Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-09-23


anse Not Up to What it Has Been Here
What Has Become of the FOrepau:h
Aggregation.
The show under the name OF i.
L. Barnum pitched tents in Daven-
port Saturday for the first time in ii
years, the long lapse between visits
being the carrying out OF an oath
made bys he famous Snowman in 1881
that no attraction bearing his name
would ever stop in Davenport during
his lifetime, and the hope made at
the same time that none carrying
his name would 20 there after his
death. The Indignation which
prompted this determination on the
part of the great Barnum was fully
justified. His circus. i. so happened,
appeared there the same day that
the GARFIELD obsequies were held At
the old fair grounds in the fail of
1881. The canvas city was pitched
at Fourteenth and Gaines, Il half
mile from the scene of the solemn OBJ
servance toward which all thoughts
were turned. Barnum. in 4 spirit of
the man, ordered the abandonment
of both his morning parade and af-
ternoon performance, and in addition
placed his bands of music ut the dis
posal OF the committee in charge of
the days commemoration, and they
led the procession. The show went
on in the evening as usual. and when
it came to paving the license the
management found itself taxed an
unusually heavy license for the lin
tied privileges it had taken. Bar
mum was enraged when he heard of
it, and thus he made the declaration
ne stuck to while he lived.
| brought to Terms.
Davenport at first laughed at the
resentment of the great Snowman,
but as years went by and the Bar
mum shows made their regular visits
to Rock Island without crossing the
river. the people there began to view
the matter more seriously. Finally
they made overtures to the manage
ment to let bygones be bygonea, but
the management was obdurate. A
Davenport newspaper man took the
matter up. He went to Madison
Square garden, where the shows
we're appearing; wrote them up ex-
tensively and sent the report back
together with an account OF the un.
pleasant incident that attended the
last visit to Davenport, the drift Of
the article being to fully sustain the
show enterprise in its position. Still
the show came to Rock Island and
snubbed Davenport-the boycott was
inilexible, and Davenport was down
on it's knees. 1t was ready 20 do any
thing to make PREPARATION for the past
The representative of the newspaper
fraternity referred to was still at the
city's command. Being a member
of the Business Mems association. he
brought it up in that body. The Fore
paugh shows had now been bought
by the Barnum e. Bailey interests
and it, too. was avoiding Davenport
and it was decided to wipe out the
cause of the breach at any cost. A
proposition was made that involved
n great inducement to j. A. Bailey
son-in-law of Mr.. Barnum, and sine,
his death owner of the shows. MIR
Bailey thought it over for a consid
cradle time. Finally he concluded
that all mad been accomplished tina
could possibly be desired. A lessor
had been taught, and he yielded
Besides it was business proposition
not to be sneeZed at.
The show appeared in Davenpor
this year, but it did not draw TIT
crowd that it has been accustomed
to here. The reason is that this i
the best city of the three for al
classes of entertainments. 1t il
centrally located and convenient t.
Moline and Davenport alike, while :
show way off two miles from thu
center of population will not in TIL
natural order of things do as well
The same may be applied to theatri
cal attractions. With a new modern
ground floor theatre Rock IslanC
would draw the people from MOLINE
as well as Davenport, as many from
here 60 there now.
The Forepaugh shows.
Speaking about shows, the Fore
paugh shows have been abandoned
and will probably never be see'
again. The hes: features are will
the Barnum shows. as Mr.. Bale
owns both. "Mr. Bailey could Sc
nothing to gain by keeping the Fore
paugh shows going" said one of tn
attaches of the Barnum & Bale
army to an ARGUS representative
at costs lots of money to run q bi
show. and he figured that in the en-
it would be the best policy to shelly
the other. and get one show of tn
road. So he did it. Mr.. Bailey nov
has an interest in q wild west show
but that is all beside the one t
which he gives his personal atten
ton and is always with"