The herald., 1896-10-28
RUNNING UP A TENT.
HOW IT IS DONE BY THE EMPLOYEES
OF A BIG CIRCUS.

The Boss Canvasn1an Puts Through tho
Job In Forty-ave Minutes-Each Mnn
Has a Special Thing to Do and Does It
Swiftly and Surely.
Tho night preceding the advent of the
circus is generally u restless and some-
times sleeplcss one for the average young
ster. Visions of massive spreads of white
canvas, golden chariots, mountains of olc-
plants and gayly prancing steeds excite
his brain.
Just such boy one morning stood at
the edge of bare field of pasture ground
wet with dew and covered with slight
mist, in the gray, uncertain light of tho
early morn There was not tho slightest
evidence that anything unusual was going
to happen there.
At $3.50 the strained ear Of the watcher
detected the approach of railroad train,
and q few moments afterwartl the first sec
ton of the circus train came laundering
into sight. Instantly the cars came to o
standstill; every soul on board was aroused
The horses We're making lively tattoo
with their hoofs upon the flours of the cars
Wagons were being run off the flat cars, as
the boss canvasman, with go brawny as
sistants, each carrying bundle of iron
rod about 2 feet long, reached the field.
1t takes but moment for the trained
eye of the boss to select the most favorable
position for the main entrance, which is at
one end Of the menagerie tent, and one of
the iron rods is stuck in the ground to
mark the spot. While one man holds the
end of tho tape measure at this point an-
other walks in straight line to a point
S7H feet taway, and another rod is stuck in
the ground to indicate the position of the
first center pole Continuing on this line,
rods are driven every 80 feet apart, to mark
the places for five center poles.
Using the first and fifth poles as centers,
man measures S71a feet and walks
around half circle, followed by men with
the iron rods, who thrust one into tho
ground every three PAGES, thus marking
the circumference of the round ends of the
tent. The sides are measured in a straight
line, using the rods, each of which has
white rag tied to it's head, except some
with red rags, which show where the 80
foot middle pieces join and are TO be laced
together. The survey now shows that the
top Of the menagerie tent is made up of
four center pieces, each 80 feet in width,
and a round piece, IT'S feet in diameter,
which is divided and used for the round
ends of the tent
With mathematical accuracy the boss
canvasman locates the main or "big top
the main dressing room and wardrobe
tent, side show and freaks dressing tent,
cooks tent and dining room tent Prompt
ly, silently and with perfect system every
stake, pole and rope is distributed to it's
proper place.
The boss now blows a whistle, and a
crowd of men with sledges feet long and
weighing 10 or 20 pounds is divided into
three gangs of eight men each, who COM
mence to drive the stakes. Where an iron
rod stood the leader Of each gang starts
stake so that it will stand alone Then the
men rain heavy blows in rapid succession
upon the stake until it is driven we'll into
the ground. Each man averages blow a
second: SO the stake receives seven blows
each second.
The stakes are about feet long and 8
inches in thickness, and there are over
1000 of them to be driven, task which
would take ordinary laborers half day to
accomplish, but which is easily done by
these men inside Of As minutes.
Again the whistle sounds, and the men
spring to the first of the center poles, which
have been laid by the pole riggers into posi-
tion for raising. To the top of each pole
are attached three long ropes, which are
called the ~main guys" The boss calls:
'All hands on the main guy! Up with
her!" And 25 or 80 men pull on the 200
feet of rope while dozen others are lift
ing with shoulders under the big pole,
which is kept from slipping at the base by
u crowbar in the hands of the boss canvas
man.
The trained eye Of the boss detects the
moment the pole is brought to a precise
perpendicular, when he orders the men to
make fast the main guys, and the pole
stands erect and firm, so feet from base to
tip. In the meantime six huge rolls of
canvas, each section of the tent, have
been dropped from wagons and lie near the
bases of the poles. At the signal the men
unfold roll of canvas and spread it into
position upon the ground Then the men
separate into small gangs, and, commenc-
ing at the outer edge and working toward
the center, lace the canvas together.
The canvas is laced to the heavy bale
| rings which encircle the center poles and
are raised by ropes which run through the
blocks at the top of the poles. Before the
lacing reaches the center poles the five
gangs of pole riggers elevate the bale rings
| five or six feet and stand under the canvas
| with hands on ropes until the lacing is fin
| ished, when they hoist the canvas 10 or 70
feet, and the pulley blocks creak under the
| strain.
| Farther than this the men cannot lift
the ponderous weight until the canvas is
further raised by the quarter and side
| poles The side poles are next hoisted,
raising the middle of the trough 35 feet
| from the ground. The weight of the can
vas and the pressure of the air on its enor-
nous surface makes this feat no easy one,
and in wet weather the task is greatly in
creased. 1t requires the combined efforts
of 15 men to pull with ropes these quarter
| poles, bearing their weight of canvas, into
| position. Now the lifting of the canvas to
the full height of the center poles is easily
accomplished
The building Of the tent is finished by
| putting up the side walls. Only three
| quarters of ain hour have passed since the
| first stake wagon reached the lot, and the
canvas structure stands complete, covering
an area of $50 by 100 feet
| The whistle sounds again, and IS men
rush to the center. poles of the big top. "
| A very few minutes only are required to
raise them into position, when the men,
with appetites sharpened by their brisk
work, scamper off to the dining tent
New York Journal
| The Laugh on tho Minister.
| The little word "again' once threw q
| large assembly into fits of laughter III