New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-22
HOW A CIRCUS IS RUN.
THE sTRICTEsT DISCIPLINE ENFORCED
PREPARING cosTUMEs-RULEs AND RE'oh"
Toys-A CIRCUS YEARBOOK.

PEEpARING cosTUMEs-RULEs AND RE'ULA'
Toys-A CIRCUS YEARBOOK.
Everything made Of the very finest matern.
This was not a tip' from Baxter-s@
dealer, but the truthful utterance OF the pm .no
press agents as he exhibited the waruroOe " -
- Greatest show on Earth 10 stray ne"spaP', ".
recently. The newspaper writer had wailaeioI CO
the old armory building at Broadway and Ihrt NJ
ST.. and stood amazed among the piles Oh 'iIN1
velvets with glded stars Of varying mae
spancled thereon Three thousand costumes Oh e'e4'
shade and shape waiting the opening Vi "'S r.
season. when they will pour out rom OehHu W
dressing-room curtains in the shining sihiI"' :,
dazzling torrent Of the "triumphal entry Heaps VI
shoes dumped In the corner with as much car
ness as Il they were so many tons Of coal auerHeeu
with pyramids of hats bearing the TRADEMARK vi
weIknown fashionable maker All the Things 'n'''
90 10 make up the SartOr Resartus7 OF tle i"PPC
drome arranged in undulating ranges Vi IT,
mountains while the ruler Of this empire Oh o43
goods. Mrs. White. superintendent OF wardrobe ~
the circus fitted out among the gauzy costumes VI
the bareback riders with a sealskn CLOAK on anu
then back TO the room where she rules the daily NE
Of several score OF needlcwomen who sew s'ar' vi
the robes Of Neros avOrtes and fix up the reiiVs l"
the armor Of bis legionaTTes.
travelling circus is an army Of peace with a lar
more perfect organization and a higher state OF
man has his work 70 do and he does IL without inter-
ferng with any one else Each department has us
head and the command Of its presiding genius IS Ia"'
subject only to an appeal TO the manager OF the
entire show.
When Barnum & Dailey's Circus goes TO and fro
throughout the land with its acres of canvas tons
of properties scores Of animals and hundreds OF
men, the drain upon the treasury is between S''ooo
aid . 900 a day.
Among the powers that be to whom the circus man
looks for his daily sustenance and nightly comfort
ar, the superintendent of transportation snpeFn'end
OF canvas, baggage stock ring stock menaSeFeS'
elephants properties, Nero. wardrobe, etc. etc
The head bill poster. boss hostler, forage agent,
principal doOr-tender. master mechanic, head tcIe,
seller superintendent OF repairs, Is each like the cen
tur.On, a man under Authority having soldiers under
him. to one Of whom he SAYS co. and lie goeth, and
70 another come and he cometh FOR II he Doesn't he
T. liable 70 DC fined weeks pay.
over all the myrmidons OF modern Rome is Imre
Kiraliy, res.duary legatee Of NeTos despotism and
tyranny ruling the miscellaneous collection Of imti-
ton Roman citizens and slaves with administration
Of evcu-hauded justice tempered with fine and dis
m!s,al.
Circus people supposed TO be lawless lot.
given to all kinds Of dissipation and total ignorance
Of the Ten Commandments. Like many other cherished
Illusions. ths idea has little foundation in fact. Mr.
Lacy, the chief law-gver OF the circus world, has
formulated his ideas Of what the perfect circus
should be code Of fortysix rules, which will 20
down into history with the pandccts OF Justnlan
When woud.be member Of the barnum Iiailey shows
signs his for the be has 10 subscribe
a statement sicn.iying Tie inclination of his heart
- keep these laws
80 games, gambling. stealing, fighting. drunken.
rc,s. nor any improper unlawful conduct. VIII be
tolerated. mater when, where. under what cir
cum,tanccs committed, under penalty Of forfeiture
OF 50, or Immediate discharge both option of
| the Manager says section OF the code.
Employees are required 10 dress well, whether
the circus grounds away from them They must
! arise every morning instantly on being called only
once No morning nap allowed there. evidently
The right Of the modern cxtorti0nist the seepngcar
porter 10 levy backmal +, admitted by the circus
authorities IN Rule :, announcing that II is customary
10 pas pJrcrs Of seep.n. small weekly fee for
I.aoIug boots, personal attendance, etc. Men are
required - wash and comb before going 10 meals
coming 10 the table IN shlrteeves Is forbidden per
formers are fined for doing less than their
share Of any act; $40 fine FOR bringing stranger in
at the sascdoor these are few Of the rules Of
daily conduct. The gem u the collection however, Is
Ing aul its allied vices viii not be tolerated In tents
streets. hotels any other place, under pena!y
OF from - $40 mash The final clnuse forbds
with the startling statement OF legal principle, that
b." u,ury Is "a criminal offence
Circus NE ha, IL literature well is laws.
There j, a little publication. dear % the ring and the
|
II l. the Route Book aud Is issued at the close Of
each season. II Is official. being authorized hy MessTs
aruum & Bailey, and opens With their portraits. Last
years book dedicated 10 Colonel W. ID. IIager.
MANAGER OF the BarnuIn Bailey side shows, who must
be- the hero Of the circus world, judging from tho
frequent references to him In the work. The names
all and ftlc circus printed by classes
nom the the side-shOw fcakS,' from the
| luncheon counter to the chandelier department.
The heart If the book l. complete diary or the
crcU, season the Joys and 81 the performers.
the guy frocs and the awful accidents. the uncer-
alnt!cs Of the weather and Tie forage the business
done and the particular success scored az cac place
The vercous chronicle relates how the police IN An
nitJn, Ala, arrested Of the canvas men for pro
fame language. of blue laws in the south, eVl-
dtntly. one Of the Chicago entries announces that
ncNt-dOOr ncchbOr. the hyena, being in posses
81 IL. Ill, with q Nebraska chapter chrOncling the
fact that George Conklin dOciul face on &C
count Of the mother Of the two promising leopard cubs
burning cuuuibal. and eating her two offspring Tor an
.ly breakfast" proves that accidents VIII happen even
| g. the best regulated circus families
little table Of statistics tell, how this immense az
| creation II l.2OO human Icing. 800 horses, $50
wa Inold5 Of materials and animals. and dozen huge
elephants. travelled ll4DO miles In season. glvin;
30, performances without missing one, visiting 1873
| town, and filling sixty nine Three four
PONIES ny the poet OF The ring afford rich contribi-
lions dictionary Of American slang, and this gem
of circus literary work Is brought the end Of It's
| hundred pages.
TO HAVE Public TRIALS OF SHEEP DOGS.