The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-30
ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE
WORLD.
Combined Adam Forepaugh and Sell
Brothers Circuses.

The combined Adam Forepaugh &
Sells Brothers circuses will show here to-
morrow and Raleigh will have many
thousand visitors to witness the perform
ances 1t is one of the three largest cir
cuses in the world.
The following summary will convey
an idea of its magnitude. The huge tent
ed outfit is moved from town to town on
seventy -four cars. all of which are sixty
feet in length and require four of the
most powerful locomotives ever built to
haul them. These cars are owned by the
show management and were built espe-
cially for them by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company. Experts pronounce it
the finest railroad equipment ever owned
by circus establishment. In addition
to the cars used in transporting the
show plant there are four advance adver-
Using cars, they, too being the property
Of the circus.
The number of employees in various
capacities is legion. The list is as fol-
lows: Twenty-Five agents, eighty bill
posters, $50 canvas men, 125 grooms,
| forty property men. twenty wardrobe
men. twelve chandelier men, forty razor
backs or train men, thirty-fve cook
house men, fifty animal men, fifteen din
| ing car men, twelve sleeping car porters,
300 equestrains, acrobats, vaulters, gym
nasts and other arenic performers, and
| Merrick's military band of forty must
clans. Then there are the jockeys and
charoteers of the hippodrome, and
| Alexander McGregor's big contingent of
Scotch athletes. The executive staff ac-
| complaining the show is unusually com
plete 1t includes a manager with eight
assistants, a treasurer with 4 assistants
boss canvasman with eight assistants,
a boss h0stler with six assistants, a SUI
lperintendent of transportation. a superin-
tendent of menagerie. a museum superin-
tendent. and two Pinkerton detectives.
The side show and concert people number
eighty five.
The management of the Forepaugh-
| Sells combination comprises the world
| five leading figures in gigantic amuse-
ments, viz: James A. Bailey, now i'll
England with the Barnuni- Bailey show,
the famous Sells Brothers, and w. w.
| Cole, who formerly operated brilliantly
in tented exhibitions in this country, but
who for the past ten years has conduc-
ted circuses in Paris, Berlin, and Vienna
Mr. Cole only recently returned from
Europe to take an active interest in
the Forepaugh-Sells establishment, which
is said to be bigger in every way than
any thing ever exploited by Barnum in
| his palmy days. The actual daily ex.
penses, rain or shine, are $1,000. Peter
Sells is the advance manager, and Lewis
Sells has the immediate direction of the
| big tented outfit. The general offices
and headquarters of the show are al
Madison Square Garden. New York.
The Forepaugh-Sells Federation is the
only important circus aggregation that
will visit this section of the country
this season. It's only possible rival,
the Barnum-Bailey show. is now in Eng
land. The route Of Buffalo Bills WILD
West has been shaped so as not to in
clude any towns played by Forepaugf
and Sells.
There can be little hazahr In predicting
a right reception for the huge Fore
paugh-Sells combination on the occasion
| of its visit here tomorrow. All the
country hereabout will be in town to
participate in the big holiday. which
| bids fair to be the most notable gala
event in local history.