The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-06-26
SOBRIETY SUCCEEDS.
A Circus Man Gives Some Inside
Information.


agent of the Wallace Show, which is
to ex hibit in this city June q was in
the city yesterday. Next to Mr..
Wallace, Mr.. Franklin's position is
the most important with the show.
He is the man that routes the show
and has exclusive charge of the ad-
vance department.
Mr.. Franklin was raised on an Ill
inois farm. When young man he
secured position with the Pinkerton
Dete ctive Agency of Chicago. While
employed by them he was assigned
to do duty with the p. T. Barnum
circus 1t was while with that show
that he met one j. E. Warner, who
was about to put out Warmers
Grand Opera Circus" Mr.. Warner
enga ged Mr.. Franklin, and from that
day to this, twenty. five years, he has
filled all kinds of positions with var. |
ious shows, from four horse driver
to that of proprietor and manager.
and for four seasons he has been the
general agent of the great Wallace
Show, which is undoubtedly the most
popular and pleasing circus on the
road.
Most people would suppose that
circus people would come from the
cities. Such is not the case All of
the successful circus owners and
managers we're country lads. They
seem to be more substantial and
better enabled to endure the neces-
sary wear of body and mind.
Speaking of the essential qualifica-
lions which should be possessed by
one who wishes to be an agent or
bust ness manager of circus, Mr..
Franklin emphasized sobriety. A
man must be sober, and have a clear,
active mind 1t is useless for dis
sip ated person to apply for such
posi- ton. Mr. Franklin does not use
liq uors or tobacco in any form, and
he maintains that the fewer bad
habits a man has, the better are his
cha noes. All of the successful show
men were temperate men.
About one-half of the expenses of
a big show like Wallace's is con-
sum ed by the advertising depart
ment. No matter how strong or
grand a circus and menagerie may
be, if it is not thoroughly advertised
it will fail. Paper used to cost 10
cents a sheet, with extra prices for
coIored ink. That is all changed
now. Papers only cost one-fifth as
much, with no extra charge for
col ored ink. But where there were
only a couple of ways to advertise,
now there are dozen different ways,
and the successful Snowman uses all
of them. OF course, the newspaper is
the old standby, and it's service Is
highly beneficial to show. There is
no way of demonstrating which
particu lar kind of advertising pays
the cir Gus the best. 1t is advisable
to use them all.
The size of circus crowd is al
ways over-estimated, generally two
to one. II the size of the crowds and
the receipts of q circus were what
most people believe, the circus
proprietor would go out Of business
after two seasons.
Con including, Mr.. Franklin said
"As long as children are born to men
and women, 30 long will the circus
exist. 1t is the popular amusement
of the country. Cosmopolitan in
character, it provideslsomething for
all sorts and conditions Of people. II
is also great educational factor. A
child, when it is grown up, will re-
member its first circus "
Many people say that when you
have seen one circus you have seer
them all" but il they will attend the
Wallace show when it exhibits in
Oskaloosa, June 81, they will prob
ably see that they are wrong, ant
that Mr.. Franklin is right. There isf
vast difference.