The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-09-22
RUNNING A TENT SHOW.
WHAT 1T COSTS TO KEEP UP A
CIRCUS IN THE SEASON.
A Heavy Expenditure Before a Cent
Comes In-What the Money is
Paid Ont For

Paid Out For.
Few have any idea of the executive
ability required to run even a moderately
large railroad show. All reputable cir
cuscs now travel by rail, and many pro-
prietors own their own rolling-stock.
They not only give transportation to an
army of men and horses, but bed and
shelter them also. The first thing is to
lay out route into Islands" of from one
day to week according as the town to
he visited is n ssS2 600 town. y n "S12.-
600 or SO, 900 town" Then the first
advertising car goes out. With it or
just ahead goes the advance agent and
the press agent, who makes contracts
with newspapers and prepares the way
for the advertising car to follow. Some
night the bill boards blossom out with
fresh wall paper, and at the same time
lithographic hangers adorn numerous
store windows. Barnum has six cars
with thirty men to a car, following one
another at intervals to renew the bills
and keep things warm, for rival circuses
have way of tearing down and cover
ing up each others paper in samall towns
in manner which exacts vigilant work.
When a circus train rolls into town
the cars containing the performers are
side-tracked, but the flats carrying the
property wagons and cages are, into po-
sition for immediate removal A long
pair of skids are placed at each end of
the line of fats and the spaces between
the cars are bridged by smaller pairs. In
loading, the material is so arranged that
the first thing needed will be the first
to. come off. The wagons being towed
along the top of the cars, are taken down
the incline with the brakes down, where
one or two teams, the animals having their
tails doneup in burlaps to avoid having
them worn off or eaten, are in readiness
to be hitched to the wagon, when it is
whisked off to the grounds. During this
part of the programme the ''razor-
backs" as the trainmen are called, are
obliged to hustle, but they have an easy
time when the others are at work.
The spectacle of the great fabric Of
spars and canvas going up in the course
of an hour or two is something worth
witnessing. After the preliminary
measuring man steps around and indi-
Gates where stakes are to be driven by
planting little wires tufted with red. Inn
mediately in his wake comes a man with
a stake, and with him group of drivers,
who range themselves about it, each COM
mencingSA regular swing with big iron
maui. / hey follow each other with blows
so closely that it almost looks as though
a continuous stream of iron were striking
the stake, which is sent into the ground
with steady motion, as if from an even
pressure, and not succession of blows.
1t takes forty-fve seconds to drive a
stake and to accomplish what would wind
an ordinary man. While one is puZzling
himself how the tent is going to be put
up the great eXpanse of canvas which
has been unrolled on the ground COM
mences to rise in the center, and flattens
out as the guy ropes are made fast to the
outside stakes. The roof is further braced
by wall poles, which have previously been
laid under the canvas Then the walls
go up, and the tent assumes recognizable
shape. Expert canvasmen receive $50
to $50 rer month and board, and bosses
lone Tor each tent 800 to 5000 per
month.
Meanwhile the ordinary actors, side
show freaks, fakirs, candy butchers, and
others have crawled out from their quar-
ters in some old worn-out coach to suit
their purposes. 1t has rows of hunks on
either side, four deep instead of two as
usual in sleepers. Calico curtains adorn
the front of the hunks, which are rarely
drawn, as seclusion goes at heavy dis
count. The higher-priced performers
travel in somewhat better style.
The common herd always eat at the
mess tent, and frequently the better class
of actors in places where hotel accomda-
tions are not the best.
All contracts call for board and trans
portation. Trainmen get $2j per month;
teamsters $40; animal attendants, $l5
per week or less; "lion tanners" so per
week; ring performers, $2j to $500 per
week; female trapeze performers, $3.50
to $3.50 per week, according to reputa-
ton; riders, male and female, $40 to
so per week, unless they have National
reputation or own their own stock, which
is frequently the case, when these prices
are increased according to the value and
number of horses. These figures were
given by Snowman, who may have
stretched them somewhat for the glory
of the profession, and they are for the
common run of performers, having no
reference to stars, whose salaries are
regulated by competition among man
ayers.
1t is to be remembered that these sala-
ries do not last the year round, though
the people usually make dates with
variety theatres or dime museums, or go
South during the winters. Performers
are required to furnish their own cos
tunes and properties. though the super
has his supplied by the manager. Circus
men, like actors have a cold Dlooded
way of lying about their salaries. 1t is
believed to be to the interest of per-
former and manager to do this, and the
habit has much to do with the mislead-
ing glamor thrown around show life.
This professional fiction is frequently
backed up by dummy contracts, which
are ornamentcd with generous figures,
and are flashed upol the innocent upon
the slightest provocation. Inter OceaA.