The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-01-06
HOWA CIRCUS Is RUN.

The "Gcneral" ofthe show.-studyins tie
Routo.-Thc Army Of Employees.
From the New York Herald.
Each circus has itsgcneral. Talk to
him of any city or town in the coun.
try. and the thought Immediately &C.
- to him: "Ah, yes; u town of &c.
900, $4,000, $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 inhabi.
tants, and he is acquainted thorough
ly with the railroad and other facili-
ties orgettinginto fireplace. Hemaps
out the route at the beginning of tho
season, Of course changing it rs much
us possible every yeaS There arc
twenty-four advance agents, who
follow each other in regular ro-
tation. They look after tho ad-
vertising, tho provender for tho ami
mails, the lodgings, and contracts Of
various kinds. These agents are pro-
vided with checks. They gives checks
on the show for the amounts con-
tractcd 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 swindlcd,
but it never refuses to honor q check,
"to keep up the credit OF the circus"
Not one OF the great exchanges in New
York is better posted as to tho none
tary condition of any town or city
than the managers OF the circus. Tho
circus managers well know it is useless
going into IL place where there is much
commercial depression. The character
istics of u town are studied before go.
ing into it. For instance, it is known
when the miners of Pittsburg are paid
of, and right on top of the event, comes
the "show." It very rarely happens
that q miscalculation is made, but il
money is lost anywhere that place is
given a wide berth next season.
The weather too, is watched almost
ascarefully asst is by the sisnal-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 it is extremely cold
in the north the circus is enjoying the
warmth of the south and the dollars
ofthe genial southerners. When it be-
comes too hot in the south then it
wends itsway in theopposite direction.
Moreover, it never attempts to com.
pete with cheaper entertainment. II
Barnum is billed for Maryville, Miss,
and 25 cent show gets ahead of it tho
big circus passes on. Tho general
knows, too, how long it is profitable
to stay i'll town.
The army OF employees is divided
into five divisions-thep performers, the
ring attendants, the stable and menag.
eric attendants, the trainmen lin cir
Gus parlance "razor-backs"), and tho
canvasmen. Tho canvasmen number
200 out of 7OO-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
ioreverything and everybody. Indeed,
the trainmen could load the train al
most blindfolded, the arrangements arc
SO precise, and have been SO long in
smoothworking order. The canvas
men are the first to be packed of.
They touch nothing until the teamsters
have arrived on the ground with the
canvas, and then, when the tent is up,
they sit down and just watch the others
"doing their Bit" So it is with the
trainmen when they have loaded or n.
loaded the cars they willnotput hand
to anything else, and perhaps if they
did they would be only in the way.
Every employee has a special duty to
perform and does not consider himself
engaged for anything outside of that.