The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-28
BEHIND CIRCUS SCENES.
How 1t Looks in the Dressing Rooms
at Barnum's.
From the Ne1O York Star,

From the Ne,c York Star.
People who go to circus almost invaria-
bly, wish that they could go into the dress
ing rooms and "behind the scenes" They
wonder, whenever they are looking at the
extraordinary things that are going on be-
fore them, what sort of a place it is, and
what the clowns, the acrobats, the riders
and all the other ''Show" people do back
there, how they act and what they say to
each other. If they ever did go there, they
would find that it was a mighty strange
spot, full of funny people and funny hap
penings. That is, they would be funny to
the noyice. They are very commonplace
and not at all out of the way to those tina t
belong there.
A reporter spent two interesting and
amusing hours at the Madison Square Gar
den wandering around the dressing rooms
and the stables, and standing at
that mystic spot, the entrance at
dren ana good many of the grown people
look with longing eyes. just before they
appear the artists stand there, much as
other people would stand, but the moment
they put their feet outside they are trans
formed into beings with waving arms and
hourishes and perpetual smiles, and then
they proceed to accomplish feats that no
ground, sacred to paint and powder and
tights and spangles.
Up In the mems dressing room, which is
at the Fourth avenue and Twenty-sixth
street corner, and which is reached only
after passing through a narrow path, ON
each side of which are huge boxes and bar
rels and traps of every imaginable kind,
and up to flights of wooden stairs, the tum-
blers and clowns were just preparing them
selves to appear in the first act, which that
master of adjectives and capital letters,
Monsieur Tody Hamilton, grandiloquently
describes as "a grand exhibition of som
mersaulting and leaping, together with
many laughable and merry interludes by
the leading champion athletes of the com
bined three circus companies"
There were about sixty of them and thew
were in all states of dress and undress.
They sat on chairs before their trunks, from
which they yanked their costumes hastily
and donned them in a twinkling The
clowns ran before glasses and daubed their
faces with powder, and then they took paint
and made little artistic streaks all through
it. When they finished they looked just as
clowns always have looked and probably al
ways will look, only more SO to the close OBJ
server. They donned overcoats and listers
and shawls and bath robes and anything
that came handy out of their immense col
lections. Then they rushed downstairs
their heeled sandals Gathering loudly as they
went. Where there had been noise and
laughter moment ago was now quietness.
All the trunks were left wide open or I'M
locked. They rarely lose anything because
of this apparent indiscretion. They have
plenty of confidence in each other. Only
three or four remained. Their act would
come later, and, having dressed, they sat
about and talked sedately to each other.
BARRIERS AND BooTBLACKs THERE.
Over one door leading into another room
is sign which tells the circus people that
they can have their boots BACKED for 25c. a
week. and over another is the notice that
the circus barber, who always travels with
the show and shaves the artists in order
that they may not lose time by having to
run to barber shops, will clean their faces at
&C. apiece, which is a very reasonable and
satisfactory price. In other rooms near by
are some Of the costumes, all neatly laid
away in little bundles with the name of
each performer printed on them. Messrs.
Barnum & Bailey own all of the suits
themselves and there is no shoddy among
them That is they own them all with one
exception-the tights. The performers own
these.
Presently the clowns and acrobats came
rushing back with the same clatter and
breathing hard from their exertions. They
jumped for their trunks and began to make
another change, ana tne Laughing ana con-
versation began again
On the floor below is the ladies' dressing
ROOM The reporter couldn't go in there,
but Mr.. Hamilton told him that it was
much the same as the mems.
"Perhaps there is a little more talking,
though he said, with fine knowledge Of
feminine human nature.
DREssMAKERs GO ALONG, TOO.
Mrs. White presides over thirty young
ladies in the costume room. That is where
all the wonderful dresses are made. The
seamstresses and filters travel with the show
all the time, and they are continually busy
making and mending the costumes. The
reporter asked if they didn't sometimes get
overstocked.
ooh, no,n said Mrs. White. I'VE use
the finest material for the costumes, but
there's a good deal Of wear and tear on
them.n
Every man and woman has three cos
TUNES. One is for wet weather, one for dry