The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-08-19
sroRlEs or RARNuM.
GoskIp Abont the Snowman and His show
by One of HIs Associates


Il was travelling with P. I. Bar
mum once said Mr.. Stow, long
before the railroad shows we're in
existence. We travelled -by wagons
4 from town to town in those days,
/ hating on the outskirts of the town
to enable the circus people to put on
their show clothes and prepare for
/ the parade. We were to show in a
small town in Pennsylvania, and
/ had noticed that a bridge over which
the wagons were to pass was weak.
! | sent word 10 Mr.. Barnum to put
the rhinoceros wagon at the rear,
but he did not do so, and as it was
in advance it broke the bridge. The
show did not reach town in time To
make much of parade.
That night Mr.. Barnum was seat
ed in tho village hotel when an an
CRY lot of people who were disap-
pointed at the size of the parade
waited upon him and told him that
he was a fraud.
How so?' said Barnum.
"'Wen, replied the spokesman
for the crowd, You advertised two
miles of parade, and there was only
one.
"'Yes, replied Barnum. there
was one mile of parade and another
mile of id fools following it.
That makes two miles, docsn' t it, -"
A rhinoceros Is the most eXpen-
sive animal In \ circus. A we'll bred
and well developed rhinoceros costs
$t, 0OO The Barnum show lost q
rhlnoceros and was compelled to
cable to Hagenbeck at Hamburg to
: send on another at once. Hagen
beck is the largest animal supply
> agent on earth. He furnishes the
= geological gardens of London and
similar gardens in the capitals of
Europe Elephants are quite COM
mon these days, and half a dozen Cf
y them could be bought for the price
2 of one rhinoceros.
The elephant is the meanest ami
NAL that the show people have to
r deal with. Everybody is afraid of
5 him, for no one can tell when the
/; big brute will take one unawares to
crafty some long treasured or fan.
cied grievance.
Y a few years ago the show was in
e Rochester when the elephant keeper
went into the elephant car to see
that everything was secure before
= the train started. He fastened the
n rear door and thoughtlessly passed
through the car to examine the front
door. As he was passing the ele-
phant the brute, realizing that he
n was alone with his keeper, crushed
L. him to death against the side of TIE
car. The elephant Is the biggest
coward of all animals and never un.
1t dertakes to get tine better of his
n keeper unless he can take him of
d. his guard.
1t costs not less than s., coo n day
= to run big circus and menagerie.
Notwithstanding this seemingly
large outlay a first class show is
usually n sure winner. Before start
ing out a discount for rainy days i
made by averaging the rainy days
during the past ten seasons. While
this is not by any means reliable il
affords pretty fair test
When p. T. Barnum was in Lon.
don 10 years or so ago, he sent tick
cts of admission to all the clergy and
to the bishop of London and his fam
e, lily. Barnum's reputation as a phi
y. lanthropist had gone before him. anC
it became necessary to establish {
regular picket guard around him Il
q protect him from annoyances in hi.
r hotel. The applicants for charitabl,
donations would frequently ge
through the line and apply for dona
tions ranging from 500 to $40, OOO
After the bishop of London and hi
family had seen the show the bishoI
called upon Barnum and chai tet
with him for some time. Barnun
impressed him, as he did every body
as being a big hearted, amiable anC
brainy man. The bishop on leavin;
& took his hand and said:
Mr.. Barnum, you are not such
bad man after all hope to NEE
you in heaven, sir.
+ We'll, you will if you are there,
replied Barnum
The answer was too much ever
for the bishop, and those who heart
it shouted with laughter. .-Syracus
Courier.