The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-31
STARTING OUT A CIRCUS.
GLIDING THE BAND WAGONS AND
BATHING THE ELEPHANTS.

The SeIIs-Gray Aggregation VIII
Open in Savannah Saturday With
Two Performances Everything
10 Has Been Renovated at a Cost of
$1,000 - Animals VIII BE Trans
ferred to Performing Cages This
Week-Tent VIII be Erected and
Dress Rehearsals VIII Take Place
ON ThursdRy-Thc Vicious Jaguar
"JOe" and How Trainer Hall Ham
dies Him-The Elephant Queen"
Is Not mt All Troublesome and Is
Valued at $4,000.
Few persons who go to a circus and
look through menagrie stop to think of
the treatment the animals receive during
| the winter season. when they are not on
the road. Then the iron cages are mark
ed showing to what species the inmates
| belong, the animals appear ferocious and
! vicious enough, and few stop to wonder
| If they are as active at all season OF the
year. The elephant is restless and his
trunk is constantly pushed into the crowd
in a mute appeal for an apple or some
pinders. His hide is thick and ugly, but
there is not a crack in it and few know
that this is because Of his treatment dur
ing the winter. A heavy chain holds him
to a stake, as big around as a mans body.
The big and clumsy beast seems content
ed enough as he keeps time to the music
of the band and no thought is given of
his conduct during the months when he
is enjoying his rest and is not on exhi-
bftion.
In the big tent, probably, every seat is
occupied. The first thought that occurs
to one is that the proprietors have made
fortune at a single performance, so
large is the crowd. The horses in
the three rings appear to enjoy their
work. and the clowns seem tckled to
death at the part they play. To the man
on the seat the entire affair appears like
frolic for the animals and performers.
He sees the surface of circus life and u
is dazzling.
During the past winter Savannah has
been the camping site for full fiedged
circus, menagerie and all, and those who
desired had an opportunity of seeing how
an aggregation of this sort prepares for
the summer or road" season. The Will
lam Sells and James Gray United Shows
are located at the government hospital
site. Their brief stay here has cost them
IN rOunQ NUMBERS $o,VOU. mat mucn money
has been expended without a penny hav-
ing gone into the treasury, and next sat
urday the circus will begin its season,
and the proprietors will start in to get
their money back. Every day is not a
good one, and sometimes for weeks bad
weather prevents the attendance OF even
a sufficient number of people to pay the
running expenses of the aggregation. 1t
costs just 1880 to run the Sells-Gray
show for one day.
The animal keeper is about the most in
teresting individual connected with cir
Gus aggregation and Trainer Richard Hall
of the Sells-Gray combination is no ex-
ception to the rule. His stock of informa-
ton does not stop with the animals under
his care, and he knows as much about
the band wagons, with mirrors, and the
chariots, used in the Roman races, as he
does about the big elephant, Queen.
Elephants cost a good deal of money
and trained animals are quite expensive
affairs. Sells & Gray value their elephant
/ at 5000, and Keeper Hall says that he
beast is worth fully that. Queen con-
sumes $50 pounds of hay and three pecks
/ of corn or oats daily, and, too, has a
| small appetite. Her temper is good and
I during her stay in Savannah she has
done very little damage Only twice
has she broken the door to her
quarters and prowled around the grounds.
A word from Keeper Hall at each time