Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1899-09-21
A GREAT MANAGER.
THE GIGANTIC WALLACE
SHOWS: WHAT THE CIR
Gus USED TO BE,
The Orphans Not Forgotten: They VIII
See the Circus From Beginning to
End"-So Says Mr.. Franklin.

W bat changes time bring In ,
little more than a generation ago
the travelling circus was Ia small
affair ao1 attracted compara. lively
little notice except in zhe sL.sliel
towns ard rural districts.
Moreover, by many it was con.
sidered not only the improper
thing to go to the circus, but
many feared for the safety of their
persons and their pockets. And
their fears were often well founded.
But the little travelling show
travelling by country roads, or 6
few railroad cars, has passed
away, and it now requires two OF
three special trains composed OF
immense cars, owned by the show,
to convey the little army of peo-
ple, hundreds of horses, SCORES of
cages of wild beasts, and the mar
velous amount of paraphe, MALTA
necessary for the great shows.
Nowadays, instead OF nanic
and disorder, and a set of r. .ghs,
visitors to great show Ike the
Wallace Shows, receive ju. as
much consideration and oiite
treatment as at the largest dry
goods stores, or the most elegant
millinery shop.
A great modern circus is little
world within itself.
The man who manages and di-
ects the Wallace Shows is a Ma
polean.
His name is W. E. Franklin.
He was in Goldsboro as mar ager
of the Robinson-Franklin Show
two years ago: end we'll do our
people remember the fine per-
formance end the superb marage-
ment. Polite ushers quietly and
gentlemanly seated the visitors,
and if a person stood up in front
Of another, immediately he was
politely told that every person
must be seated so as not to incon-
venience anyone else.
Any little man can look after
the big things in the management
of an enormous establishment, but
it takes an executive giant like w.
E. Franklin to quietly, aud ap-
parently without strain, see to
even the smallest details. HI W ouId
have made a great general,
Bat aside from his great abil-
ity as a manager, Mr.. Franklin
loves the great common people,
loves to give those who can pay
the best show possible for a small
sum of money, and realizing the
fact that thousands are unable to
pay even the small price of ad-
mission, it is Mr.. Frankl1n's de.
light to make the street parade
grand free pageant, SO as t. make
glad the hearts of rich ana poor
alike.
When the Robinson-F Fran alin
Show was here, two years ago, the
editor of the ARGUS invited Mr..
Franklin to ride out to the Odd
Fellows Home, in the suburbs of
this city. It was touching to see.
this man of affairs, this man with
the responsibility of hundreds of
thousands of dollars, and Aun-
dreds of lives resting upon his
shoulders, talking to the fathe less
children at the Orphan i me,
speaking words Of encouragement
to them, actually taking tins to
60 to the barn to show the chill
dren how to milk cows, and then
inviting them to come to the Cir
Gus.
Mr.. Franklin has not forgotten
Goldsboro and the orphans. He
has just written a letter to- the
ARGUS saying: "Tsll the children
at the Orphan Home, the circus is
coming and they shall see it from
beginning to end;" and, that ''the
show IS going to be clean, high
class and up-to-date in every par
tlcular. - The ARGUS man
knows that what Mr.. Franklin
says can be relied upon,
September 26 is the date.
The great success of Ohamberlain's