The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-09
DRIVING CIRcUs.TENT PINS.
Remarkable Team work by a Gang of Men
with SIedge Hammers.

Not all of the interesting sights OF a circus
are included in those seen at the public per-
formances, by any means" said an Ola CIRCUS
goer. Il never myself saw anything more III
teresting about a circus than the unloading Oh
n big three-ring show from the cars IL travelled
in, when on the road, and the moving OF TINS OUT
nt out 10 the show grounds, and the pitching
of the tents and SO on And not the least IN
teresting thing to look Mt In all this was the
driving of the big tent pins by when the great
canvas WAS held up. That was certainly some
thing astonishing to see. I'd seen some pretty
work by drillers, three or four men with sledge
hammers standing around a drill held by another
man. and striking upon that, one after another
with an absolutely uniform and unbroken
succession Of blows. but never saw any hammer
work that began to equal this Of the circus
men driving tent pins
The tent plan had first been laid out on the
ground by a man who walked around WIN
Il steel tape, indicating the spots where the pins
were TO 20. Wherever he stopped or made a
mark a man with him stuck into the ground
a big steel skewer with Colored rag tied through
a ring in tue top. When the wagons with the
poles and pins came along pins were dropped
out around on the ground. one handy To each
OF these markers. The pins were each about
sx feet In length by an inch and "A half To two
lnfntS III OlilltNfIt WIN a. 'lihN' "'"'N w
top 10 prevent its splitting or fraying under
the hammer blows. and shod with II steel point
to preserve that end and make it easier Ia drive
the pin into the ground These giant tent pins
were to hold each a rope coming down, tpN
from the edge of the great canvas rooi ana my
must hold II securely. and 20 do that they mus
be driven deep. A. a matter OF lact, eaCh one
Of them was sunk untl only about SIX iIChSs
of IL remained above the ground F9rnldable
a task rs it might have seemed to be TO put
these pins down, they were sunk to thelr heauS
with the greatest apparent ease III coIsiuels
ably less than a minute apiece by n gang 3i
men numbering eight or ten and worklnE an
together. who moved steadily along from PIN
10 pin until the work was done.
They were stalWart men, every one, ana
supcrlntiye experts at pin driving, one pln
driven, the boss Of the gang would move 2ut
along with him and after him, each man carry
Ing a ten-pound sledgc, Picking up that next
SiaES ron r,dn TR |, nn !, snla9{ % %itb Uni it, er p"Int Where it
belonged a. indicated by the skewer WIN me
bright rag in the top. While he was doing
this the rest Of the gang would be closing w
in "a ring around him and the stake and sort OF
settling into place in n perfect formation.
When the boss had got the stake upended.
in n vertical po,ition and with the point where
II belonged he would hit IT one whack ON the
head with h- sledge. driving II n tar enough
that would leave " still ,tanding about a. tall
a. an Ordinary man. The other ,lght or nine
ring around the stake. and in the next instant
after the hammer Of the boss dropped OIL II,
the hammer of the first man To hi LETT cam"
down upon II; This mans slodgc had been going
M and over and down through The air. 10 laI
upon tn stake a. the boss stepped back.
A the ~ledge Of this first striker dropped
from the head Of the stake the -ledEe Of the
next man To him descended upon II, aud so they
went, round the circle. the hammers coming
down one after another Just A. rapidly and
~ closely together ~ they could come without
interfering. The sounds that the hammer
~'rokr- made on the stake were not like tie
beating Of u roll on a drum, exactly, bu' tney
were something Ike the drummer'~ beating
Of dud-d -mHm-my, II that conveys any idea
to YOU. just before h" m"rg"-, with a still quicker
movement. that quick succession Of strokes
into the roll Itself. Or You might say that Tor
rapidity the hammer strokes were ike me
sounds Of the buckets Of "A steamboat paddle
wheel striking the water, except that Their"
was no slowing or quickentng A. there ~ in
paddle-wheel strokes. The strokes on the ham
ner- were absolutely trIely spaced while the
only variation in sound heard here was In that
Of the stake whom struck, which varied a little
in pitch, IL Infection rising a. the stake went
down.
The strokes swept round till came the
boss turn. he had long since settled INTO ms
place in the now perfect ring, ana when his
turn Cdmp his -lpdEp descended in true Sue