The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
THE CIRCUS IN UNDRESS.
IT'S CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE
WHEN THE PUBLIC ISN'T THERE.

II " NND bAAA w - 49,
Arena, tho Auditorium, the MenaGerfe.
and Among the Frenks-Itest Only on
Sunday, and Then Not Complete Rcat.
"You may talk of your continuous perform
ances.'" said the circus man, but there's
really only one in New York, and this is IT,"
with n sweep OF tho hand which seemed TO Inc
cludo the entire Madison Square Garden.
Tho reporter hemmed di systematically.
"oh, / don't mean simply the performance in
the0arena," continued the circus man. From
the first day Of April, when We open here In
New York, to the close of the tenting season,
away Off in some Western or Southern city,
our performances arc going on day and night
without any intorru ption except for Sunday.
Peopleswho witness certain features OF the
chow at stated periods of the afternoons and
evenings haven't seen the whole oft by any
means. IfR man had the time and the per-
mission to stay In this building from noon ons
day until coon the next day, and IL he could
be in q dozen places at once and could keep
hie eyes and ears open all the time, that man
would have a right to.say that he had seen and
heard the only real continuous performance in
town. And, unless no was the kind of a man
that needs a brass band TO rouse his interest,
he would admit thatthe part Of the show which
the public does not see Is Just rs interesting as
the part IL docs see.
Why suppose you como here ut daybreak.
| Oh, 1 know you WON'T ms lhnU an lnVlth-
ton. But you would expsct things to be quot
at that timo IL they ever were, wouldn't your
Well, you won't find many bueier scenes than
the one in the arena at that hour. In the
ringS euuestriars are exercising their horses,
practising their own feats, and training mo-
mage and trick animals. There are so many Of
them that each one has his allotted time, and
those who CONF next in turn stand waiting,
so that not a momentsshalI be lost. OF course
there are not SO many spaugles as IN the after
noon and evening. Some of the performers
wear their discarded fnery at.these rehearsals.
Torn fieshings, furnished spangles, and worn
velvets are quito the proper thing in the morn.
ing practice. Some of the women wear loose
calico blouscs and boomers. The queen of
the arena Is ACUTE different picture, l assure
you, at o 4. NJ. from what she is at 0 P. NJ.
ION the stages acrobats, tumblers, DOS
turers. contortionists. and trainers of pet AMI
mails are busy with their rehearsals. D'ivers
Of menage horses, grooms exercising thorough
breds, the.races and other features requiring
plenty Of room. occupy the great hipprodome
space surrounding the rings and STAGES. In
the air the bar performers ere flying and som.
ersaulting to and fro. or clambering about
among roof timpers and amaze of guy ropes,
stays, and.supports, in order to make sure that
their apparatus is absolutely secure. The least
evidence OF approaching weakness Is inme-
diateiy repaired.
People ot:en complain that simultaneous
performances, below and .loft, thro ugh a vista
o block in length, have a tendency to confuse
Or rattle them. II they could catch a glimpse
Of tho scene during practice hours they would
think that the regular performance Is y COM
paratively simple affair. Maybe tho morning
show isn't quito 30 noisy, for the peanut boys
and the popcorn boys and the lemonade hoys
are absent. But there are plenty OF other
sounds to take their place. The air vibrates
with the rhythmic bangs, blasts, and crarhes
from the big band rehearsinz new music out
In the big room which sometimes serves as a
restaurant. The carpenters are busJ with re-
pairs, and the arena fairly huns with lie. But
at IL O'Clock all this must give way to another
phase of the continuous performance. AT that
hour n email army OF attendants invades the
place. Some carefully rake tho entire surface
stones which, under the pounding OF the horses
hoofs and the grinding Of the chariot wheels.
seriously cripple an acrobat to come down UPON
one ~ these little pests. After the rake brigade
men carefully level the surface and carry away
in wheelbarrows any Objectionable substances
Slss eye s 81 Sy in tue the T %afe Of thu hs' le sDsfnFaeT sn Of
next In the procession como still Others who
SKATER s|ssn ;saTd s,,r, over i .sn. arena to T FIVE Tia TIA
carpets have TO be swept and shaken and
spread in the rings and on the stages. It takes
fourteen men. Gy the way, 10 shake the cir
culir carpet for ore of the rings. but when
they Jay 1t down there isn't . speck of dirt on
While all this is gong on; other men settle
carried. They also see that the ring banks are
firm in place and their sections securely
Where they can be found quickly when wanted
and all OF :the almost countless properties
piled In their proper places. During the entire
forenoon q force OF women has been sweeping
and Era, 3IsiInGm m sas i Ss si. Of the a. yHss Hu Sns rsa51
formed ushers, and All evidences Of prepara;;
for the admission OF the public. You must re-
member, too, that all this work Of preparing
has to be repeated between the close OF the
matinee and the opening of the eseninE per-
The circus man toox a long breath.
But that isn't all. oh. dear me. no! The
n you are looking for experiences ana interest
you should 60 down into the basement where
multifarious freaks belonging to the border
line between the circus and the side show"
TO T hii S spSssrs %sa Was Ia w wss% aoos t fol his : ceb,iSs-
GUS performance OF his own, the same being In
the elm line Of ora.o,y; tr., n. hu,v ,.r,.c. .. N.
arena. Sometimes It 10 busier. In the morn
ing the principal work is tho cleaning OF the
scrapers, the swish of brooms, the splash or
Git over thereV The animals protest accord
Ing to their own particular fashion. From their
poinJ OF yiaw this cleaning business Is an Jun
miJigatod nuisance. They never learn to
like II, although the older ones finally put up
with IL with q sort OF diGniicd disgust. But
there are always plenty of them that object as
violently as thsy arc permitted TO. The pam
theirs grin savagely and hiss; the leopards glare
and make faces; the tigers gioWl and spit like
big cats: tho bears whine; the lions roar; the
hyenas give yells of sardonic laughter, and
take 1t out by biting viclonsly either one. an
other or the iron scrapers or any other thing
they can get NJ.
by the way, IL 10 a queer thing that ami
mails seem to fear a broom more than they do
any other implement. All showmen will tell
you that. Probably they are afraid OF having
their eyes put out with It. Anyway, a bear or
even a tiger VIII turn tail and run away from
q broom and, II they have escaped from their
cages, they will run back to find refuge from Q
broom whom, nothing else seems to frighten
them.. The elephants don't seem TO particular
~ object TO the cleaning, although they be-
come excited by the cries OF the other animals.
| Then they set up q aeries OF ehrill HqueAls and