The Forrest City times., 1900-02-02
CIRCUS WINTER QUARTERS
Towns That Are the Favorite Loea. tion of the shows for the
 Winter Season.

The circus season in the United States
 tand in no other country of the world
 is the circus so distinctive and profit
 able form of recognized public amuse-
 menO begins in the spring with the | first thaw and ends with the first frost.
 Between these periods is the season of
 "w.nter quarters" There are direct | ly and indirectly 10000 persons con- nected with the circus business in the United States. equestrians, trainers, ac-
 robats, hostlers, keepers, wardrobe
 women and veterinarians. and the army
 of managers. agents. ushers, litho-
 graphers, ''side-showmen," candy
 butchers" as they are technically
 called, toots, purchasing agents and
 canvas men. Almost proverbially fig
 ures relating to circus business. its ex- | tent and the programmes of managers
 are exaggerated. but with 40 estab-
 lished circus concerns in the country
 and with an average of 200 employees
 each, total of 5000 is attained, to
 which, no doubt. an addition of 2.000
 can be made for those who, while draw | ing their livelihood from circuses. do
 not travel with them, but serve in a business way at home, or supply them with materials.
 The American circus season opens al different times in various parts of the country as to climatic conditions. which
 vary considerably. Ii is begun earlier
 in the south and later in New England
 and the northwest. With the close of | the circus season the managers with draw their forces into what are known as "winter quarters" for the care and
 sustenance of the animals. and partic- | ularly for the horses who constitute
 such an important feature of circus life. A portion of the staff of employees | finds work Cat half salaries during the winter months) either in caring for the
 animals, renovating the wagons and | cages or in freshening and renewing | the costumes. Ohio. notable as well | in some other particulars. is the fa- vorite state for the winter quarters of
 circuses. though western states are | generally preferred for the reason that | better forage appears to be attainable | in them at more satisfactory prices. Columbus. Cincinnati, Geneva. Lancas- 1 ter, Wapakoneta and Terrace Park. O.,
 are six winter quarters" in that state. | Some other towns in the west where ] circuses have their period of hiberna- ton are Peru, Ind; Fort Wayne, Ind; | Aurora, Neb.; Baraboo. Wis: Webster l City, la; Argentine. Kan: Fairbury, | Neb.; Des Moines. Concordia. Bloom l .ngton, Ill.; Muscatine, Ia, and St. 1 Louis
 For many years the winter quarters of the Barnum circus was at Bridge l port. and two circuses now utilize that
 convenient and accessible city for win ter quarters. The lack of income from l entertainments during the winter sea-
 son and the continuance. though much | diminished, of expenses is one of the
 reasons for the somewhat precarious ! character of the circus business, ey- cept in the case of very large shows we'll
 supplied with capital to carry them
 over during this period when public | interest in circus entertainments is vir- tually suspended. Some efforts have 1 been made. but never successfully. to | establish indoor circus entertainments
 in winter, but the circus in this country | is summer amusement. and when
 warm weather ceases the period of win-
 ter quarters is at hand.-N. |. Sun.