Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-05-24
PUTTING Up A TENT.
SYSTEM viii WHICH EACH PART
MOVES TO ITS PLACE.

rh" Canvas Circus House Goes rp With n
Celebrity oaly Possible With Trained Men.
livery ono knows Ills Rusiucss, and All
Goes Like Urckwork.
50 skilled Is tho chief canvlSruan Of a
big cinuS that when he arrives ON tho
gnNnud whcN the tents ar to hc pitched
he can tell ut n glance just how tn dispose
ot them, II Is the usual practice tn put up
the mcnaS,rtr and horse tents first This is
generally donc before breakfast Whenever
possible, and then after short rest all
hands turn in, and with u rush up S,Ncs tho
main tent The chief canvaSman of the
biggest ciNuS IN this country is William
Kelley When he dctcrmiucS upon the 10,
cation VI thctrnt he sends for lot VI mon
with iron pins, to some " which ar, ut,
tachcd pieces ot blue flannel and az others
pieces of nd flannel Kelley takes long
tape limo out of his pocket and fixes the
position of his first pole by nd pin
Then he measures oU the required distance
for the second pole and then for the 9th
crS, until the places for all five poles W tho
main tent av fixed,
Next kelley gNCs ~ the end poles, and
with u tape swings half ciNlr beyond
each. At regular Intervals Of about dozen
feet he orders n blue pin stuck in the
ground until both ends of tho tent plan
arr marked Having disposed ut zach end
of tho plan, he quickly passes down the
straight sides, and at the rNQuinl places
has pins placed for each stake to which
the guy ropes arr to I've attached, and In u
few minutes the whole place is thus stakcd
OF Nh the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS nrr IN Kelley \
mcmory, whether the tent hc big or little
Then comes probably the most interest
ing part of putting UP the tent Stalwart
men have boon unloading stout hickory
stakes from the thpr stake wagons, and
these are distributed whcrlharruws over
the grounds, Tho Slcdgc gangs then seize
their tools There awright men In u gang
and niuo gangs to do the work Ono man
IN each gang plungCS n Cruwhar into tho
ground and makes " preparatory hole for
the stake. Tho head Slcdgrmau drives tho
stake in with one Nr two smart blows, and
tho other six gather about in circle,
Then all lift their SlrlgCS, and each In turn
gives tho stake u slight tap, and thus they
catch the swing. Tho next turn around
tho blow falls harder, and hy tho time tho
thild blow Is struck tho whirling slcdEcs
rain down ON the stake with n speed al
most rs fast as ono can count Ono slcdgr
no sooner strikes stake and slips away
than another takes its place. AS they ~
whirling in the air the effect IL like the
arms Of windmill In brisk brrao, and
the sound OF tho blows is like the rattle OF
muskctry, Whom nino gangs AFRO NJ work
ut once tho sight Is confusing, and ono
Ia, a.
other heads OIL.
Tho stake itself goes plunging down In,
to tho turf in " scrIcSof quick jumps Ono
can SEQ it jump, but II mover has u rest,
On tho average It takes about 30 seconds
To drive each stake home and In n few
minutes the whole 26O stakes required for
the main tent are in the ground. Opposite
each main pole extra stakes nrr driven,
and then the ground Is clcnTd, Tho work
men carry in on their shoulders tho five DO
foot poles and place them near their prop
or locations. Then - quarter poles, each
81 feet long, arc carried in and arranged
in line With their upper ends fronting out
ward Then ~ shorter quarter poles nrc
brought in and arranged In the same way,
but farther away from the main poles 1t
rvuulcs n LOT of unloading, but the wng.
ons have been driven 10 places within easy
roach, and every economy IN space and
time is studied
Two short stakes are then driven at the
foot of each main pole for bearers, against
which it is to rise, and with ropes attached
each big polo Is pulled To u perpendicular
and made fast \ wood or iron ring has
been slipped over til" foot Of the pole he
fore il Is drawn 10 the upright position
The ground now sruns Il confused mass
of poles and stakes Kelley goes Tho round,
and then II raid Is mHtlc on the three can
vas wagons, Six or eight men curry on
their shoulders II big roll, and hy It's np.
prarAncc Kelley or one Of his assistants
knows exactly whore 1t belongs Tho men
stupEcr along until they hcnr thu words
Drop II. and then II falls "a tho ground
A dozen or III men seize IL, unfold 1T aud
shake il out. Tho two curying end pieces
ARE straiRhlencd out, and then the four
pieces that cross from one side To- the other
are brought uut and placed on The ground
The polea always protmdc through the tent
where two sections Join The tent being
laid ont on tho ground, the pieces arc Joined
to the hood, aluut the standing poles, and
then the sections ara lncrd together hy n
SERIES of short loops that linl, one into the
other Half II dozen men gather under the
canvas at each pole To do the pulling, and
the ltat II the men ran "a the edge OF the
tent They race around and shove 100
small side poles about IL feet tall under
the edge of the tent and slip their tops in
the holes made for them Thcsc are the
little poles NJ the very edge ui the tent
At signal the urn rnisC the edge Of the