Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-10-19
EVOLUTION CT THE sPiELER.
How Che calling Has Been Elevated
He Of the Hysterical Trousers and
the RedoIent Breath No Longer
Seen in Front of First-class Shows.

To the average visitor the different
sspielers' at a carnival are not the
least of the attractions than interest.
Their energetic efforts to interest he
clowds thai gather in front 81 their
different shows. the ingenious meth
DDS Of attracting ANA holding the at
tention Of those that gather outside
are a source of much amusement and
diversion TO the sightseer.
The many shows and attractions Of
the Talbott-Whitney Carnival com
pany which opens at the big fall car
nival and merchants street fair to be
held here on October %. suggested an
interview with Geo. w. Witkov, pro
moter of the carnival company who
has had years Of experience in cx-
plotting street fairs, carnivals and ex
positions.
Asked for his opinion yesterday Of
sspielers' in general and those of his
aggregation in particular. Mr.. Witkov
said:
1T is a very delicate subject, for as
a class, spielers are rather conceited
and each one thinks he Is the top
notch class, There are spielers and
spielers as in every other calling, and
that some have more ability than 9th
els, IS a self-eyiaent fact. ! viii say,
howeyer,that there DIS a vast improve
ment noticeable III the personnel as
well as the ability Of the modern 'exz
terror exponent, Is compared with
his photograph Of a decade hack
They were then called 'barkers and
were as a rule illiterate. coarse fel-
lows, whose brazen ~aadacity and pain
full lack of ~yeraeity were their distin.
gushing traits. They were sloyenly
in dress, lacking in elementary gram
mar, and their breath was reaolent
of bad whiskey and tobacco.
but today! Time has wrought
change in the character and ability of
the spielers. The managers I all in
their power to elist the serylNs of
talented young men Of good apHear-
a ce, who can use good language and
hI.sily explain, without too much ex-
aggeration, the features of their
shows.
The salary is quite liberal and often
tempts young men to abandon the le-
gal, medical and other professions 10
adopt the calling Of a show spieler.
Hence it is that many really bright
and clever young fellows are seen on
the outside of a show with a mega.
phone in one hand and a kid glove
in the other.
There are several celebrities
among the spielers with the Talbot
Whitney Carnival company. There is,
for instance, Roy Bradshaw of the "Old
Plantation who has an alluring and
persuasive power which tends to keep
his show full Of people. Roy vas a
student for the ministry in Edinburg,
Scotland.
ED Levy, who is in front OF the
Glass Palace, was an %auctioneer when
the opening Of the worlds fair at Chi
cago changed his vocation to that Of
a spieler. since which time Eds So
ductive voice has been heard at the
midwinter fair in San Francisco: the
Omaha exposition, the Pan-American
at Buffalo, and for several years he
was chief of the big Bos.
took animal shows. He has a very loud
voice, and enunciates his words
so clearly as to be heard
distinctly amid the loudest din
and confusion Of any midway.
Louie Corbeal Of the great ami.
NAL show ranks high as a general
announcer, and his experience with
the Ringlings, Barnum and other
big shows has given him quite q repr.
tation.
"Al Whitney Of the Lolita show is
one OF the hardest workers on our
midway. He is a most effective talker,
and his manly, open ~countenance.
beaming with good nature, is irresist-
ible to the average sightseer. Mr..
whitney was formerly a lawyer In Chi
cage with a most lucrative practice.
But III health compelled an outdoor
active life. He is the picture OF
robust health. Then there is Frank
Miller OF the Esau. the enigma. He Is
an actor by profession and Is possessed
Of considerable histrionic ability. He
finds carnival business more profitable
and congenial than making n night
stands and studying parts en- route
with a "Iegitp combination. Our big