The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-09-17
sroRIEs OF RARNuM.
Gossip About the Snowman and His Show
by One OF His Associates

mum once" said Mr.. Stow, "long
before the railroad shows were in
existence. We travelled by wagons
from town to town in those days,
halting 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 I
had noticed that a bridge over which
the wagons were to pass was weak.
l sent word to 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 a parade.
THAT night Mr.. Barnum was seat
ed in the 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 SOP said Barnum.
"'Well, 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, doesn t it?' "
A rhinoceros is the most expen-
sive animal in circus. A we'll bred
and well developed rhinoceros costs
IS, 600. The Barnum show lost
rhinoceros 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 dozen of
them could be bought for the price
of one rhinoceros.
The elephant is the meanest ami
NAL that the show people have to
deal with. Everybody is afraid of
him, for no one can tell when the
big brute will take one unawares to
crafty some long treasured or fan
cied grievance.
A few years ago the show was in
Rochester when the elephant keeper
went into the elephant car to see
that everything was secure before
the train started. He fastened the
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
was alone with his keeper, crushed
him to death against the side of the
car. The elephant is the biggest
coward of all animals and never un.
dertakes to get the better of his
keeper unless he can take him off
his guard.
1t costs not less than So, 600 d day
to run big circus and menagerie.
Notwithstanding this seemingly
large outlay a first class show Is
usually a sure winner. Before start
ing out discount for rainy days is
made by averaging the rainy days
during the past ten seasons. While
this is not by any means reliable il
affords a pretty fair test
When p. Il. Barnum was in Lon
don 15 years or SO ago, he sent tick
cts of admission to all the clergy and
to the bishop of London and his fam
, lily. Barnum s reputation rs a phi.
lanthropist had gone before him, and
it became necessary to establish q
regular picket guard around him tc
protect him from annoyances in his
hotel. The applicants for charitable
donations would frequently get
through the line and apply for dona.
tions ranging from 800 to $40, OOO.
After the bishop of London and his
family had seen the show the bishop
called upon Barnum and chatted
with him for some time. Barnum
impressed him, as he did everybody,
as being big hearted, smiable and
brainy man. The bishop on leaving
took his hand and said:
Mr.. Barnum, you are not such q
bad man after all 1 hope to meet
you in heaven, sir.
, well, you will if you are there, >
replied Barnum.
The answer was too much ever
tJr the bishop, and those who heard
it shouted with lsughter.-Syracust
Courier.