The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-12
he does that through the instrumentality

ne does that through the ihstrumehtah'y
His duties begin. OF course. before the
public has gathered TO see the procession
that opens the circus. Under his watchful
eye this procession forms and makes its way
about the Garden. Then 1t retires and with
The ,r:t turn Of the performer rs, N the ring
The dressing rooms OF the performers
are on the Fourth avenue side OF the build
ing. The women are In the southeast
corner and the men at the opposite end: In
each Of these rooms there y long list OF
Connecting with these rooms from the
circus are two OF Mr.. Melville's electric
bells When q turn h coming to an end In
the amphitheatre he rings bell In the
dressing rooms 70 notify the Performners s
there that they must be ready within three
minutes. Usually they have gone down
stairs 70 await their turn bsfore the warning
IL sounded. After q few performances they
come to learn just the time they are due In
the ring and are able TO prepare for 1t. 80
there e little likelihood Of Q stage wait
Once the performers are in the ring, Mr..
Melville's watchful eye IL more attentive
than ever. II tries to accomplish. the
seemingly impossible task OF seeing stimuli
in every one OF the rinss.
Circus performers are not at all unlikely
TO .lie down" on some feature OF their act
IL for one reason or another they do not
feel In the mood to do all OF H.. Aerialists
sometimes like to leave out difficult SWING 1g
from one trapeze to another, and the lady
rider will jump over fewer hurdles II she
believes abe WIN not be detected In the
omission.
This came willingness to shirk the most
difficult work u they. are not kept up TO it
Vile Is expected TO see that they do not get
the opportunity. The first time they are
warned, and the second they must pay .
fine.
an important part Of his performance that
after the second offence he was compeled
to pay q fine Of 13s II he had explained
beforehand that he was III or had any other
reason for not doing what was expected
Of him. nothing would have been said q; ~ As
performance through lazinees. -,
Mr.. Melvile's third bell connects with
the conductor of the brass band. and It is
used to warn him that the psychological
moment for q change in the music has ar
rived. The other night he was talking to
The SUN reporter in the corridor outside
the ring when the snake charrner clown
received his customary laughter ard APP
plause. These died away. Immediately the
m9i pshs sh1nssS i'd 70 Ve,y Sahs~a athoush
the expr ssion sounded mild for q circus
man. my. assistant touched the he'll too
late. That music should IN We been changed
while the audience was still laughing 30 y
could have heard the new music when II
stopped. That would have kept the people
In good humor and they would have not
had TO begin all over again, as they VIII
now
OF such things are Mr.. Melville's princi-
pal N sponsibilitiss: They ell help to make
the circus what II Il. Every move u care :
fully calculated in advance and must 30
Accumulated In lust the right way II tho
full effect IN 10 be had.
The exact system Of conducting the prog
ress Of the circus has it's effects even out
side the view Of the public. Even In the
entrances there IL not the lsast confusion:
Only those performs rs AVA iting their turns
are allowed to stand In the entrances for
Ave minutes before they appear. Others
are fined II the y are found there.
The result Ia the prese noe OF only a lew
persons at a time. The horses trot down
the runway into the be- ment docilely
The men and women part TO 60 to their
dr. seing rooms as their SUCCESSORS enter
the ring. Everything behind the scenes
at the circus IA as methodical and exact as
Il In In view Of the public.