Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-05-08
Showmen Dine in Camp.

hundreds OF CIRCUS MEN ENJOY MEALS UNDER
cANvAs-THE EMPLOYEES OF BARNuMs BIG
CIRCUS AVOID HOTELS AND ARE CARED FOR
BY CONTRACT.
PHILADELPHIA, April 27.-'sThis is one of
Ir Barnum's favorite schemes" said Eddy
lott this afternoon to the Journal repor-
er, as he took seat in the huge dining
pavilion attached to Barnum, Bailey &
Iutcf eson show. called 1.-The Camp"
while man went outside to ring the din
aer bell
The great show is at present exhibiting
here, and the dining pavilion is located
rear the main canvas.
AT these four long tables" continued
Mr. Mott, ''and the shorter one at the end,
there is room to seat $50 men. Then there
S smaller canvas just outside there where
The side show people eat. That will accom-
nodate 100 persons more. They all belong
to the Barnum combination, Just ~ much
as those in here do. That makes 430 in all.
The feeding of all these people who travel
With the show is lot out by the proprietors
10 contractor, Mr.. j. Robbins He feeds
all the men at SO much head They are
to have the best of food, and all thew want,
900. 1t is no small undertaking to feed
these people, travelling rapidly as they do
rom one place to another by rail. Mr.. Rob-
bins has agents out in advance of the show
all the time, buying provisions. I represent
the company here, and it is my business to
keep tally of the number of persons fed
each day. then %. z Mr. Robbins bills,
and they are paid by the treasurer
While Mr.. Mott was saying this hundreds
of men Came in and filed up the tables.
Forty white-aproned walters flew about,
serving out great portions of roast beet,
roast veal and pork and beans The whole
atmosphere was soon ladened with the saw
DRY fumes of hot meats.
There were bushels Of boiled potatoes,
great piles of wheat bread and great
plenty of golden yellow butter The men
could have their choice Of coffee or tea.
and there was bread-and- cream pudding
for dessert.
While they were in the thickest of their
meal the 'human curiosities" composing
the chronological Congress marched in and
went to the cross table at the upper end of
the pavilion. These people usually eat the
same as all the rest, as they are gradually
becoming naturaGzed and civilized. For
long time they gave good deal of trouble.
For example, the singing and dancing
Nautch girls when they first arrived wanted
nothing but fish and rice, with peculiar
beverage made of aromatic herbs in place
OF coffee or tea. They have now admitted
lamb and mutton to their bill Of fare. but
Tor two days of the week only.
The Toda Indians and the Burmese must
clans still insist on having live fishes every
morning for breakfast, and lizard soup at
east once week. The eight hairy Nubian
men use rice, eggs and fish for regular
diet, but require tiger meat occasionally,
which has to be imported from Africa espe-
eially for them. The Afghans also have
thir peculiarities in matter of diet.
MIR. Bailey and Mr. Hutchinson, Mr..
Barnum's partners; Mr.. M. F, Young. the
treasurer; and G.. H. Mclean, the boss
anvasman, entered the pavilion and took
aeats at 8 table to one corner,
'sTheir table is provided lust the same
as all the rest,'' said Mr.. Mott, Except
hat there are napkins, silver-patsd knives
ind forks, etc.
~ he canvas IS perfectly new and water
lght. No matter how hard it may rain the
ground under this canvas will alwa,s be as
dry as bone 1t also keeps out the sun
md the wind, and there is no plsasantsr
place, think, than right here.
The great object in feeding the men
here and giving them the best is to keep
hem together as we 60 from town to town.
If they stopped at hotels, as they still have
right to do if they want to, they would
get scattered and besides, they might get
INTO bad habits and waste their money. AS
tbs, they can and do save their money
and send it home to their families"
''Do the performers eat here, too ?n
mo, they don't; but great many of them
would like to. The company have made a
rule against it for some reason, which I
have no doubt is good one, and the per
formers always board at hotels"
just outside the canvas stood an i'm
mense covered van in which there was
range eight feet long and all the parapher-
MALTA OF first-class hotel kitchen. There
were also numerous outdoor fires over
which enormous iron pots were boiling Two
eolored men were kept busy saving hard
cord-wood for the fires
Mr.. Barnum and his partners don't
have to advertise for regular help,n said
Mr. Mott. GAS soon as the old EMPLOYEES
hear that the show is getting ready to come
out OF winter quarters they all turn up and
ask Tor their old places"