Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-19
GREAT SNOWMAN.
]. A. BAILEY, THB CIRCUS NAN, TALKS FOR
THE aREGISTER."
A Chatty Interview on Variety Of Topics in
and Out Of the Amusement
Business.

none the less hard for the active owner
and manager than for the employees
under him, ]. A. Bailey, Of the Barnum
& Bailey circus, showed few OF the
marks of wear and tear, yesterday, as
he sat chatting with a REGISTER man
at the main entrance Of the greatest
show on earth. One Of the most ap-
proachable men on earth, genial, cheer
ful and chatty Mr., Bailey is a good man
to know, and a man to admire once you
have his acquaintance and get an in
sight into his character. A man OF
business in the strictest sense, he can
keep closer watch over the thousand
and one details of g great travelling
show with less apparent effort than,
perhaps, any man in the profession,
for while be appare ntly notices nothing
going on about him, he really observes
everything, and exercises the strlctest
supervision over the great property IN
der his management.
Were getting well on towards the end
Of our season., remarked the great show
man, yesterday. 1--WE 60 from Wheel
ing to Morgantown, then to Clarks-
burg, and close the season at Cumber-
land. Then we 90 straight TO New
York into winter quarters.
What has been the nature Of the
season, from a financial standpoint?
Zone of the wors: In the history OF
the show. At the outset we struck
stretch Of bad weather, and then We
went through New England, sort OF
keeping a few days ahead OF the panic
fer time, but finally 1t caught up with
US. Since then we, like every one else,
have felt the effects Of the business de-
preston, and have not done as well as
usual"
What is the best section Of the
country for your business?"
New England, as rule, for there the
Jumps are shorter, large towns lying
close together. The East generally is
good, but when you go West and South
the large towns grow farther and fer
Their apart, neceSsiJating long runs, and
that hurries us and cuts off our rest for
both men and horses"
What Is the most trying thing in
conducting great CrCus?"
1.-The free pass system. It's greatly
abused. l suppose our free list, averag-
ing the season through, amounts to
seven hundred dollars day, making
quite an item. The whole system is
wrong. As show, we have TO pay for
everything we get, yet about eyeryone
seems TO think they have claim for
free tickets. The larger the city the worse
ii Is. IN city like Chicago, when | get
there, | generally find two or three
hundred letters and receive perhaps a
hundred personal applications besides.
Why, / made mortal enemy OF the
managing editor OF 4 great Chicago
paper be cause refused him a personal
request for hundred and fifty tickets.
Fifty people had as great a claim as be,
and we would have played exclusively
TO dead.heads. | suppose l am as well
known as any man in the amusement
business, aud a simple request from me
would bring any iavors from any man
ager l might wish, but never make
such a request. When ( want TO see an
entertainment l pay my way, like the
general public, realizing from personal
experience the abuses of the free list"
what is the future Of the circus,
Mr.. Bailey?"
"Well, | don't know. There is gen.
eral request among patrons for return
to the old single ring circus, because OF
the Impossibiiity of seeing all that is
now given, but that would be a long
step backward, and if taken would
probably meet with opposition from the
very people suggesting 1t. some
times think that greater circus, made
up OF the very best TO be had, maEnih-
Gently fitted out, upon original ideas,
and combining It's exhibitions TO the
large cities, would be u good thing as a
money! maker. but don't know. There
will likely be changes 10 the future, but
just what they will be can't be pre-
dicted."
'Do you dispose Of much stock on
5oiuR into winter qnarters?'
"No. l have thirty-one horses TO sell,
but l don't know OF anything else. !
am constantly importuned, towards the
end of the season, to sell horses, but /
prefer to take them East. can sell to
better advantage in New York, the
East being a natural horse market. |
lust refused TO sell horse to man,
telling him l guessed I had enough
money to get out Of town on. The ex-
pense OF wintering stock is consider
able, but ID is one OF the items OF the
business. Last winter carried eighty
six men. not counting mechanics OF
various kinds, through the season. This
year l hope to do with a few less, bat
not many"
Mr.. Bailey Is very proud OF his gorilla,
and several times referred TO the anil
NAL The big monkeys about eight years
old. and its owner thinks il has about
reached its largest growth, although be
confessed he wasn't sure. Mr.. Bailey
related many "reminiscences OF former
circus tours, many OF the events being
we'll worth publication. Referring TO
the Shaffer family now drawing a sal
| ary of $500 a week from the Columbus
Company at the Auditorium Theater, In
Chicago, Mr.. Bailey remarked that he
could have secured them three years
ago for $500 week, but that the law:
OF New York, Pennsylvania and Massa
! chusetts relative to the employment oil
! children on the stage were against him.
so far as showing in the East was con
cerned.
MCKINLEY TONIGHT.