Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-01-24
THE RIVAL CIRCUS AGENTS.
A Bill-Poster's Experience with Two Competing Great Moral shows.
Indianapolis NewSl

Indianapolis News
 Down on Virginia avenue is a stretch of high fence, 100 feet long or more flaming with tri-colOred posters telling of the mar vicious things that may be seen at a circLs which will soon pitch it's tent in this ci:y. An old bill-pOster stood before the sign board this morning. It reminds me. he said. of my experience with two circus agents in an Illinois town some years ago. l was the city bill-pOsier. and owned all the sign boards and advantageous sites for posting. More than that, was the only bill-pOster in the town. One night there was loud knocking at my door. and upon answering it at first thought that stranger had mistaken my house for the doctors, for he was out of breath and talked very rapidly. l soon learned his mission, however, for he said: Excuse me for arousing you at an unseemly hour. but it's a matter of necessity. am the advance agent of F.'s circus. l want to engage every inch of available space of advertising space that you command. E. s agent came on the same train with me. and suppose will be here in live minutes We show on the 10th. they on the 1lth. Now name your price
 "'First come. first served, l told him. and, as he said money was no object. l agreed to stick his posters on every board had the next day at double my usual price and a pocketful of tickets to the show. l didn't get Co bed that night at all. for the first agent hadn't turned the corner when the representative of B. s great moral show brought me Co the door again by loud knocking l told him he was too late. that F. had engaged all my space. But l must Dc posted fl paint the sky with my bills. and you must md something to stick them to- l happened 10 think of several vacant lots in promi- nent parts of the town. and before morn ing the agent and l had awakened the owners and obtained the exclusive right of erecting boards on the lots All the next day I spent in fairly covering the town with paper advertising F. s show. Mean time had high fences built all around the vacant lots, and the second day l spent in artistically daubing them for B. s benefit The town began to take an interest in the rival circuses. Every show window and half of thc private houses displayed hand bills of one or the other Circuses Business began 10 flourish. l bought SD much lumber for new sign boards that the price ran up.
 Excitement became SO general that the town council took the matter up. and was granted the privilege of putting up posters in the court house yard. divided the space between the two shows. Finally the agents had a second story added 10 each prominent sign, and even lanterns welt hung out at night to make all the posters legihle. F. bribcd the janitor of the cour' house 10 display a streamer from the dome. and B. succeeded in having his col~rs displayed from the steeples of two piUminent churches F. plastered tha roof of the railroad station with giraiTeS and ZooloOs, and B. rented a residence. which he caused to dazzle with pictures of the alligator and the Circassian woman By the time the rrst circus was due there seemed tO be nothing in the bill-poSting line that had not been done The very air was thick with the odor of colored inks and paints. But there was one great closing act The morning of the 10th-F's day-was just the kind of day for a big crowd; but for some unaccountable reason the country people didn't show up very numcrously One who came told why. He aid that a few miles out on every road leading 10 town arches had been built across the roads. and on them hung these words. The circus has been pOstnOned until to- morrow the llth The tiger and the Zro- loos have broken loose; look out for your children and cattle.
 F. was SO mad over the meanneSs Of his rival that he actually postponed his show until the next day. when the people came by thousands. There were enough people 10 fill both tents. and before mora ing the crowds of both shows commingled in one fraternal drunk