The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-17
CIRCUS DAY HERE.
Some of the Intricacies of Being
Circus Man Explained.
Journal Reporter Watches the
Unloading Process.
WORK FOR EVERYONE
Men Who Travel With Show
Must Be Active.
No DrOnes Are Tolerated by
the Ringlings.
Getting Ready For the Big
Street Pageant.
WORK FOR EVERYONE

1t was just7 o'clock Wednesday morn
ing when the first of the three sections
of Ringling's show, or circus as it might
be called, pulled past the Union Paclhc
depot in North Topeka and 20 minutes
later the first wagon ran down the
skids from the cars and started for the
show grounds on Topeka avenue and
Fourteenth street.
It's like clock work, the unloading OF
a circus. The first section of 20 cars
of horses and tent and pole wagons
stops. The cars for horses are un-
coupled from the fiat cars, carrying the
wagons, and pulled ahead so feet to
allow the wagons to be run off. One by
one of the teamsters and razor backs,
as the railroad hands are called, come
tumbling out of the bunk cars, and
from other places as well, for they sleep
most anywhere; on the fiat cars, under
the wagons and on top of the canvas
wagons-not bad beds either with ten
feet of soft canvas under their backs.
They make rather hasty toilets, If they
make any at all, and go to work at
once. The teamsters run to the horse
cars and as soon as the train stops the
teams of two, four, six and eight horses
file out and down the gang planks.
The drivers single out their teams,
mount the wheel horses and drive them
to the south side of the tracks, out OF
the way of the men who are unloading.
Two teams of heavy horses are used IN
unloading. On the rear of each
wagon is a heavy ring. Into that ring
a hook, on the end of a heavy rope, is
attached. The rope is run around
windlass and with the teams pulling
them off and the windlaSs keeping them
from running down too fast the heavy
wagons are unIoaded. AS soon as they
reach the ground team of stout horses
iS h fO hR and
are pulled out of the way. Then the
drivers hitch onto the wagons and start
for the show grounds. After seeing one
wagon unlOaded the whole show, as far
as that is concerned, has been seen. The
second section with more horses and
more wagons arrives few minutes be-
hind the first section and then the third
with the elephants and menagerie, ac-
tors, actresses and business department
arrived. The trains are divided as be-
fore and the work of unloading re-
sumed.
The first men to leave the trains to-
day were Lee Coleman and George
Heser, the architects" of the show.
With a small force of men they leave
at once for the show grounds. The men
carry bundles of wire stakes with red,
white and blue flags. Under the direc-
tion of the architects, the laborers
commence laying out the grounds as
soon as they were reached. 1t was but
a few moments until the grounds were
covered with the stakes with little
soon as the tents were placed the
wagons begin to arrive.
AS the driver of each wagon comes
he looks the ground over, notices the
position of the flags and then without
asking any questions drives his wagon
Immediately to it's proper place and un-
bitches his horses, goes back after an
other load. Each driver makes two
trips. hauling two wagons to the
grounds. Then comes the parade and
after that rest until the show breaks
Next to the architects and their lay
out gang comes the 'sledge gang"
They follow the rows of flags, driving the
heavy wooden stakes for the tents. In
gangs of eight they start the stakes
and then, zip, zip, zip the heavy sledgeS
fall on the tops of the stakes following
each other so close that it seems like a
gigantic alarm clock going off. The
eight men are gathered in a circle
around the stakes and it takes barely
a minute for the heavy sledges to drive
the stakes two and three feet into the
ground.
Then comes James Jordan, the ''boss
canvas man." with his 130 men. They
make "the spread" That is spreading
sections together ready for the raise
The tent is fiat the ground and at
the signal from Jordan up it goes.
While all this is going on Mr.. Tenn
mer, the United States mail man. is
going around with his little pouch of
mail. distributing it among those who
are lucky enough TO receive letters or
papers. He is a much sought after in
diVidual.
Then a long line of well groomed and !
handsome horses come in double file to |
the grounds, led by Robert Meeks, su-
perintendent of ring stock. They are |
taken care of inside the horse tent.
Then the sideshow wagon arrives. The |
driver loses no time in making for the |
proper place, unhitches his horses and |
goes back for another load. The side |
show hands go to work pulling out the |
canvas. stakes, poles and all that goes |
with the side attraction.
Then the big top wagon that is |
the wagon carrying the big tent ar |
rives. A few articles. such as sIedges |
and other things equally as heavy, are |
piled on top, and a good load it is for |
eight horses. The driver looks for the |
stakes with the red flags and goes on |
The menagerie tent is marked out by |
blue flags, the big tent by red, the kim |
etoscope tent by black and the side
show by red and blue The cook house |
is known by yellow flags.
The pole wagon with the large. blue |
center poles. jacks which resemble saw
horses for the seats, wheelbarrows, the
stake pullers and plows arrive. George |
Stump drives the big top pole wagon /
and he is an adept at the business.
With pavements and good roads he only |
needs eight horses; but if they were |
bad he would handle sixteen horses
and he is capable of handling the reins
over twenty-four. He is the best man
to handle horses that is with the show
and is paid $50 a month. If ne stays an
entire year with the mana cement he /