The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-07-31
HOW Is RUN.
The General" of the S~how--Studyfng h
Route-The Array of Employees.

The general" of the show--studyinE the
Route--The Array of Employees.
From the New York Herald.
Each circus has it's general. Talk tc
him OF any city OF town in the coun'
try, and the thought Immediately oc
ours to him: "Ah, yes; a town OF $2,'
900, $4,000, $4,000 or $4,000, as
the case may be, profit" He knows
almost to a unit the population and
how much can be made out OF it. he
knows also thecharacter ofthelnhabl-
tants, and he is acquainted thorough
" with the railroad and other facili-
ties for getting into Replace. Hemaps
out the route at the beginning OF the
season, of course changing it as much
as possible every year. There are
twenty-four advance agents, who
follow each other in regular TO.
tation. They look after the ad-
vertising, the provender for the ami
mails, the lodgings, and contracts OF
various kinds. These agents are pro-
vided with checks. They gives checks
Oh NIlt SIlo" Iol t!S ptIiioulINo Soh-
tracted 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 q few
times that the firm has been swindled,
but it never refuses to honor a check,
''to keep up the credit OF the circus"
Not one OF the great exchanges in New
York is better posted as to the none
tary condition of any town u city
than the managers OF the circus. The
circus managers we'll know it is useless
going into Il place where there is much
commercial depression. Thecharacter-
istics OF a town are stabbed before 60
ing into it. For instance, it is known
when the miners of Pittsburg are paid
off, and right on topofthe event, comes
the ''show.' 1t Very rarely happens
that a miscalculation Is made, bat ii
money is lost anywhere that place is
given a wide berth next season.
The weather too. is watched almost
as carefully asst is by the signal-service
bureau. The circus never goes farther
south that Omaha, Kansas City and
St. Louis, or farther north than st.
Paul, MINI. There is no money out
side OF those limits. The great aim OF
the circus is to strike fair weather
everywhere. When ii is extremely cold
IN the north the circus Is enjoying the
warmth OF the south and the dollars
otthe genial southerners. When it be
ONE too hot in the south then it
wends its way intheopposite direction.
Moreover, 1t never attempts to com
pete with a cheaper entertainment. Ii
Barnum is billed for Maryville, Miss,
and a25cent show gets ahead OF it the
big circus passes on. The general
knows, too, how long it is profitable
to stay in town.
The army OF employees is divided
into five divisions-the performers, the
ring attendants, the stable and
erie attendants. the trainmen lin cir
Gus parlance 'razor-backs"). and the
canvasmen. The canvasmen number
200 out OF TOO-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 Il special place
foreverythlngan and everybody. Indeed,
the trainmen could load the train al
most b~lindfo!ded, the arrangements are
so precise, and have been so long in
woodworking order. The canvas
men are the first to be packed off.
They touchnothinguntilt the teamsters
have arrived on the ground with the
canvas, and then. when the tent is up,
they sitdown and Just watchthe others
"doing their bit" So it is with the
tralnmen when eyhaveloaded Drum
oadedthecarst they willnotp put ahand
to anything else, and perhaps if they
did they would be only in the way.