Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-07-16
4 FEATURE OF IHE CIRCUS
Which the General Public Does Not
See.
THE LOADING OF THE TRAINS AS
INTERESTING AS Air FEA-
TURE OF A SHOW, EVEN AS BIG
AS FOREPAUGH AND SELLS
BROTHERS COMBINATION.

The general public pays half dollar
to see a circus programme after the
whole plant is in position and ready for
popular inspection-and, as a whole it
is worth the money. 81
There ARE other features connected
with circus, however, not intended
for the observation of the masses, and
yet to see which is worth quite as
much money as the rendition of the
prepared bill.
One of these is the arrival and I'M
loading of big show, another is care
full inspection of the work of the men
who perform the details, their manner
of life, their hardships. perils and rough
pleasure, and third is the re-loading
of the show on the many long trains of
cars, and the several preparations for
departure from one city to another.
II Such scene as the last was in opera
ton for four or five hours on Water
street, last night, between the hours of
nine o'clock and one this morning, and
attracted an audience of from two to
three hundred people, many ladies be-
ing present, and probably a thousand
individuals were spectators from time
to time from the opening to the close
of the performance"
A show such as that here yesterday
requires from sixty to eighty cars, and
they are big fellows, sixty to seventy
feet long each, and ranging from open
fiat cars to sleepers. These as whole
make up a train which has to be run
In from five TO eight sections, and as
the whole goes as an extra, itrequires
considerable manipulation of railroad
schedules, calculated to put few ad-
ditional gray hairs ON the scalp of the
ordinary train dispatcher. This is
aside from the main issue, however,
which is the system in vogue as to the
actual loading of the cars, and the
operation is most interesting sight,
and one we'll worthy of study.
After the night performance is opened
up the menagerie is the first section to
be broken up, and while the audience is
in the big tent enjoying the varied pro-
gramme of amusements, the animal vans,
which have been preceded by the cooking
and general outfit. is started for the trains.
The cars have been arranged in proper or
der, by sections, and each is under the
management of boss, with general SUI
perintendent over all, who possesses in a
magnified degree all the characteristics
and attributes of a first mate on a big
boat, this necessarily including copious
command of profanity,
AS the wagons arrive at the loading
point, which extends over two to four
squares according to the conveniences at
command, the teams approach the trains
in pre-arranged order. A gang of men
unhitch the horses, which run from two
TO dozen to wagon, the heavy tongues
and double-trees are dropped, and removed
and cared for by special gang of men,
while the driver mounts one of the rear
horses and starts his team in the general
direction of the horse cars, whittier prob
ably one hundred horses have preceded
him. The wagon falls into the hands of
gang of men, who hook rope running
through snatch block, to the vehicle, and
a big team runs 1t up an incline onto the
first car The tackle is at once unlocked
but is Immediately replaced by that of a
second team which propels the wagon
perhaps a half-dozen car lengths and is
followed in turn by third tackle, which
takes the vehicle to its final car on the
train.
Meanwhile the horses have proceeded
~ the horse train, and something like this
opens:
Hey. you. - you! Where are you
going? <hat is your carp
mo 32''
- - your fool soul! Don't you know
where your car is? Get back there. Get
out of the way. Find out where your car
Is, you - 49,! Get off that horse and
get your hay!"
Where's they hay?"
Gear Is, - you. Don't you put horse
IN that car till you get your hay.'
(To another)-"Get along with that hay!
Hustler
(To thrd)-"Got your hay scattered?
Blank you. fix that hay up. Don't you