Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-10-11
o THEY WHOOP IT.
A Few Pointers About the Way
Circus Folks Use Printers Ink
What it Takes to Advertise Wal
ter l.. Mains Big Show.

"A + SW ABOUT the way
Circus Folks Use Printers Ink
What it Takes to Advertise Wal
ter l.. Mains Big Show.
Goldsboro and vicinity never
has been billed SO systematically
and thoroughly for a circus as it
has been the past week for Wal
ter L. Mains great railroad show
that is to give two performances
here on next Tuesday, morning
and night. Three different cars
have been along here at different
times in the past three weeks,
with the result that in the coun-
try the bright and attractive
circus pictures greet the eye at
every turn.
Show folks are hustlers and
they certainly believe in printers
ink-red. blue, black and all
kin3s-for they know its impor-
lance and value. 1t will give
you some idea of the cost of adj
vertising a modern show, when
it is stated that the printing bill
of the Walter L.. Main show is
$40, 900 a year.
Newspaper advertising is the
first thing a man does, and then
he spreads himself in the other
devices known to the live adver-
tiser of an attraction. Three
cars go ahead of the Walter l..
| Main show to do the advertising
and in the past twenty days they
have been in Goldsboro liter
ally painting the town red.
Car No. l is the first to strike
a town and it is generally three
weeks ahead of the show. 1t is
a splendid car painted blue, with
red trucks and red platform. In
the centre of the is a hand
| some office, and on either ends
are hunks for the men arranged
like those in Pullman sleepers.
MI. VIM. K. Beck is manager
of this car and he carries with
him a force of twenty two men
to post the cities and towns and
to bill the railroad and steam
boat lines. This car carries a
stock of paper to last twenty
days, and to intimate what that
means we mention that the force
puts up 4, 300 sheets of paper a
day, distributes 5000 programs
a day and puts up 200 litho-
graphs a day. After they bill a
town. thew hire teams and bill
the country for a radius of 10
miles, They Use four barrels of
-four each day for paste alone.
Two weeks before the show
comes Car No. 2 puts in its APP
pearance. 1t is in charge of Mr..
Geo. Wilson and carries sixteen
men. They post 1900 sheets of
paper a day, and distribute 5000
programmes a day. They carry
twenty days supply of paper
and use two barrels of flour a
day for paste. The men on this
car follow up the track of the
men of Car No l, and count and
report the amount Of paper they
put up. They then pnt up diff
ferent paper and follow on. This
car is red and has white trucks
and white trimmings. 1t
has a handsome and commodious
office in the centre, and is fitted
with Pullman hunks.
A week before he circus
comes Car No. 3 rolls along with
MI. Chas. Bernard as manager
and carrying fourteen men. 1t
10 also the headquarters Of Mr..
George W. Akin, the general
manager of the show, who is a
thoroughbred, business-like gen
ial. clever, all round ieeIs. dandy
sort of a fellow. He was for %
years with John Robinson's
Show. In Car No 3 he occupies
an elegant and sumnpsaously
equipped Office in the centre OF
the cur, and also has his steno-
grapher in the person of Mr..
Edw. Aiken. The c&aoe ttoor is
covered with & Brussels carpet,
and it Is equipped with asafe aad
desks, folding beds, cts. The
other parts of the car are equip
ped like y regular Pullman sleep
er. The color of this car is {
beautiful yellaW. and the trucks
ana trimmings r in red. Al
billing and everything pertaining
to the advance of the show i,
directed from this ear. The force
sent pat FROM it counts the paper
pvt up by the other two cars an6
puts up more. They also carry
twenty days, supply of stock, ant
post 1900 sheets of paper g day
put mp 200 lithographs a day, pu
3 up 1000 spoilers, distribute Z,
. 900 programmes of seven differ
| ent kinds, put out 100 one-shee-
: boards, 40 six-sheet boards ant
l rebill all railroad and steamboat
excursions. 1t takes three bar
t rels of -four a day to make tn
paste for their work.
D After all this Wark is done fou.
, mooFa men come three days aheat
of the circus and distribute LOO
3 each Of four kinds of progfam
i mes, and see that tha other bill
are all right. The average adver
:, ssising in each town for this SHOW
S requires 1000 feet of bill boards
100 one sheet boards, 40 six shee
boards, 1000 one sheet spoilers
6 5000 programmes, 500 excur
sion bills, 200 one sheet clotl
e banners, 200 half-sheet clotl
n banners, 100 one sheet dates
500 half sheet dayea. and 500 one