Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-09
THE WINTER CIRCUS,
ITS MANY TRIALS AND FEW TRluMPHs
IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Mysterious Disappearance OF tho Summer
"Show" Explained-A Veteran Of the
sawdust Ring Relates Some of His In
te~esting Experiences.
There is place in New York city where
the "circus people" congregate after the
circus breaks up for the winter. The
owner of the establishment is favorite
with the performers, acrobats, clowns,
iugglers, bareback riders, tight rope walk
ers and Others who want some headquar-
tiers 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-
fession assemble in the outer room, gather
round the big stove and swap stories
$50 you want to know what becomes of
the circus in the winter" said the vet
eran. ''Well, the two big comprehensive
Barnum and the Forepaugh-go into win
ter quarters, one at 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
to Brazil, Argentine Republic, Hon
duras and Nicaragua. 1.-THE circus makes
asuccess, the performers have good time,
spend the winter in nice, warm climate
and come home with some money in their
pockets and are ready for the summer
campaign in the United States.
Eyes; have been with the circus In the
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
20 years ago, when 1 Joined the F.
company, and shall never forget it. 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
the 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 hs 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, think, was either Because Eng
land is only one horse kingdom, or Be-
cause it was a ''horse" on King Richard.
However, the English people were offend
ed, and they kept away from our circus
They cut us dead, as they say, and in 9
short time we were ready to admit that We
were dead.
MY second experience was a better one.
This time joined circus which went tc
Mexico and to Central America. We re
manned in Mexico six or eight weeks and
made money. Another bad experience
had with circus in the Argentine RepuD-
lie. We showed for several weeks in Bue
nos Ayres, in the old amphitheater In.
stead of holding on to a good thing the
manager of our circus decided to go into
the interior Of the country. That is where
he made his mistake. We went by boat
up the Rio Parana, about 80 miles, an6
there we stopped. Bad weather came on
came dangerous for navigation. There was
nothing to do but to wait till the clouds
rolled by. The storm continued withou;
any real intermission for about two week 5,
and meanwhile the expenses went on just
the same. The money made at Buenos
Ayres soon disappeared, and besides tht
show was in bad shape. We were all glad
to get back safely to Buenos Ayres with &
loss of $50, 900. l shall always remember
those two weeks on the Rio Parana.
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 state of siege; stores were closed,
houses barricaded, and streets deserted ex-
cept by soldiers 1t was no time nor place
to hold circus. The revolution was Cir
Gus in itself and had moro attraction for
the people than we could give them. -
What docs it cost to form circus tc
take south for the winter?'
1t will take from $50, 900 to $50, 900 tc
get the performers, properties and animals
OF course the expense depends upon the
size of the company"
How do these circuses that 90 south
compare with the troops that travel in tbs
United States?''
Some Of them really give first elias.
entertainment, especially the troops that
have the star performers of the big com
panies. The truth is, taking circus tc
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 a streak of bad
luck, he may be ruined in two weeks. Il
he has made u hit with the people, he may
make q small fortune in the same length
of time. have known the proprietor Of
winter circus to clear $75, 900 in a single
season. But it is easier to lose $75, 900 in
the venture than to make it. New York
Times
Feat Of a Wire Wound Cnn