The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-07-17
CIRCUS MANAGEMENT.
Some Account OF the system and Close
Attention 10 Detail Required "a Con. |
duet Great show.

| Attention 10 Detail Required to Con.
| duet u Great show.
Ii may be unnecessary to state that
every one of the thousand little details
which make the circus success are
looked after by a corps OF men working
under complete system. Two months
before the show is to appear in town
an advance agent arrives whose duties
consist of obtaining license. hiring the
grounds and water, making the contracts
for furnishing hay, straw, corn and 9TH
err feed supplies, and contracting for the
bill boards and their location. A month
after the advance agent. the first adver-
Using car appears. There are five coun-
try teams and one city team used for
their work. Each country team leaves
the advertising car at 80 a. M. and
travels distance Of from 80 to 30 miles
a day. Every desirable space procur-
able is used and whenever posters are
placed on a mans barn a certain number
of tickets are given him for the space.
Eight days after the first car has arrived
the second car makes its appearance.
The members OF this car have only one
team and their duties consist OF billing
the different stores and placing the small
er boards on the streets. A week or ten
days before the day of the exhibition
the third car arrives and the same num-
Der of teams is used as was used by the
first car. The men 60 over the same
route rs the men of the first car. inspect
and replace all damaged bills put up by
the other men.
The day following the detective ar
rives. Some one Of the chief officials
selects one Of the five routes which has
been billed and whichever ii is the de-
tective goes over it very carefully. He
has team and a driver. He rides up to
every place where there is sheet of
paper which has been put up by the cir
Gus. As was said before number of
tickets are given every man for the use
of his barn. Now the detective goes to
each of these places where tickets are
given out. takes the tickets and replaces
them with another kind. This il to in
sure the company from poor disposal
of tickets by the posters. The detective
has to account for all the tickets given
out and has to count every sheet which
has been posted on the route which he
has inspected. If there are any tickets
for he has to remain until
he can lean whether the tickets were
sold or given away and make report to
headquarters. The day before the show
one OF the inspectors arrives. There are
two of these men in the employ Of the
circus each one working in alternate |
towns. The inspector first goes to the |
ground and sees whether it is in condi- |
ton for the performance or not. He in
spects the quantity and the quality of |
the hay. straw and oats. which must be |
the very best attainable, especially the |
hay. He stays in town over night and |
with large team which will carry about |
20 men meets the train as it arrives the |
next morning. He takes the men to the |
grounds where they make the measure
ments for the exact location of the tents. |
He remains on the ground and sees that |
he provender Is all delivered as order
ed. After the parade in the morning he |
signs the way-bills. All must receive
MS o. X. mark before they are presented |
for payment at the wagon. Having sign
I'd the bills he Immediately leaves for
MS next town.
The day before the show man comes
20 town who makes contract with the
baker. the butcher and the grocer for
he employees provisions. He buys
barrels of potatoes, cabbages, vegetables
If all kinds, sugar by the barrel. quarters
If beef and lamb and bread and pastry
~ the cart-load. Excepting the latter
is cooked on the grounds.
Nearly every one has either seen or read
If the marvellous spread with which the
onely looking pasture is converted into
white city, with how little difficulty
mighty tasks are performed; but there
re but few people who stop to think
low il is that every one no matter how