The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-05-16
ARRIVAL. OF THE CIRCUS.
Unloading the Cars-Erecting the
Tents Feeding the Employees and
Animals. Etc.
From the Philadelphia Ledger, May 4,


avenues. There were many tents, of
course, but the big tent for the grand per
Torrance lowered over the others ike a
giant oak over sapling. When darkness
fell the fifteen acres were covered with the
largest expanse of canvas ever used BY a
circus.
1t was the first time the Barnum Il
Bailey Circus has been on railroad in
America for years, having been showing
in Europe for the last five years. Every
article in the circus is new, from the 5000
tent stakes to the 81 cars that transport
the caravan, making a continuous train
three quarters of a mile long. The wagons,
chariots, even the harness of the draught
horses, are new, and with the exception
of last week run in Brooklyn have never
been used before.
SOME OF THE ANIMALS.
The first section carried the wagons con-
tanning the seats, tent poles, canvas and
cars with the &c elephants, herd of 20
camels and other animals, including the
zebras and Shetland ponies, one Of which,
Speck, is no larger than good sized dog
A wagon drove on the ground and a
bundle of canvas was thrown out, which
was promptly put up, to the accompani-
ment of the driving of stakes, five men
hammering at each one, that sounded like
a rolling tattoo. 1t was the eating tent
and few years ago would have been
thought large for the principal circus
Twelve hundred persons are fed at one
time.
The feeding of the 1900 circus employees
is one of the most wonderful features OF
the circus. The mess tent is always the
first one put up. The cooking wagon,
which is wonderful oontrivanee, pre-
cedes the tent The wagon looks like an
ordinary circus vehicle, with its red sides
and white wheels but when the sides are
lowered large stove is disclosed. The
stove is divided into eight ranges, which
are in constant use from daylight to dark
ness, with five cooks preparing the 3OOo
pounds of meat and the vegetables that
are served each day On either side Is the
butcher tent, the pastry tent and the 90
barrels Of potatoes that form part OF the
daily menue.
ALL Eat IN THE TENT.
When meal time arrives there Is rush
for the mess tent, where everybody from
Mr.. Bailey to the hunblest workman eats.
The breakfast hour is $50, lunch at ii
O clock and dinner at T. 30, after the aft
ernoon performance, For the performers
dinner there is always soup, Ash, two
meats, vegetables and coffee or tea aud
dessert. For the tentmen and other work
men the meal is the same, except that
there is only one meat served. There Is No
limit 10 the quantity Coffee aud tea are
the only beverages permitted, and Of the
former !40 gallons is served each meal,
and Of tea about 90 gallons. One Thousand
loayes of bread are consumed each day
For the animal trainers aud Others who
are unable to get TO the afternoon dinner,
a midnight dinner Is served. Then the
canvas city sleeps.
All the foodstuffs are bought by conf
tract. To obviate any difficulty in obtain /
ing meats, a refrigerator wagon, capable
of containing five tons Of meat, Is carried.
The meals are served BY FIFTY uniformed
walters, who get the articles direct from
the cooks. each taking his turn at the
stand where the cooks preside
After the mess tent Is raised other
smaller tents are put up. Meanwhile the
head tentman Is walking about the lot,
casting his eye over the expanse, and cal
calating to u foot where every pole is to
be. He walks about with handful Of
flags, very similar to surveyor flags, and
sticks red ones in some places, for the
main poles, aud circle of white ones for
the outer poles. Everything Is placed as
accurately as if it had been laid ont with
an instrument.
PUTTING UP TIKI BIG TENT.
By this time the wagons containing the
seats are on the ground, and placed with
their respective sections just where they
viii be when the tent Is put up The seats
are dumped out and the wagons driven
away. Then the poles are placed IN posi-
ton and raised, and the canvas, like a
mantle of white, spread on the ground.
The sections are laced together, and with
tugging and pulling the tent that viii
cover the three rings and three stages and
seats for IA, 500 Is raised. The sides are
soon put up The placing Of the seats re
quires but little time
While the seats are being arranged other
workmen are busy hanging the aerial APP
paratus and getting ready the rings and
stages. Instead Of the old fashioned tuTi
bank rings the circles are banked with
wooden cOntrivanees.
1t is all a wonderful system, each person
having particular thing to do. In three
hours the entire caravan Is under canvas.
Ia as many hours it can be taken down,
packed, placed ON the ears and the foul
sections started for another place Tbs
entire grounds will he lighted by electric
ity from plant carried with the circus
displacing the old gasoline torches anc
making the tents bright as day.
The animals were the centre Of interest
As the elephants trooped across the lot Il
the water trough, where they drank anC
snorted and beloved, they went in pairs
In following each other those behind caugh
the tail of the one in front with his trunk
and so walked about, virtually elephan
linked
The biggest elephant in the herd is Co
lumbia, who strangely enough, was know
years ago as the Baby Elephant. Go
lumbia has bad temper, and will have 4
be killed soon. In the elephant herd ar
seven baby elephants, not any highe
than the Shetland ponies The zehras
llamas and camels and dromedaries wer'
all tethered in little clump Of trees
The larger animals, comprising the me
nagerie, were kept in the cages,
One of the features of each perform
anee is the largest spectacular production
ever produced, ''The Tribute of Balkis,
in which 600 persons take part, under tn
personal direction Of Bolossy kiralfy, tn
originator of many recent spectacles.
Mrs. Sarah Chilcoat Brooks, widow o
Daniel Brooks, of Belfast, Eighth dis
trict, Baltimore county, died of old age Of
the .ftarnoon of : nril 3 AT the home of he