Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-04-10
HOW CIRCUS PEOPLE LIVE
\ Business in Which There is
Much Hard Work
Peculirities OF Show Employees and Their
Life on the Road. -
Mr. James NJ Nixon than whom no

Hr. James II. Nixon, than whom no
liYineman knows more about circus,
said t. the Cook: There are no peo-
Pc, excepting plansmen the skir-
mlshes over the wild country of the
Nest-who live SO hard>a life as cir
Hs-enployees, both performers and |
working men Their life is not as
hard now, it is true. as it was some |
years ago, excepting with the small |
cohcerDs. They are the 'wagon-shows'
that travel through the small towns.
But even with the big concerns that
travel by train it is hard enough now.
Take the case of awagon- show
that has to travel thirty miles after a
nights performance to get to the next
town, where street. procession is to
be made in the forenoon The work
men, canvasmen, and the like have to
take breallf asst at eleven o'clock at
night. Then they get no meal till af
ter the procession 7say at noon.
Wherever they are the work must be
attended to first, and eating is a second
consideration With the performers =
gymnasts. riders, clowns, and the like
it is not quite SO bad. They get
better pay and better food. AS a rule
they live on the best food there is to
be had where they happen to be, and
they take great deal Of it. Most of
them are great beef eaters, and are
not very particular whether the meat
is cold or hot, so long as it
is good and plenty. They are
very particular however, about clean
illness. | have seen twenty or thirty
of them get up and leave the table be
cause the table-cloth was dirty. And
when they want a meal they want it
an will have it. | have often seen
them leave hotel where they would
have to wat fifteen minutes for din
ner that was paid for, and 60 to a res
taurant where they would have to buy
another. They won't eat unless they
are hungry; but they are always hun
Cry after night performance and
will not 90 to bed without a hearty
supper They say they cant sleep ii
they are empty.
"One thing that is peculiar about
them is that they do not take medi-
cine, and they are remarkably healthy.
When they are out of sorts they diet
themselves, each o-e according to his
own ideas. hut don't think ! ever
saw $50 worth Of medicine around
circus in all the years have been in
the business. Yes, they drink Not
to excess, but nearly all Of them drink
when they feel like it. They never
drink, however. before performing.
They are very careful of themselves.
They have to be or they woulI not
last long.
CAS- matter Of course. with their
irregular habits. tney are III a certain
sense eNtraFagant Theg extrava-
gance, however is mainly in the mat
ter Of eating. Experience teaches
them very soon, if their own sense
does not at first, that they must take
the very best possible care Of them
selves physically, AMI that good eating
is a primary consideration.
There is moveable kitchen now
with every show that travels An
enormous stove is set up on a wagon,
and all the appurtenances are kept
handy. Food is contracted for In
each town ten or fifteen days ahea d
and a, soon rs the show arrives the
kltchen-;cnt is St up and meals are
cooked W for he work people. 7 G
performers ara a little too arI,tocratIc
10 eat there. aat insist On going - the
hotels. but in some parts Of the coun-
try. as every travelling man viii ap-
preciate. they DO not fare 50 well,
There has been IN late years a vast
improvement in all departments of
the travelling circus and II nothing
has this bean more Observable u th -
in the business. than n IT," provisions
made for the health aai conforf q
the employees, \ good chief Cook
=. with = rfre.t1 viii - a. good "A salary