
a chest, he proceeded: "Of course Mr..
James Rob nson, the acknowledged cham
piou bareback rider and the most popular
man in the circus line known anywhere. is
paid most. He receives So" week and
expenses. Frank Gardiner, the jockey rider,
comes next with $3.50, while Mile Aimee
| receives $50, The others receive from Sl5
| 10 SO week, according To merit. Our
troupe of Arabs cost $500 week aud are
under engagement for two years at that
price. They came from Constan;inople and
on account of their reluctance to
leave their families were hard
! 10 secure. he larger OLE
held up eight men, or
a weight of 1900 pounds. Their strength
and agility is wonderful. The Two trapeze
| performers cost SlUO each"
"What about your animals and thell
ccs,w
"Afost of them came from Europe, though
some from New York, where they were pur
chased from dealers in such stock. Now
Samson is worth $4,000. though didn'
paw that for him. Ordinarily elephants
are valued at So 600, but, If rated OF course
come higher. The snakes belong TO th'
Arabs, and, with the monkeys, have cos
me more than my elephants, for the reaso'
that have to get so many more OF then
and they live such short time. The hip
popotamus is valued at $4,000, the pric
having grown OF late wears on account
the increasing scarcity OF these animals
The iiors are worth about 81 900 apiece
while the tiger is worth One-haif ss mucl
more. The hyena comes at $500, and tn
camel not as much as a good horse, benz
quoted in circus stock markets d
500 to $3.50, according to quaiity
Though camels have become yer
common of late wears, every circus on Tn
! , road must take them TO please the children
NV leopard is worth about $50"
: "Can YOU tell me something about tn
total expense of running circus?
"Weli, here in BoOnville itcosts US sbor
!, 81 go or 1000, and this is about the a'
erage expense during the circus season o
, saw. seven months The remainder OF tn
4 \ .,to anil
! pay out $3.50 daily without receiving an,
thing in return. This must be made U
y during the time we are travelling. Beside
> this, accidents, rains, and dust, like that
9 have to-day, lessons the receipts ana II
. creases tie expenditures"
sOne would think that such busine
was a very risky one, Mr.. Cole ?"
"Well, in one sense of the word 1t is, ar
!. vet should anyone be possessed OF tact, goo
y Judgment and energy there is no reast
u WHY he should not make a handsome TO
!, tune at the business. To do this, ever
. thing must work like clot
work, for, as in a watch, should the Sigh
est cog get out OF order there is j
throughout the whole system. As IN
good factory, every department must ha
% Its appropriate head, and then there IS q
n likely to be any trouble. / used to THU
:, that it was good thing to drink occasIo
n ally, but, like Barnum, that prince OF sho
1t men, have become a prohibitionist, on
l. small scale. A man can't drink whist
'e and attend to his business, too. SO pr
q hibit liquor drinking as far as posslt
among nv employees, and drunkenness
y published by dismissal. The secret OF su
Of cess in the circus business, like that in mt
e, others, is after gaining knowledge
D. what you want to accomplish, to pr
ceed economically, but fearlessly, and
work yourself, trusting as little
81 possible to subordinates. There, my dc
;e young man, you have enough informant
Is to run circus of your own"
y Zone more question, Mr.: Cole, and To
nt will stop. Can vou give me br
sketch of your life for the BAzOoT
y, "With pleasure, if you think 1t Wo!
of publishing. l grew up in q circus.
be grandfather was . circus rider in Engial
"a. amt