Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-08-03
copyrighted 10 $ by the Author

the custom of would-be humOrists to crack
their more or less feeble Jokes on the al
legged American admiration of quality as
distinct from quality, aud We ara told that
in order to obtain recognition Ia this coun-
try even n waterfall must be the biggest
in the world and 4 snow the grear est on
earth. Like most ill-n4tured criticisms
this contains a spice OF truth, PERHAPS but
upon nothing can it be more truthfully
passed than OF the molern circus. L.
re tliy does seem Is Though size aui vast
ness were the chief objects OF the circus
nj iuagcrs thought and il IS the number
OF his performers, the area of his ten1S
ana the length OF hi, specill tralns tlar lie
most loves to dilate upon, giving to the
skill Of his perform 3rs an1 the excellence
OF the entertainment provided by them
the second place or eliminating it, like
useless quantity, altogether from his cal
culations. Certainly NJ other country in the
world can offer organizations which com
pare with any of the leading circnses now
travelling through America in the nun
Der of people employed, of horses used
either for ring or transportation purpo 3es,
in the size of tents erected or in the vtlne
aud extent of the menagerie which forms
the usual adjunct nova days of the ciicus
both here and in Europe.
1t is not ten years ago since A writer on
the circus and circus life in England men
toned with u kind of holy awe that an
American organization mad mo less than
three elephants" To-day both Barnum
and Forepaugh have each herd OF fifty
or more of these gigantic beasts and think
nothing of it. Twenty years ago Il she "
i'll this country which took $500 in admls-
sion es at both afternoon and evening
| performances together was thought to be
doing royalty we'll, while to-day the larger
affairs must make at least 10 times that
amount every "A hours or lose money.
That they are able to do so is due, of
course, in the first place, to the enormous
increase in population, in the West espec-
tally, and in the second place to the disap
| DearAnce from sight of the scores of third
and fourth rate circus prOprictors, who
used to perambulate the country, each Sc
| curing his int1nlte5imai share of the peo-
pies quarters.
| 1t was the season OF 1869 which is even
now referred to by old showmen with a
shudder, which Knocked a majority of the
small affairs out of existence. From early
spring until late fall the whole country
suffered under continuous down pours of
rain until, in the more unsettled regions,
the roads became quagmires and travel
ing was impossible even for light
vehicles and much more so for
the heavily laden circus wagons.
Out of thirty or more we'll known organi-
cations which gaily started out only six
managed to weather the financial and
pluvial storms. These six including the
| European, George Bailey's and StCne 8,
| Murray's which latter was until the up
springing of FOrepaugh and the entrance
of Barnum into the circus business, the
| leading establishment in America. George
| Bailey is stu living IN New York. He
was only the Junior por,uer in The she y
which bore his name. his associates being
Avery SuJu and old Juhu !. NAtnans,
who were also DHrtuers with GeOrEe barn
well in the Eurone1n circus wn!Ch boosted
of 125 persons and l3i horaes IN its compJ-
sitiOn, with Frank Pastor d5 principal
| rider.
Circus prOprietors to-day have altered in
rs great a degree, perhaps, as the shows
they control, but in a totally different di-
rection. As the circus 1t elf has swollen
to ten times its for mer dimensions, 50 the
ownrs have lost the old time swag
ger, pomposity and fighting tendency and
have become keen, cool, well-dreSsed and
quiet men of business, Some few of the
Old-timers still remain, preserving to al
extent the Evolutionary characteristics oil
the craft. Old Adam Forepaugh for IN
stance, is rs bluff and out5poken rs can be
while to big, gaunt John Doris has beer
transferred the nick name of "Fighing
john" which was formerly the property
of one of the Robinsons. Bailey, Barnum':
partner, though, is a small, keen
of affairs, while good-looking j
l.. Hutchinson, now living IL
luxurious retirement in New York, might
be taken for successful lawyer rather
than circus man The benign placidlty
and earnest philanthropy of the onl.
Barnum need not be dilated upon
have mentioned the huge sum neces
sary to be taken in the way of receipt
every day before modern circus proprie
tor can strike satisfactory balance an'
at first glance it seems almost incredible
that any one amusement enterprise should
, be subject to such outgOingS as this wOul
imply. | have, howe ver taken pains t.
form close estimate of the daily expense
of Barnum and Bailey's, or Forepaugh'
! shows. and it IS easy to see where the mon
8 ey goes Altogether each of these organ
r iZatiOns employs between five and 81!
hundred men at least. though the truth
! full advance agents will add to this an e2
= ira two or three hundred These peopl
are divided into the following classes
= Features" aa the performers who's
S names appear in the autographed bin
. and minor ring performers, 10, ordinar
s riders and drivers, 40; stable grooms an
l. drivers, 100; animal keepers, 25 canvas
6 men, IS; cooks and camp keepers, p
. property men and mStresseS, 20 mu!
cum people, 80; traln-men, 40 band, 4
Nearly three hundred horses, forty or ii II
q elephants and about fifty cages of vii
g animals, besides camels zehras and Otht
IA animals which are driven in the paraC
It are included.
n The wages of these people of course var
10 greatly, the scale ranging from $40 To g.,
week, the latter salary being Comman
=. ed by Charles w. Fish who is proOaO
i the foremost bare-backed jockey in Il
a world. Trapeze performers and acroba
5 generally form themselves into "famllie,
1t of three or four aud draw anywhere fro
If 500 to 300 "A week between them, thoul
such single performers rs Zazsl and OF
[. ers of equal fame get from $50 to 81
n apiece, the latter's salary having been I
4 ceved by the famous Lulu" when Mt Il
-. height of her or rather his fame. Acr
W bats when they are especially clever ave
ne age from SIS to 800 week apiece al
IN work hard for the money for they not Oh
it appear in several Facts" during the pt
@, Torrance, but take part in the grand e
H. tree and the general wind-up of some
sauting. The salaries of clowns have II
kept pace with those of other performer
for the clown to-day il not an especial
clever or important being. There are sol
of of them such as Conrad who Is also
vn animal trainer of exceptional skill a
Billy Madden, who take their SIS and n