Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-05-27
AN I'LL WIND,
And the Fortune 1t Blew to For
rest Marsh.

Denhard's Roman Circus, Greek Hip
podrome and Oriental Caravan started
out very much handicapped in the
spring. There was a legacy of debt
hanging over it from the previous dis
astrous season, and it had been prophe-
sled that it would never move from its
winter quarters; but it did, contrary to
general prediction.
Bernhard was manager of rare abil-
ity, but circumstances had conspired to
make his past season losing one. The
incoming of the gigantic railroad shows
had eaten up the territory and drawn
the patronage of the crossroads by their
system of excursions to the centers.
He had hesitated to take to the rail
himself when he was able to do So and
had listened to the advice of his prin-
cipal advisers an agent of advanced
years, who had spent lifetime in the
routing of wagon shows. The veteran
of the road could not cave to the newer
method of transportation, and had
hearty contempt for all shows moved
by rail.
So it was that Bernhard adhered to old
methods until he had reduced his bank
account to an alarming condition, and
was barely able to pay off his company
and agents and winter his show. The
manager was now brought to a position
where he must leave the turnpike and
travel by train.
The sale of his surplus stock of horses
and extra wagons helped him out, and
printer, whom he had patronized for
many years, gave him limited margin
of credit. The reader is here put in
possession of all the facts of the un-
favorable circumstances under which
Denhard's tent show started out in the
spring of 1875.
Forrest Marsh, the press agent, was
one of the advance men who remained
in Denhard's employ, not so much from
choice as from necessity No offers for
his services had reached him from other
managers, and, being broke, and, more
than that, in debt he made the best
of things as they were, and remained
under the old banner.
The writer of puffs and hurler of adj
jectives had had experience enough TO
feel shaky about the future of the
show, still he did not worry much about
his foreseen impending fate; he was too
much of Bohemian for that. If he
had a place to sleep and full stomach
he allowed the morrow to take care of
itself and gave no heed to the future.
From the start things did not go well
with Bernhard. The people Of the town
felt little interest in the show from the
fact of its wintering there, and the less
because they knew to the smallest boy
in town that the manager was in tinan,
cial straits. The spring was a late one
and the snow chung to the ground with
no warming sun to melt it, and wher
the thaw did come the breakup of win
ter was brought on by long and heavy
rains. -....
The receipts at the opening were next
TO nothing, and Bernhard looked glum
1t would be tedious to detail the move
ments of the show for the first month
but it moved, but salaries and remit
tances to the printer were omitted
The manager did manage to keep hi
advance corps moving and hold his com
pany together.
When the weather improved othe
causes served to interfere with prosper
fly. The people had seen the great bi!
shows and no longer cared to patroniz'
the more modest outfit; then the rout,
agent had diversified the caliber of hi
show and placed it in several of tn
larger western cities which should hav,
been avoided.
Bernhard saw these errors of judg
ment when the bills came in and tn
local expenses wiped out the receipts
If show has anything unusual happel
to it in the way of misfortune it is
show in distress.
The mishaps were so numerous tina
It was a frequent remark that Their
must be Jonah in the organization
but who the ill-starred individual wa
was never satisfactorily arrived at
In Justice to the advance of the shoy
it must be said that they worked a
hard as men ever worked to create sue
cess. At times they grew faint-hearte
and seemed to realize that the show wa
doomed, but professional pride woul
come to the rescue and the elder of tn
agents would recall seasons of the pas
in which they had under like circuu
stances pulled through and won tn
banner OF victory in the very teeth c
defeat.