The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-01-09
|BARNUM's WINTER QUARTERS.

II
BARNUM'S WINTER QUARTERS.
g 1t Is doubtful if any of the thousands
who pass Barnum's Winter Quarters and
look at the number of well built and sub.
stantial brick buildings, the large grounds
enclosed by high fence, through which
Ithey can see hundreds OF railroad ears
land wagons, form any definite idea OF
1.-THE large amount of work being done, oil
1.-THE great help which the show is to the
lefty during the Winter, by furnishing
kwork to a large number of mechanics,
'artists and others; also to the merchants
as nearly everything is procured in the
city, or the vast amount of money neces.
ssary to place the Greatest on Earth be-
fore the public; next season, to the de-
Hight of the people who annually look
flor Barnum's show as if there was nc
lother on earth. Certainly it is the great
Fest on earth. No other has yet assumed
ats gigantic proportions and it is impos-
ksible, as each year it grows larger and
has more grandeur.
At the entrance to the quarters, large
ksigns are displayed, refusing admission
to every one and, should any attempt to
enter, the man in charge of the entrance
gates turns outsiders away. But, as the
great Snowman is lenient with the press,
a reporter, through the kindness of Su-
perintendent L. M. Hedges, who has en-
tire charge and upon whom rests the re-
sponsibility of getting everything in
readiness for the opening of the great
show in the Spring, was shown through
the entire place.
i The first building at the entrance is
ithe animal building. 1t is about $50 feet
Hong, divided into large rooms. At the
front end is the office, fitted in fine style.
In private office sat Secretary b. Fish,
who is always busy either paying out
money or making out checks and who,
fduring the Winter, will pay out many
thousands of dollars before the show
leaves its Winter home. A small room
Eadjons the office, in which are the city
Telephone and telegraph Instruments, a
long distance private telephone connect
ing the quarters with their New York Of
sS;fice; also u private fire alarm box. The
5next two rooms are used for storing
wardrobe. Opening another door, we en-
tered large room filled with armor and
swardrobe, at which many men were at
/: work.
The water animal room has a heavy
oak iron-bound pen in one corner for a
huge rhinoceros; also separate pens and
tanks in which seals and sea lions were
amusing themselves. In another, an i'm
mense hippopotamus and many other wa
ter animals. In the monkey room, near
ly every variety could be seen in separ-
ate cages, as happy, apparently, as if in
their native homes. The hay animal
room has pens running the entire length
of the room on both sides, which are fill
sd with all kinds of deer, goats, kanga-
roos and other animals of this class. At
the farther end, a fine giraffe stood in its
pen, his head reaching nearly to the high
ceiling. The cat animal room contains
lions, panthers. tigers, wolves and many
others in Winter cages. All the animals
are in charge of George Conklin, who I'M
derstands their wants and, with his as
sistants, is kept pretty busy all Winter.
Two rooms are used for storage rooms.
In passing over to the car house, one is
obliged to cross so many railroad tracks,
connected with the main Consolidated
tracks by two private switches, you
would imagine you were in large west
ern railroad yard. The long car house is
divided into two apartments, in charge of
j. V. Rose, thoroughly practical rail-
road man, who knows every inch of a car
and how it is built. He is also acquaint-
ed with the workings of nearly every
railroad yard in the United States. A
large number of men were at work TAX
ing the cars apart and repairing them,
which is very important. Any worn or
broken part, no matter how slightly de-
ficient, was taken out and replaced by
new, the best that can be secured, to pre-
vent accidents on the road. Adjoining
this room is a large blacksmith shop, in
which many men were at work on the
iron work. The paint room contained
many cars in the hands of the painters
and gilders. The old paint on all cars is
burned off and re-painted and re-gilded,
in order that they may look as well at
the finish as at the start in the Spring.
When the cars are finished, they are
switched into the car sheds and protect
ed from the weather during the Winter.
As they keep no engines at the Quarters,
the elephants do all the switching of cars
as easily as an engine.
Near the car house is large hay and
grain barn, which was completely filled.
Supt Hedges said that it would last but
a short time and would be filled again
during the Winter.
The ring barn is an immense building.
One apartment is about 200 feet long,
with stalls on either side. The entire
length is used for the stable. This has
a large storage loft overhead.
The practising room is about 80 feet
square, with stalls for horses on all sides !;
also large ring in the center. William
Ducrow and Prof O'Brien, the celebrated
European horse trainer, and number of
assistants we're busy giving some of the
horses their lessons. Nearly all these
horses are new, bought at fabulous
prices and are being broken in and taught
new and wonderful feats for the coming
season. All the baggage horses and the
ring stock, with camels, more than 400
in all, are at present in the country,
where they are kept during the Winter
by different parties. William Smith has
charge Of these and drives to each place