Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-09-27
CIRCUS CURIOSITIES.
Ledger Interviews With Circus Men.

All of our readers have seen one |
or more circuses. While they have
seen the street parade and the per-
formance, they know but little about
the running of these glittering exhi-
bitions. For this reason the LEDGER
interviewed the managers of Coles
circus so as to give its readers some
idea of the inside workings of cir
Gus. w. w. Cole was approached !:
''The circus is growing as 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 numer-
|ous and better, and the entire char
acter of the entertainment is more ell
eyated. With the increase in re-
|spectability Of the circus itself the
audiences have. become more respect
able and better behaved"
In Coles circus thirty-one railroad
cars are used for transportation pur-
poses. Two hundred and fifty men
Fare employed, of whom about one
hundred and fifty are workmen, the
remainder being actors, musicians
and officers. 1t requires one hum
dred and sixty horses, of which only
forty appear IN the. ring. Training
horse" remarked Mr.. Cole, ''is
ode of the most difficult things we
have to do, and requires fro from six
months to q year, !IrlilIA
| ''What the LEDGER would like to
know is, how much do you pay you
performerse" ~ - sa-.l
"Within the last few years have
lheard much Of thepaper published fol
the people now on earth,'' smilingly
replied MIR. Cole, s'and the cheek Of
its representatives and, young man
| I guess it must all be true. But
will depart from my usual custom ant
tell you some facts that but few news
paper men have yet ascertain ed"
Giving the LEDeER man q seat OIL
!. chest, he proceeded: 'Of cours
Mr.. James Robinson, the acknowledg
; ed champion bareback, rider and tn
most popular man in the circus lin
known anywhere, is paid most. III
receives $3.50 week and expenses
4 Frank Gardiner, the Jockey rider
!. comes next with $3.50, while NH
Aimee receives $50. The Others re
E ceive from $40 TO $75 q week, accerd
I: ing to merit. Our troupe of Arab
cost 5000 week and are under eE
: gagement for two years at that priet
They came from Canstantinople, an
: on account Of their reluctance
. leave their families were, hard to 81
. cure. The larger one held up. eigi
E men, or, a weight of ! 800 pounds
Their strength and agility is wondel
t ful, The two trapeze performers eo'
y $l00 each.'', /. s.s:. ..sf ,ne.} zqs
p 'sWhat about your animals an
y their cost?'' tsr-3.s.<.j5'
j. ttMost of them came from Europ
:. though some from New York., whe
" they were purchased from dealers i
lsuch stock. Now, Samson is worl
s12, 900, though I didn't pay that +
T. him. Ordinarily elephants are value
~ at s5, 600, but, ifrated, of cours
come higher. The snakes belong,
the Arabs, and, with the monkey
- have cost me more than my elephant
- for the reason that / have to get
many more of them and they live sn
ia short time. The hippopotamus
Sc Sc valued at $40, ,00e, the price havil
I'd grown of late years on account !.
We the increasing scarcity of these al
's' mails. The lions are worth abo
n. 81 900 apiece, while the tiger is wor
n one-haH as much more. The bye
u comes at $500, and the camel not