Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1899-08-31
TALES OF THE TOWN.
Story of Jim Balley-BilIy COIe-The
Sells Boys.

Snowman and seer, undoubtedly
possesses more information abou
shows and showmen than any liv
ing man connected with amuse,
ment enterprises. Col. Seeley j:
a special agent of the combined
Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros
c;rcuses, which organization is
scheduled for an appearance in
this city next Thursday. James
A. Bailey, one of the most inter.
esting, picturesque and successful
arenic chieftains the world has
ever known, now in England with
the Barnum & Bailey show, is
associated with Sells Brothers and
W. w. Cole in the exploitation OF
the Forepaugh-Sells Brothers CON-
bination.
"Jim Bailey" said Col. Seeley
last night in front of Hotel Cobb
"broke into the business thirty
four years ago as bill-pOster, and
today he is far and away the great
est figure in the amusement field
of both hemispheres, and probably
doesn't know himself how much
he is worth financially. James A.
Bailey, to give him full cognomen,
is now sole owner of the Barnum-
Bailey outfit, half owner of Buffalo
Bills wild west, and has a large
interest in the Forepsugh-Sells
circus. Everybody knows of
course, that these enterprises are
the largest amusement institutions
on earth. Jim Bailey has out
Barnumed the late Phineas 7. in
every way, and the old guy
would open his eyes in amazement
if he could come back to earth and
get squint at Jim and his three
big show plants.
"And the best of il is that Bal.
ley today is the same as he was at
the start-quiet, unassuming and
democratic. Jim wears just the
same size hat he did thirty years
ago and pays about the same price
for it. The secret of his success?
Brains, originality, hustle and
strict attention to detail-the
smallest as well as the most i'm
portant.
Bailey was the first man who
had pluck enough to take a big
show around the world, and made
his first 100000 when in 1876 be
took the Cooper. Bailey circus to
Australia, India and South Ameri-
ca. He then, in 1873, bought the
English Howes- Gushing circus,
and became a formidable rival 10
Barnum. In 1881 be united his
outfit with that of Barnum, which
was the beginning of the gigantic
circuses of today"
OF w. w. Cole, Col. Seeley said:
"'Billy' Cole is more like an Epis-
copalian minister than a Snowman,
but in his way he is a wonder.
He is scholarly, dignified, dis
tinguished parsonage, who always
did and always will insist on the
highly moral and educational
value of his aggregation, and this
isn't mere buncomne; he means it.
Cole was originally schoolmaster
in the south, who somehow came
into possession of what would
nowadays be called a light-Waisted
one-ring circus. In a few years
he was the sole owner of the
Mammoth New Orleans Circus
which literally coined money on
the southern circuit. He also or.
ganized several circus enterprises
for Europe, retaining the princi-
pal ownership. Twelve years ago,
when less than 40 years Of age, be
retired from the American field
with an enormous fortune, and
only since the organization of the
Forepaugh-SeIls establishment has
he re-entered it,"
OF the Sells Brothers-Peter and
Lewis-Col. Seeley discoursed:
THE Sells boys are the typical
all-round American 'tOp-notch
hustlers, and theirs was no royal
road to success. Cleveland, Ohio,
was their jumping off place, and
they got into the show business
almost with their first long pants.
Twenty-Five years ago the boys
got together some sort of a tent
show with few freaks, a magi-
clan, bear and a couple of mon-
keys, a big drum, bigger gong,
likewise one superannusted mule
and nondescnpt wagon made by
themselves from jetsam and flot-
sam from a wagonmaker's scrap
hean and so thev startad out 70