The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-15
TALE NO. III.
Tho Balloon Goes Up at Chattanooga.

There are hoo-doo towns and hoo-dpo
towns But of all the hoo-doo towns on the
map Clinton. Iowa, Is the %o pssss Agent as
the members of the Society OF Ex-Iroopers
gathered for their weekly session and the con-
versaton taking directon from t the we is}nrs
tunes incident to touring the country Win
the little red wagons
There never was town that coulo peat
this town of Clinton, Iowa, for pure, un,
mitigated hoo dooism and have seen lew,
the Reformed Press Agent continued gu
all remember how it was with the Forepaugn
show good many years ago before IL was
consolidated with the Sells OUTFIT
"Old Adam Forepaugh had brought over
from England the three Hanlons, aerlallsts'
They did a neat return act which was con- con-
siderable of a novelty for those days. Two
of them did the flying work and the third, the
biggest OF the team. did some regular trapeAe
easiest of the lot and they always worked
with a net under them, but at Clinton, this
same Clinton, Iowa, was telling you ABOUT,
the crane his trapeze was fastened TO proke
and when he fell he missed the net and broke
his neck That's what Clinton. Iowa, did for
the Hanlons and they are not the only ones.
."I could tell you a whole lot more, only
you all know that tho town is such hoo-doo
that no one wants to show it any more !
see the Wallace show went there TINS year
but am willing to gamble that the OLD man
didn't breathe easy while he was In the town.
and I am inclined to believe that 1t was
Clinton, Iowa, that caused the wreck az
VI
else the show was carrying yellow dog"
The Ex-Treasurer Cuts In.
well, there is certainly such thing as
hard luck in the show business the ex-
treasurer remarked. Its just great Dig
gamble, this circusing You're up and you're
times in a season. Maybe the rain follows you
and maybe it's drought, or just plain opposi-
ton, with a show cutting in ahead ana a
show cutting In behind But it doesn't take
limo II roake ar break in the show business.
1.-The Forepaugh -Sells show cleaned up
$500, 900 in twenty Eight weeks last season, but
ever expect to have season like that again.
The show may drop as much this year II tne
rain follows them into Texas. This has been
big season for all of 'em under canvas. Al
most everybody has missed the rain and there
is all sorts OF money in the country, but WIN
the punk, one-show stands the Forepaush-
Sells is making since it went back into Mich
1gan, and a month Of bad weather after 1t
C crosses Mason and Dixon's line they can come
out away behind this year just as lots OF EN-
But while you gentlemen are dscoursine
on the tremendous difficulties incident tc
lodging hard luck in the show business ano
losing money south of the Mason and Dixon
line, let me remark that 1 was once identified
with an aggregation, the proprietor OF Whlct
eventually distinguished himself by steal
pany penniless under the shadow OF Lookout
mountain" This small bomb in the camr
OF the eX-trOOperS was CnTOWn ny Tue IeSeu
Grated wind TANNER and commanded 1mmed1
ate attention.
''The old man stole his own show you say
and left the sang on the hog away down II
Dixie? Tell this weird tale, said the Re
formed Press Agent, president Of the society
He Stole His Own Show.
Being thus encouraged the regenerated wint
TANNER entered upon his tale:
'It could not have happened with any othe
show than the united outfit and 1t couldn'
have happened with that trick If it hadn'
been for the peculiar history of the aggrega
ton.
~~ ''This time that the show makes it's grea
getaway is the second season it has been OF
the road The old man breaks into the bust
ness in the season Of 1892. Like Ben Wal
lace he was a liveryman and knew good dec
about stock, but unlike our esteemed friend
Uncle Ben he thought more of getting hi
face on a three-sheet Autograph and Of swell
e. ing around the top during the big show thai
he did Of watching the money and the from
door. He started in with hundred hors
p. wagon show, charging so cents thru 1llinoi
and west, and tho it was heart-breakn
season he was game and everybody was pal
up in full. You know how a play like tina
will get around in the business and max
the show strong with the profession. So yo
!. see 1t wasn't strange that when this ange
person opened the season of 1893 with
twelve car railroad show, running two ring
and a hippodrome and carrying trained ee
plants and pretty good layout that the pee
pie of good salaries should be with him.
Z. Being an angel, the old man had eyidentl
r. booked the people with his eyes shut. We di
big business on the opening because the. oil
man was strong in his home town. But th