Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-10-24
FOLDING OF THE TENTS,
Circuses Hunt Winter Quarters Whit
show mcn Think the old Thoughts.

FOLDING Or THe VENV8s
Giro uses Hunt winter Quarters white
ehowmcn Think the Old Thoughts.
Art Is getting q move on herself. Yes.
tertlay upon circus banner shone the
cheering legend: "Solc chastely artis-
tic musical contortionists now before
the public"
About uncccupied corners and con-
.ested acres Of estates in Chicago hang
noisily the Hopping tents Of the timer
ant 1Occntcircus. an industry over
looked by amusement chroniclcrs but
suddenly grown into n threat to the CO.
lossal thrce-ring neutrality-suspicious.
occupying the attention of pleasure
seekers and enterprise watchers. Stroll
ing bands Of disqualified or unfortunate
players opened up these paths for tent
shows and from stragglers of uncertain
license and certain rascality the little
company of clowns and half-tralned
gymnasts showed the wary circus faker
a way to pick up business and profit
by harmless humbug almost wei.
come.
happened to he in Crown Point,
Ind, yesterday. and the pretty village
was ahame with warnings of the pres
cnce Of wallace's Gigantic Circus. In
stantly ] HE'D myself hither and there
1t was-the same "grand entry" lady
performer in the air rings. trapeze,
slack wire, chariot races. trained AMI
mails. strong people lifting glittering
generallties In cast iron and young Ia
dies twisting themselves up in knots OF
spangled intricacy; there were the jug
glers. the dashing party who throws
knives mt a stripped lady In impress
sive scowls and lodging attitude. again
the principal bareback equestrienne'
Of my tumultuous infant circus days.
the Observation-Disclosures act and
the hesitating somersault rider; be-
sides these inevitablcs behold the POM
pous cracker Of the ring whip, the full
dress, snappy person to whom the au.
gust stars bow low and Mt whom tho
sulphurously silly joey couraeeously
hurls prns too weighty for the Sam
sons Of Drawn TO lift out Of obscurity.
Just the same, It seemed to me quite
rs good as any circus I had seen In
years. Ringlings' seemed the creates,
show ever produced and ten years back
80 did the Barnum & Bailey crush Of
these came attractions, ana now It oc'
ours to me that week or so ago took
Ave small boys into weather-stained
tent pitched ON the corner Of LOOMS
and Congress streets, paid 10 cents nd
mission and that was absolutely the
best Of them all. The only difference
In the big shows and little ones infest
Ing America il not In the variety hui
the art, the finish. the talent Of the
performers, the number Of them en-
ployed and the number Of rings employ
ed by them.
Wallace winters near Peru, Ind, and
like every other circus grower, the mos,
attractive portion of his show Is never
shown. lie has the same privilege Of
exhibiting magnificent draft horses (by
which Cody made such a sensation her,
last spring.; he has 100 little Shetland
ponies at tho farm which eat theil
heads of and bray ut each other al
year, but never travel for their healtl
or money, nor do the splendid Percher
ons ever do anything but haul. Vi
ut BarabOo considerably the same con
ditions exist. American showmen d,
not make use Of the novel attraction
ut their command. The Ringlings mr.
superb athletes, gymnasts and tum
blers, but instantly they bcstlrrct
themselves to management the saw
dust was something credibly impossi
bic ana they sit about growing IN
while inferior performers DO work the!
might with physical and financial nd
vantage keep up. Col. Cody IL m acto
Of infallible reliability In his own show
he Ii the prime attraction and In tn,
fifteen or more years In which he ha,
served the public Cody has missed jus
three perfOrmances-0ne when his lit
tie daughter died, one when his daugl,
ter Artea was very III ana one othe
when the United States Governmen
requested his services. He IL really
greater Snowman than any noatln.
history pictures him. What has beef
sensational or In a pose for tho publ
has quito obscured the larger dispose
ton and genius Of w. +. Cody.
was In Cody's tent one day when
boy came In aglow with importano
at the distinction Of being allowed I,
speak to the Incompatible Bin.
"How arc Col. Cody" said the child
I'm the boy I wrote you the letter."
EYES," said the object Of his idolatry
with q kindly smile, ne he brought t
view a pigeon hole package containing
at least ffty epistles. which one 0
these did you writer
| Not less than ffty day ind some
times more than hfty childish billet
reach Buffalo Bill, aud they are sucl