The herald., 1896-02-15
the CIRCUS IN THE WINTER
Its Many Trials and Very In
frequent Triumphs
A SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR
Explains the Disappearance Of the
Summer Show
SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR
4 Veteran Of the Sawdust Ring Relates Some
Experiences in the Land Of
Warm Winters

There is place in New York city where
che "circus people, congregate after the
circus breaks up for the winter. The
owner of the establishment is a favorite
with the performers, acrobats, clowns,
jugglers, bareback riders, tight rope walk
ors and others, who want some headquar-
ters when they are Sin town" He has a
large printing Office, where he turns out
the huge, highly colored posters which
decorate the boards and fences. The pro-
fessiop assemble in the outer room, gather
sound the big stove and swap stories.
$50 you want to know what becomes of
the circus in the winter" said the vet
ernn. well, the two big companies-the
Barnum and the Forepaugh-go into win
ter quarters one Mt Bridgeport, Conn,
and the other at Philadelphia. Most of
the performers are discharged, though
they may have engagements for the com
ing season. Many of the men and women
do not want to lie idle during the winter,
and so they seek engagements with small
circus troops that go south. Some of the
shows go to Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Costa
Rica and Bermuda. Some of them 60 to
the South and Central American countries
Ito Brazil, Argentine Republic, Hon
duras and Nicaragua. If the circus makes
q asuccess the performers have q good time
spend the winter in a nice, warm climate
and come homo with some money in their
pockets and are ready for the summer
campaign in the United States.
Eyes; have been with tho circus in tho
tropics six times in my lifetime I can't
say that my experience has been pleas
ant one. Four times the company struck
hard luck, and every one suffered, even
the animals. My first experience was over
90 years ago, when I joined the, F.
company, and shall never forget r. We
went first to Havana, and there we found
a circus in full blast. They had the
patronage while we played to empty seats.
After trying the city for about three weeks
tho manager gave up and decided to pitch
his tents over ON the island Of Bermuda
Here we had another run of bad luck,
and we lost the good will Of the English
people in a singular manner. You know,
the Englishmen control things in Bermu-
da. Now, our clown was an Irishman,
and he had an assortment Of jokes that
would tickle an American audience.
Somehow the clown made bad break.
do not remember the exact joke that
caused the trouble but it was something
like this He asked the bareback rider,
Why did Richard III offer his kingdom
for horse" The rider gave it up. The
answer, l think, was either Because Eng
land is only one horse kingdom, or Be-
cause 1t was horse on King Richard
However, the English people were offend
ed and trey kept away from our circus.
They cut us dead, as they say, and in
short time we were ready to admit that we
were dead
my second experience was a better one.
This timu joined a circus which went to
Mexico and to Central America. We re-
manned in Mexico six or eight weeks and
mado money Another bad experience l
had with q circus in the Argentine Repub-
lie. Wo showed for several weeks in Bue-
nos Ayres, in tho old amphitheater. In
stead of holding on to a good thing, tho
manager of our circus decided to go into
the interior of tho country. That is where
he made his mistake We went by boat
up the Rio Parana, about so miles, and
there VIC stopped. Bad weather came on,
the rain fell in torrents, and the river be-
came dangerous for navigation. There was
nothing to do but to wait till the clouds
rolled by. The storm continued without
any real intermission for about two weeks,
and meanwhile the expenses went on Just
the same. The money made at Buenos
fAyres soon disappeared, and besides the
show was in bad shape. We were all glad
to get back safely to Buenos Ayres with q
loss of $50, 600. I shall always remember
those two weeks on the Rio P,lrana.
Perhaps the liveliest experience ever
had with a circus was about ten years ago,
when l was in Venezuela. We landed in
Caracas just about the time that an inter
esting revolution broke out. The city was
in a state Of siege; stores were closed,
houses barricaded and streets deserted ex-
cept by soldiers. IL was no time nor place
to hold circus. Tho revolution was cir
Gus in itself and had more attraction for
the people than we could give Them
''What does 1t cost to form q circus to
take south for the winter?'
1T will take from SEQ, 900 to $50, 900 to
get the performers properties and animals
OF course the expense depends upon the
size Of the company"
How do these circuses that go south
compare with the troops that travel in the
United Statcss''
''Some Of them really give first class
entertainment, especially the troops that
have the star performers of the big COM
panies. The truth is, taking q circus to
the South American countries is a big
speculation. The man who makes money
at it deserves every dollar for his pluck
and courage.
''If the manager has streak of bad
luck, he may be ruined in two weeks. If
he has made hit with the people, he may
make small fortune in the same length
Of time. have known the proprietor of
winter circus to clear $75 000 in a single
season. But it is casier to lose SIS, 900 in
the venture than to make it. New York
Times.