The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-07-14
STORIES OF BARNUM.
Gossip About the Snowman and
His Show by One of His
Associates.

| we Travelled by wagons from Town 10
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 l had noticed that
bridge over which the wagons were
to pass was weak. / 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 the
town in time to make much of a
parade.
"That night Mr.. Barnum was seated
in the village hotel when an angry lot
of people who were disappointed at
the size of the parade waited upon
him and told him that he was a fraud
"'How so p 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 damned fools following it. That
makes the two miles doesn't it?"
"a rhinoceros is the most expensive
| animal in circus. A well-bred and
well-developed rhinoceros costs $4,000
The Barnum show recently lost rhi-
noceros and was compelled to cable to
/ Hagenback at Hamburg to send on
another at once. Hagenback 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 common these days, and half a
dozen of them could be bought for the
price of one rhinoceros.
"The elephant is the meanest ami
NAL the show people have to deal
with. Everybody is afraid of him,
for no can tell when the big brute will
take one unawares to crafty some
long treasured or fancfed 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 elephant, 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 undertakes 10 get the better
of his keeper unless he can take him
off his guard.
at costs not less than $4,000 day
to run a big circus and menagerie.
Notwithstanding this seemingly large
outlay first class show is usually a
sure winner. BEFORE starting out a
discount for rainy days is made by
averaging the rainy days during the
past ten seasons. While this is not by
any means reliable, it affords pretty
fair test.
"Storms and tornadoes of late years
have interfered very much with the
profits of circuses. Last year the
Barnum & Bailey tent was ruined by
a cyclone at Des Moines. Mr.. Bailey
at once telegraphed to Cincinnati fol-
a new tent, for which the dimensions
were given, and in three days it was
made and erected by the show. AL
the sailmakers in Cincinnati were EN-
ployed in making the new canvas.
"a new canvas is made every year
and the one used the previous year il
carried along with the show for emer
| RtuCys vi tAC OSCaolOu ohuoCu "
the old canvas was lett behind, and
the show exhibited three days in 9
tent without top. Fortunately the
weather was fair.
Gan idea of the magnitude of big
show can be gained from the fact thai
1000 persons are employed in the
Bsrnum & Bailey show. The system
observed in putting up the big canvas
taking it down, and packing it in the
cars, and in putting all the rest of the
stuff in the cars each night is some
thing wonderful. There are twenty
or thirty foremen who run the whole
business. Without these men it would
take green hands week to put up 9
big tent and another week to take il
down.
"When p. T. Barnum was in Lon