The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-11-29

McMahan,s circus which pulled into
the city few days ago. has almost conn
pleted their preparation for the winter in
the city. The animals were taken from
tie train as soon as the show struck the
city, and the unloading has continued
ever since. When they strike town TO
give an exhibition Il takes but very
short time to unload ali their parapher-
MALTA. but in preparing for the winter
| months it is entirely different. The force
| of men is cut down TO a minimum and
great many Of them did not come clear
to this city, preferring to remain in the
south during the cold months.
Yesterday one Of the advance advertis-
ing cars was unloaded OF the show bills
which We're left over from the seasons
billing. About fifteen tons was removed
from the car. This estimate was made
by one of the showmen who had calcu-
lated upon the amount. The car has i'm
mense lockers underneath and these were
filled almost entirely full. Quite force
of men Were kept busy all day hauling
it away TO be stored for the winter and
there was wagon load after wagon load
OF it. All this was loose, but within tina
car were boxes innumerable containing
bills which had not been opened at ali.
Within the car large boiler stands
which is used to make the great quant,-
ties OF paste required to post up the bills.
The posters which are left are for the
greater part the fine colOred plates which
usually form the border of the large dis
play bills of coarser nature. These
plates are very fine, the co,oring being
as near as can be gotten TO the color o;
the original animals themselves. The
cost of this kind OF printing is not small
by any means and forms one of the
chief expenses of a company. But they
do not spare any pains or money to make
it as fine as possible, as this is their chief
mode Of advertising to the uneducated
classes who do not read the newspapers.
and this is their only manner of reaching
them. The finer the pictures and the
more brilliant the coloring the more pleas
ing it is to the eye and also the more ex.
pensive it is. Many have no doubt no.
ticed these fine pictures in the billing OF
shows heretofore. The theatrical COM
panies do not display this class Of bills
and consequently there are fewer manu-
factured.
Mr.. Costello, the advance agent of the
show, was seen yesterday by an Eagle
reporter, and he told several thrilling
stories of his experience in the circus
business, in breaking horses and train
ing them for exhibition purposes. He
stated that at one time he had bunch
Of horses trained to perform all the diff
fcult tricks which are usually shown,
but that only one of them could be T:d-
den at all. At one time ne was showing
in an eastern theater and although his
horses did all he told them to, none of
them would allow themselves to be put
into the single stalls which had been pre-
pared for them in the wings. The circus
business is like everything else, in that
it is profession unlike all the rest with
its own pecularities.
The majority of the actors will remain
here during the winter months, having
distributed themselves around among the
hotels. They are all seemingly glad that
the season is over with and are enjoying
fully the luxury of "ure dolce far
miente." The horses are to be sent out
to different places in the country to re-
main during the winter. They are all
fine and fat, but show their seasons
work quite plainly in manner which is
familiar to all who have handled horses
to any extent. All the animals and
people connected with the show have be-
come somewhat settled-save of course
the horses who are TO go into the coun-
try-and they will all be out of practice
soon. and will be glad 10 remain SO, un-
til the early spring months again roll
around bidding them prepare for the
read again.