The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-06-13

Almost everybody has seen one of tn,
big shows of the day, but how few know
that these huge machines require as mucl
administrative and executive talent in it:
direction as an army in the field. AnC
armies they really are. The long torch
light professions scarcely give an idea Of
their magnitude. Season after season the
average number of persons employed by
one circus company is 700. Some of the
militia regiments turn out only half that
and what show two regiments make
The circus season lasts from the beginning
of March till the latter part of November
and in the meantime less than one-half the
full strength is retained on the salary list
The agents and heads of departments mus
be kept, and also the keepers and trainer;
of the animals. The performers are en-
gagged for two seasons--that is, for two
years In the winter time they may take
engagements in Europe or in the variety
theatres of the cities and towns of this
continent, sure of regular employment in
the big circus when the spring begins.
u S5CuSAobAOn ClICuS MOulu DIdNCi
from town to town by the road, like Mrs.
Jarleys wax-works Nowadays the rail
way transports it swiftly from place to
place. But some circuses are much too
unwieldy for even the best appointed rail-
ways, and therefore have their own rolling
stock. One circus has eighty-two railway
cars specially adapted to the conveyance Of
the various parts of the show. There are
cars specially constructed for the elephants,
tigers and other beasts. The cars are even
built "by the circus" The wheels only
and axletrees are made elsewhere The
locomotive power is furnished by the rail
road over which the caravan passes. The
most powerful engines are required for the
work, but it has happened once or twice
that the railroad people have underestimate
ed the draft and put on comparatively light
locomotives, resulting in delay and mon
etary loss to the circus
Each circus has its general Talk to
him of any city or town in the country,
and the thought Immediately occurs to
him "Ah, yes; town of $4,000, S.
600, $4,000 or $4,000, as the case may
be, profit" He knows almost to unit
the population and how much can be made
out of it. He knows also the character of
the inhabitants, and he is acquainted thor
oughly with the railroad and other facili-
ties for getting into the place He maps
out the route at the beginning of the sea-
son, of course changing it as much as pos
sible every year There are twenty-four
advance agents, who follow each other in
regular rotation. They look after the ad-
yertising, the provender for the animals,
the lodgings, and contracts Of various kinds.
These agents are provided with checks.
They give checks on the show for the
amounts contracted for. The treasurer
takes up and pays the checks so that when
the show arrives it has no trouble in any
direction. 1t has happened few times
that the firm has been swindled, but it
never refuses to honor a check, 'sto keep
up the credit of the circus" Not one OF
the great exchanges is better posted as to
the monetary condition of any town or city
than the managers of the circus. The cir
Gus managers will know it is useless going
into place where there is much CONNER
eial depression. The characteristics of a
town are studied before going into it. For
instance, it is known when the miners of
Pittsburg are paid off, and right on top OF
the event comes the ''show." 1t very
rarely happens that miscalculation is made
but if money is lost anywhere that place is
given wide berth next season.
The weather, too, is watched almost as
carefully as it is by the signal-seryice bu
reau. The circus never goes further west
than Omaha, Kansas City, and st. Paul
Mimi. There is no money outside of those
limits. The great aim of the circus is tc
strike fair weather everywhere. When ii
is extremely cold in the North the circus
is enjoying the warmth of the South, and
the dollars of the genial Southerners. When
it becomes too hot in the South then ii
wends its way in the opposite direction
The army of employees is divided into
five divisions performers, the ring
attendants, the stable and menagerie at
tendants, the trainmen Gin circus parlance
"razor backs and the canvasmen. The
canvasmen number 200 out of 7Q0-a large
number, but not too many to cope with the
huge tent which is put up in the country
On the trains there is special place for
everything and everybody Indeed, the
trainmen could load the train almost blind
folded, the arrangements are so precise,
and have been so long in smooth-working
order. The canvasmen are the first to be
packed off. They touch nothing until the
teamsters have arrived on the new ground
with the canvas, and then when the tent is
UP, they set down and just watch the
others ddoing their bit" So it is with the
trainmen when they have loaded or un-
loaded the cars, they will not put hand
to anything else, and perhaps if they did
they would be only in the way Every
employe has special duty to perform and
does not consider himself engaged for any
thing outside of that
One of the heaviest items in the ex-
penses is the bill for advertising. The
huge colored posters seen everywhere in
the vicinity of the show are costly. The
advertisement bill in the season averages
daily $4,000 Yet the expenditure results
in good return. The salaries vary all the
way from so to $500 week The stars
provide their own costumes and apparatus.
The following are some of the items in
the expense bill of one circus, which will
give an idea of the magnitude of the great
American show:
Seven advertising cars, thirty men on each,
costing 81 900 each per week to run. They
post bills in towns and distribute small bills.
Two hundred canvas men, salary from $50
to $50 per month and board.
Ten "bosses' at 800 to 5000 per month,
beside grooms, hostlers, property men, etc.
Twenty canvas men for the dressing room
tent.
Twenty canvas men for the side-show tent.
Seventy-fve teamsters and drivers, from
$40 to $50 per month.
Forty train men, from Saa to S95 per month.
Animal trainers and attendants, from SIS to
$50 per week.
Circus hands, 81 900 per week.
Wheelwrights, blacksmiths, wardrobe girls,
BARRIERS, and tent-sewers, from $40 to $50 per
week.
The male performers in the ring receive
from 500 to $500 per week; ladies from 500
to $3.50 per week.
Hppodrome male and female Jockeys, from
$50 to S75 per week.
There is a cook tent, with fifty-tve walters,
who serve 2,000 meals daily to the hands.
The agents and performers board at the hotels,
where contracts have been made.