The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-07
The Route OF O Circus.

on en- csfTess train which WIS dsshiaS
along the iron rails toward Now York,
James a. Bailey, of tho Barnum Shou,
said to reporter OF tho Tribune: "Tho
public, as it watches the tour Of great
circus through the States, has little
knowledge of the immense amount of
planning which manager must do to
arrange the route which mis- chow ia TO
follow during the Summer. There are
some people who have on idea that all
VIC have to do 10 to make out q list of
available cities and send out our advance
agents to do the advertising. This 10
just where they make q great miatake.
Inc fact 10, it requires as much ability to
lay out q Well.payipg route for seasons
s@hi6ition 80 ii does 10 organize the show.
itself. That statement sounds oddly, /
know, MI: il IL trt,a. There are many
things to be taken into consideration.
In the first place, only those towns must
oe visited which can be relied upon to
bill your tents. There are hundreds Of
cities i'll this country which have a large
population but would not prove to be
good show townp,' should We pay them
? visit; How do know this? A long.
headed manager must keep himself pos.
ted upon the financial condition of every
section Of the country in which his chow
Is TO travel. He must know how tho
crops are likely 10 turn out in Illinois,
what the condition is of the mining iu.
teresta in Pennsylvania, and manufactuP.
ing industries in New England, aud the
agricultural productions of the Middle
and Southern States. AS it would be
folly for him to take his show to q city
IN which there had been within q year q
long strike among workingmen by which
the amount of surplus money had been
seriously reduced, the manager must 30
lay out his route as to avoid that city,
even though 1t might be on the direct
line of travel. To do this often requires
very long run between one exhibition
town and the next; but 1t is better to
follow out such plan than to run the
risk Of failure.
when, after mature deliberation, it
has been decided what route the circus
will take the following season, agents
are sent 10 visit the cities in which we are
70 exhibit, to make the necessary arrange.
~eat6. Gho agent sccurca the grounds,
and makes contracts with butchers and
grocers, and Others for supplies; another
plans excursione and makes contracts
with the railroads for transportation.
folloWlng these agents are the ADVERT.
sing cars, which in our own show are five
in number. When at length the circus
arrives at city in which an exhibition
is to be given, everything is in readiness
for its reception. The bills contracted
during our stay are all paid before we
leave that night. The route which tbs
Barnum Show is to take next season 10
oil laid out now. I can tell you just
where we shall be on any day you may
name.
"The show business, like many Others
| might mention, has become o science.
There is some difference between the
haphazard vay the circuees used to be
dragged over country roads by spawned
horses twenty yeas ago and the present
Systematic express train arrangement
which whirls them across one State into
another in single night. Now instead
of one tent capable Of seating 1000 peo.
pie, we have three, the seating capacity
of which is more than $1,000. Yes, the
days of the old road shows are numbered.
One by one they disappear from their
old haunts. Soon the last one will have
housed its golden chariot and struck its
tent forever"