The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-22
PUTTING UP A CIRCUS TENT.
SYSTEM AND cELKRITY WIN WHICH
EACH PART MOVES 10 IT'S PLACE


Il takes a small army Of boys to put MP a
circus tent The New YORK small boy hasn't
the privilege Of experimenting this undertak-
ing every year. but the Brooklyn boy has. In
deed. he enjoys an advantage over the small
boy OF every other city where the tents go up.
because In Brooklyn the tents 90 up n week
before the circus arrives. It IL Invariably q
new tent each year and the vorkmen take
their time In adjusting. poles and ropes and
the small urchin never ceases TO have an ex-
cuse for hanging around when the policeman
tries In vain to send him home. Those boys
who arrive at the grounds early in the
morning don't 20 to school until the after
noon, and those that como in the afternoon go
to school In the morning. Those that stay all
day don't go to school at all. because they are
just getting over the measles or because they
expect their little brothers to have humps.
Or because their mothers need them at home
TO do errands. and. therefore. they find 1t
necessary to look after the circus.
In putting up a circus tent the first thing the
workmen learn lie to pay no attention to
crowds. The spaces that the boys don't oc.
cupy the unemployed men all. and frequently
the nurse girls or the anxious mothers help to
| swell the throng. The work len move about
| rs II unconscious OF the presence OF the speo-
| tators. but their eyes are quick and their
| voices strong In time OF danger from fnlln q
| poles. and they can brighton small boy out Of
the way four times as quick as q policeman
can. The urchin holds . circus EN- ployee In
much greater awe than q policeman.
So skilled is the chief canvasman Of 4 big
circus that whom he arrives on the ground
where the tents are to be pitched no can tell
| at a & ance Just how to dispose OF them. In
the Barnum show the practice ia to put up the
| inenagerie and horse tents first. This is usually
done before breakfast whenever possible. and
then after a short rest all hands turn in. and
| with rush up COOS the main tent The chief
TsiIey Whep he dssermines sn unon the Ioca,
| tion OF the tents he sends for u lot OF men with
iron pins. to some Of which are attached pieces
Pocket and Axes the position Of his first pole
| auired distance for the second pole and tn en-
for the others. until the places for all Eve
Next Kelley goes to tbs end poles, and with
atape swings q half circle beyond each. At
ders blue pin stuck in the ground until both
ends OF the tent nSsn ere f., marked aIl HIiUing
luired places has pins placed for each stake
20 WHICH the guy ropes are to be attached. and
ataksd oil. Ali the measurements are in KEEL
ley's memory. whether the tent be big or little.
part on G putting up The tent 0 stalWsrs mem
haze been unloading stout hickory stakes
|
distributed in whee barrows over the grounds.
| Tho sledge gangs then seize their tools. There
the %SrH. One ~ man In each gang pianses
crowb bar into the ground and makes q prepar-
sG n With eS head two Sase
Ole Ole" fssn al III their slsisss and zach in
seS Sand 'iiss ies Tsah ns asF gS.
whirlins siedges rain down on the stake with
aspeed almost as fast as one can count; One
away than another takos It's place. As thet go
whirling In the air the effect Is like thearm Of
the blows il ike the rattle Of musEstrs s When
nine gangs Are at work at one 9nce the sight j.
The stake Itself goes planging Down into the
turf in a series OF quick jumps One . can see
age. it takes about thirty seconds to drive each
stake home and In a few minutes the whole
stakes are, driven. and then the ground e
them near their proper locations, Then TWEEN:
long S' are carried IN and arranged in lin Inc.
with their upper ends fronting outward.
brought In and arranged In the same way. but
further away from the main poles. II requires
driven to places Within easy reach and every
ecT2nomS In space space and tine i studio. studied:
OF each main pole for bearers. against which
It is to rise. and with ropes attached each big
pole is pulled to perpendicular and made fast
A wood or iron ring has been slipped over the
foot ot the, pole before It is drawn to the
upright position.
poles and stakes Kelley goes the round and
then a raid is made on the three canvas wag-
ders a big roll, and by its appearances Kelley or
one OF his assistants knows exactly where It
hear tho words DFOn IL " and then IN falls
the ground. 4 . dozen Or fftesp men seize 4.
other are e, brought out and PLACED on the
ten. being ,isia out ., % he ground lie
arc laced together by 2 series Of short
dozen mon gather under the canvas at each
pole to do the pulling. and the rest OF the men
and shove 100 small side poles bout fifteen feet
tall under the edge OF the tent and slip their
,Ss s' IL the ases 8, made ss 70, These
hta signal the men raise the edge OF the tent.
white hat with the rim turned up. In a little
further the mon dive. and soon they begin to
The men at tho main poles pull up. and slowly
the tent begins to assume shape,
reluisition, and they pull the bases OF the
quarter poles to their place. The guy ropes
which reach from the edge Of the tent TO the
stakes tighten and soon the big tent is taut
and firm. The ropes that held the poes hrm
while the tent Was being pulled up are slack
sned and the canvas sway, as 1t feels the
brought out and the Side walls" are put on.
the workmen using ladders TO fasten them at
the ton The tent IL now practically com plete.
1t Is $50 feet long and 100 feet wide. and 1t Is
ready for the seats These are rushed In sec
ton by section and In a twinklinR the place
seems ready for the show. Ot course, there 10
flags, bringing in and putting up apparatus
for athl etes, preparing the track and the rings
and the lights.
All this work OF putting up the main tent and
the three large auxiliary tents can be accom-
plished in good weather in two hours and a
halt, II requires the services OF more than a
hundred trained men. not one OF whom Is slug
Rish. 1t is q task where the only WAtchword is
hustle," The foreman finds Il necessary to
use many other words. some OF them not In
any polite category, hut the canvasman. like
the Mississippi roustabout. expects vigorous
urging 10 do his work. and would feel uneasy
wthouti il. A certain amount Of profanity Is
required to keep up the normal tenn psrature.
In the outfit of the tent depAFtm0 ant AlOn0 there