The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-16
THEPARADE
There Was q Financial Hitch in the
Circus Proceedings.
CONFRONTED BY A LICENSE
After Hours of Negotiating With
City Officials the Pageant Was
Allowed to Move Through
the Streets.

Bond Bros circus ran afoul Of the
city government yesterday and the
small boy and the people who came In
from the country to see the parade
came very near being disappointed. The
police stopped the parade when 1t at
tempted to enter the city for the rea-
son that the manager could not pro-
duce a license from the city treasurer,
and when it finally traversed the
streets about three hours later the city
held a mortgage on 1t for two-thirds
of the amount of the license. The mort
gage runs for "a hours and If it Is not
paid it is Mayor Thompson's intention
to foreclose and exhibit the circus in
the stockade in which the prisoners are
worked.
The city ordinances require a license
of $3.50 a day from every circus or
menagerie and as the circus tents were
pitched outside of the city limits Ii did
not come in contact with this ordinance
until Ii attempted to parade the
streets. The show has been playing TO
poor business lately and when it
reached Butte its finances were so low
that the manager decided not to visit
the city treasurer and take chances on
not being interfered with. City Treas
urer Yoder is not overlooking any $3.50
bets. however, and when he saw that
the circus manager was overlooking
him like a white check he whispered
few things in Chief Tebo's ear.
The parade, which consisted of some
fair-looking horses, several rather d.
lapidated wagons and a few half-starv-
ed animals, left the grounds little be-
fore 10 o'clock and started up town.
Everything went along all right until 1t
reached the southern line of the city
limits and there the column was halted
by Chief Tebo, who had a squad of po-
at ~ han no ma a al "
called on for his city licenses which he
could not produce. He was thereupon
informed that the parade could not en-
ter the city.
REPRESENTATIONS and promises were
unavailing and the line was finally or
dered back into camp while the man.
ager hustled off up town to hunt up
the mayor and treasurer. He ran
across the mayor first and was inform
ed that so long as they remained out
side of the city no license would be ex-
acted but that IL they came inside of
the limits the license must be paid. The
manager then visited the treasurer
and told him, so Mr.. Yoder says, that
the mayor had said ii would be all
right with him if he. the circus man,
could fix things with the treasurer. Mr..
Yoder thought this sounded little
fshy and he called UP the mayor and
was told that he had made no such
statement.
Then Mr.. Yoder became stern and
obdurate Hard luck stories were I'M
needed and promises to pay were I'M
heard. The manager made another in
effectual call on the mayor and then
hurried back ITO the treasurer's office
and during all of this time the crowds
on the streets were growing more i'm
patient and everyone was kicking.
After discussing the situation for an
hour or so longer Mr.. Yoder finally
consented to accept a. cash payment of
$50 and a mortgage on the show for the
remaining 500. The money was PAID
over and the mortgage was made out
as quickly as possible and a little be-
fore l o'clock the parade was allowed
to enter the cfty's gates. City Detec-
tive Meiklejohn was appointed special
guardian over the circus to see that IT
does not skip town without settling the
mortgage.
The CIRCUS people turned over the
| 500 to Mr.. Meikiejohn at the afternoon
performance and the mortgage was
Cancelled Manager Dreyfuss, who is at
the head of the show, greatly regretted
| the clash with the city authorities, and
| stated that a subordinate to whom he
| had entrusted the securing of license.
went about it in a manner that was
entirely wrong. Mr.. Dreyfuss is high
/ ly spoken of by all of the city officers
| with whom he came In contact.
Chief Tebo, Detective Meiklejohn and
several officers were at the show
/ grounds all afternoon and kept a
/ sharp lookout for grafters and sure
/ thing men, but IL there are any fellows
/ of that class with the show they did
not show their heads.