The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-22
BARNUM ON HIS HOBBY
he Tells All About His Remarkable Cir
Gus Experience.
The American Ring Enciroies Crea-
ton. and the Circus Is the
Secret OF National
Happiness.

has been lcSartDtU. pf1t " tuat ht - WV
animal that laughs Some n has aid
i'm reply TO this that there are other ami
mails tina, laugh. But. strictly speaking,
this is probably not true. The hycna's
laugh. AT any rate, is not hilarious, nor is
the parrot's imitation Of laughter any
tbinr-,xcept in form-likc the genuine
article.
IL is a valid plea for amusement for en-
joymcnt and laughter To say that all ma
lions nave provided for these things. The
Grecian and Roman games are as famous
as anything else we know Of in Grecian
and Roman history, and the unburied
walls of Pompcii reveal to modern eyes
the placards of theatrical and public
shows. In Rome, in time Of public
clamor, the appeal for bread, as the Latin
motto shows, was coupled with that for
amuscments, asi IL were on an equal
iy with. and as necessary as the other.
think IL will he found true that in any
nation where a genuine love of amusc-
ment prevails. and where wholesome and
rational amnsemcnts ~fiaurisli. you will
find a peaceful government and a people
tina is c~ontentcd. l believe that II the
car Of Russia should organize monster
shows and brilliant spectaclcs all over his
empire. he would Ia some extent mitigate
the brooding sorrow Of his people. I do
not mean that joy can take the place of
justice; or that injustice should have even
dispensing wrong should see, ! think,
that some mitigation of il could he had by
promoting gaiety and pleasure.
The growth Of the public show in this
country arose from quite primitive begin
nings. Fifty years and more Y the per-
forming bear or single elephant was
enough tn draw a crowd. The elephant
when he was "A show by himself was
driven around from place Ia place
i'm country towns. II was the habit To
take him by night as much as possible,
and when he went along the country
roads 10y day he was closely blankcted.
lie was generally exhibited in "A barn for
a small fee; and as soon as the eyes of
the crowd were satisfied the doors were
closed, and the next morning the trainer
and keeper, with an assistant, drove him
ON TO another town Ia repeat tho exhibi-
ton.
BY degrees certain other attractions
were joined la the exhibition of the ele-
phant. There were ventriloqual perform
anccs. sleight-of-hand tricks, "A little
magic. and finally the large tent. circus.
rider. street procession, and clown.
But the stock ci Gus, ms IL used 10 he,
with n m~enagerie, ar n few animals added
later-cvcrybody II now familiar with,
The change which has come over IL now
Is that of enlargement and publication.
And there was necd of this, for the old.
time clown was sometimes "A very coarse
parsonage in public, and in this potter
day will not he tolerated. But he
was the teller Of some good
jokes, substracting the particu-
lar quality mentioned, which were
worthy If a laugh. He was always a pun
ster and "A player upon words. The ring
master represented authority, with gem
tlemanly dullncss, while the clown was
as witty and obscqnious as the "king's
Fool"
shall never forget how. as a boy, | en-
joycd, at the first circus | attended, many
of the antcdlluvian jokes of this last per-
sonage. The following now very aged
chestnut opened my minds eye then to
the queerncss of our language, and may
bc given as one sample. The ringmaster
said TO the clown: Your coat, sir, is
very short" 81 know IT," said the clown,
but il will be very long before ] get an
other" Across onc narrow ring all the
badinage OF these two characters could
be easily heard. but now.a s the circus of
to-day il arranged. conversation OF any
kind il not either possible ar desirable.
What struck me most while abroad, with
reference To the public shows that pre-
vail ia England and on the continent, was
the fact that they are Tor the most part
small affairs. In fact they seemed To me
Ia hc rel etiiions and n productions OF
those we have left behind. in America.
long ago. There il one show in England
which. perhaps, merits "A better d.scrip-
ton than this; hut the remark applies
very well To nearly all the shows and cir.
cuscs in Europe. Then, too, they are not
as "A general thing patronized so much by
the higher ana wcalthicr classes AS the
best circuscs here. The price Of admis-
sion in England ranges from six pence Ia
three shillings aud four shillings, but the
more expensive seats are in slight de-
maud. i think the circus and show i'm
Germany and France are generally more
refined than those IN England. Ii is said.
though. that In some countries especially
in France. there are q pair q clowns who
are husband aud wife, which gives room
Tor situations that are. perhaps, more in
accordance with French aud continental
taste than with our
But none OF the performers in cirruses
abroad command the high prices which
are given by my greatest show ON earth,
The hest get only from fO Ia r3D per
week. while we give many times those
prices. For this reason whenever we hear
of a rare performer in Europe, We can So
curc him ar her against all competition
there. When one of my agents is on th,
search for circus actors and for curiosi
ties, the showmcu there beg us not t.
take everything.
On one occasion, when | wanted 10 pro.
cure a number of bighly-trained black
ponies, the owner of them, who was q
French Snowman. said Ia the agent: "lou
cant break up my show, for my wife, m.
two IONS and my daughter are among m,
performers. and you can't hire them
Nor can you buy the black ponies. Tor the,
are mine, too" Bot said the agent
you will sell the horses AT some price"
"No, i won't, either"
"Why, yes you will. al some price
"Of course, at some price. You car
have them" he said, triumphantly, "foI
S9O,OOO.'
.Ill take them said the agent.
40, you don't mean il! You will brcal
up my show
" - - II