Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-10
LIFE IN THE RING.
The Story Told by an Old Circus
Man.

The Diary ofa Single Day-How
the Men Live and What
They are Called Upon
To Do.
Philadelphia Tunes.
Findir g the Times reported an at.
tentive listener, the old circus mar
said: "Oue of the most amusing
things to circus people Is the sympathy
they hear expressed for them By those
rot in tho business. This circus life
is awfully hard, isn't ~ why you
people never sleep, do your Never
get half enough to eat2 and much of
the sme sort. Now the truth Is that
in the matter of eating and sleeping
circus people are perhaps the most
regular of any class. In the first
place you should understsnd some
thing about the labor they have to
perform, but 1t would tire you to hear
all the details, they embrace go many
different kinds. The more COM
mon are these: The average time
of the arrival of q show Into a town Is
In the neighborhood of 8 q. m. As soon
as 1t arrives the labor of unloading
II Q train begins. There are a set OF
men who do nothing but load and un.
load trains. These are the frat to get
up, and they are quickly followed by
the canvas men, grooms and drivers.
Everything belonging to the show Ia
loaded in wagons, and these are run
off the cars In = very few moments,
the horses are hitched up, and then
everything is taken to the grounds,
Once there the first tents erected are
the stables and cook tents, and tho
feed and market stuff are already upon
the ground, having been ARIA ged for
by agents In advance Tho mensg, rie
tent Is the first Of the large tepts 20
up, and the work of feeding The an.
finals goes on.
"About z O'Clock these things are
done and the laboring men are Gale &
to breakfast In their cook tent, 4,
being separated and apart from the
one used by heads of departments
After breakfast tho work of puttins
in seats and building the the ring Il
completed and then the task o
preparing before the parade Is partioi
pated In by nearly every body. Tn,
performers and executive people gen
orally lis in their births, In tn
} sleeping CARS, until about 8 o'clock
when they get up, dress and battle
, for which every convenience Is fur
nished. A card upon the car doc
I, tells them what hotel to go to, an
: there they proceeded to breakfast. A
u rule, performers take part In tn
- parade, but that Is generally over by l
o'clock, and the hotel people, q
they are called, return to a 1890 din
; ner. In the meantime, everythin
having been made ready for the after
n noon performance, the laboring me
have q rest, which Is continuous unit
breaking up time at night. They a,
supplied with dinner and suppe,
3 Performers 60 to the lot at about
!. .. m , perform their part of the pr
gramme and then they have usual.
re from 4 p. m. to 8 p. IN. In which
10. eat supper and amuse themselves
reading or strollirg about town, the
IL always being plenty Of citizens wi
are willing to show them the best g
1, fractions of the place.
70, AWAY, LIKE THE ARAB.
"Supper upon the lot lasts fro
81 $50 p. m. to $50 p. N, and then II
" performance of the afternoon
81 repeated. At about 8 o'clock Il
IL work of reloading begins and prooee
SO rapidly that when the circus q,
concert are concluded the tent
which they are given is all there Is Il
upon the grounds, and 1t takes on
r. about half an hour to remove ths
,e and then everything Is ready for Il
next town. 1t is a rule, not alws,
" observed, however, that the porte
of the sleeping cars shall lo'
a them at midnight, so tn
10 everybody Is supposed to be
ID bed at that time, and the cars bell
Id constructed only for sleeping pu
r. poses, reg liar sleep and plenty Of 1t
n. somewhat compulsory. The accom-
dstions for sleeping are usually amp
and the bsrths are occupied by Il
same people throughout the seaso
so that they become accustomed
and like them. Indeed, 1t is q Fl
quent thing for people to refuse a b.
in a hotel upon Sunday night, Will
Is alwaysprovided, the berth, or hon
being preferred to q strange be
~ And I myself have often left q hot
table for the cook tent, because Il
o. fare there, while generally simple al
81 plain was always fresh, we'll cook
and wholesome.
80 "Whers do circus people all col
from2 From everywhere. Perhs
the majority originally came from t
country. Young country lads see
the circus all there is of the gloric
IN and grand In this world-rup sw
lie from home and hire out In some mir
It. capacity. If they are clever ply
y. cally and develop into performers,
u simply remain as q driver or canva
lie man or common laborer, they alwi
retain their love for the country, a
very many performers, after goi
from city to town and town to oi
remove In the winter to
he country and remain conte
I'm eddy till the bluebirds sing as Il
Ills express the time for starting O
1t, Very many kings and queens of
en- arena have no ambition other IL
ed their families and private life upoi
ed farm. OShers obtain employment
he the winter upon the variety stage
No, In circus companies In the south,
countries, Cuba and Mexico, WI
many go regularly every winter to
rope TO fill twelve or fifteen weeks