Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-25
BEHIND THE CANVAS.
q Peep Into the Dressing-2oom OF
Big Circus-.-One Place for
Each Thing.
louisville Courier-Journal. ]

Everything in apple-pie order, you see
Space is valuable, and this is place and tins
when every inch has been utilized
= The speaker was an attache of the manage
ment of one of Barnum's circuses, which
make the annual tour of the cities as regr-
larry as the seasons. The scene was a striking
and peculiar one. 1t was the dressing-room
of the male performers, which was situated
just back of the huge canvas under which
the show was taking place.
Every inch of space had indeed been util-
lied The tent was small one, nearly
square, and packed to the last extent of its
capacity. Trunks were everywhere in the
corners, in the middle, along the sides, and
30 close together that, with the exception of
one or two aisles it was impossible to step
without setting foot upon one. They were
of all shapes and sizes, from the thick, fat
cases of the star performers down to ordinary
packing boxes and diminutive round topped
hair trunks of the date of fifty years ago.
Here and there one had been set up on end
and converted into wash-stand or dressing
case. Two or three small fires were burning
in portable furnaces, by which few almost
nude performers, breathless and perspning
from their exertions in the ring, were
standing to avoid catching cold. Else
where men were hurriedly dressing for their
parts, and evincing that marvellous dexterity
in the use of makeshifts which only years of
experience and ingenuity can give Mirrors
were supplied by sheets of tin, buckets of
water-in short, everything that could be
transformed into a reflector. There were
towels, but they were of such diminutiveness
that it was wonder how they could be
nd to1 fN fho fI,o+
only pocket handkerchiefs in a new role.
Combs and brushes were almost entirely dis
pensed with Standing room was not only
at premium-there was absolutely none to
be had-and the man who happened to need
change of costume was obliged to dress
with his feet upon his wardrobe
Glow many men do you suppose make use
of this tent?' was asked of the reporter by
his guide
Fifty, maybe sixty" replied the news
paper man, confidently
Exactly &c.," was the triumphant re-
joinder. ''Here is where they do all their
dressing and the scene you are witnessing
now is repeated every day and evening a
performance is given throughout the sea-
son.
81 should think" ventured the scribe,
oHa1 UuiHSS SeI Dduly uiAeu SOIneGlmeS III
your travels No wonder circus men are
profane and reputed to have touch of i'm
morality" and the reporter sighed as he
thought of the house-cleaning period.
Never have any such trouble. You see
where these 800 trunks are now, ehs Well,
those are the exact positions they have to be
in all the year round If we moved 365 DAYS
in the year there wouldn't be the slightest
change"
'You don't mean this is always the caseg'
hazarded the reporter
''Of course. In big thing like this order
is the first law. The same tent is used; it is
pitched in exactly the same position and
every trunk, box, bowl or what-not has its
own particular place, which, under no cir
cumstances, is changed. This is absolutely
necessary in order to prevent confusion and
loss of property. AS it is, each man can go
into the tent in the dark and pick out his own
property. When the circus moves each ar
ticle is loaded by rule and unpacked with the
same precision. Things go on like clock
work, and there is never any loss or delay. II
wouldn't be the same if there was less red
tepa would tharagn