New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-12
p. T. BARNUMS SUCCESSOR.
]. A. BAILEY THE MAN WHO NOW RULES THE
CIRCUS WORLD.

J. A. BAILEY THE MAN WHO NOW RULES THE
CIRCUS WORLD.
Barnum is dead but the fear Of the little ones that
the glorles and mysteries of the circus are over are
groundless. The circus like the war, must go on
James A. Bailey the managing partner of tho late rIn
Of Barnum &C. Bailey will fight it through MI baiey
in fact, has been managing the show ior
the last four years, with absolute control Mr. baey
Is a thorough master Of the show business having
been bred to the profession. He was born IN De
troit in 1647. His parents were welFto-do' his
father died when he about six years DID, ana MS
mother afterward leaving three boys Oh whom
Mr. Bailey was the eldest. The man who was ap
pointed his guardian took him In his family, giving the
young boy all the drudgery but OF the comforts OF
home. He would be kept at home doing chores IN
the morning until he late at school, The schooi-
master would whip the tardy scholar ana keep MN In
after school, This would make his return nome 700
late for the evening work and he would get thrashed al
the other end Of the line.
This see-saw arrangement was more than young
Bailey could stand so one fine morning he calmly
walked away down the first road that led out INTO inc
country. His journey brought him TO a farm a rev
miles from Pontiac Mich, where he got JOB at the
prncely salary of $3 so month. He bound up inc
sheaves Of grain behind the reapers, trimmed te es
felled by the woodmen, and worked from morning tih
night.
The severity Of the work caused the boy to weary Of
his toh en- when the billposting wagon Of Robinson
Lakes circus came along he turned in and helped Doll
paste The men liked him and he got place and
start in the show business. He worked MS way up ~
the circus world until the war broke up the business
Then he got the place Of head usher and general
factotum in a Nashville theatre One night "heh Tile
late Barrett playing TO cro"ueu mousse
A. II. Green an Army suter, came In and asked the
young usher to get him seat The seat was obtained
with difficulty Mr. Green offered young Bailey O %
hill and nearly fell ont Of his chair when 1t was re-
fused Bailey was then drawing $15 week sala5 ana
paving S12 Of it for board and the lower oerth Ill
double decked hotel cot
Mr. Green made UP his mind that an usher who re-
fused to be tipped would make good clerk SO ne en-
gagged Mr. Bailey as suffers clerk at $50 month IN
this line of business he went with shermans army TOM
Chattanooga to Atlanta When Sherman cut loose from
his base the young clerk went back TO Louisville,
then up TO Cincinnati, and there fell among ms olo
elrcus friends and went back to the old business as
assistant agent for Lakes circus at $50 month,
though Green had offered him $50 TO stay with MIN:
In 1860 Lake killed aud his widow sofa out
the show After short season Of idleness the young
circus agent for that was his last oihclsi posuOn.
Stands etc~of Hemmings, Cooper whitaeld's circus
lie soon did such valuable work as sort OF amateur
aE,yee s and attending to the advertising But there
was more money in red lemonade than In advertising
to agree and the former started to go 70 Neworleans
TO take charge OF stranded show In the Interest OF
honisyille to tell Cooper what big thing he had, and
that far-seeing Snowman npped the dangeIO9 us
rival IN the bud by giving him quarter interest IN
his own show Hemmlng Bought out, Whitfield
had been shot, the firm Of Cooper g. Bailey "a, was
thus launched in 1873. This firm subsequently ooughs
out the London Circus, and went TO Australia ana
around the world. .,
Coming back to this country they showed for the
first time a baby elephant, and declared war on the
Barnnm circus following 1t from city to city. In
bridgeport, Barnums own town, they took S3 to his
Al At the end of the Ombinaton was
formed and the year 1881 saw big change IN the
circus business The combined circus, OF which Bar
NATL. e. Int
to do an enormous business. -,
In 1885 Mr. Bailey withdrew on account OF sick
ness but I'm 1887 he bought out all Barnums partners
and since that time has had undlsputed sway under
the articles OF partnership