Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-19

merger, sailed for Africa and with the
aid Of John Clayton, a Scotchman n,
Cape Town. were fortunate in securing
the first CRATES seen in this country
In 1913 he exhibited at Cadiz, Gibral-
tar, Malaga, Algiers, the Balearic
Islands, Genoa, and MarseilIes. return
ing home by the way of Pernambuco
arriving on American soil in the sprinp
of "A.
Frank Donaldson, a posturer and
general performer, speaking OF his ex-
perience with the first of the Turner's
IN the early 40s, refers to Tim Turner
riulng a principal act and Nan Turner
rlding and driving four horses. Dom
aldson is further quoted as saving.
hotel rates were thirty-seven and a
f'aiI cents day, and it was no m
common thing to see liquors placed
upcn the table free of charge, and the
performers. upon leaving the dinner
TAME presented by the landlord with
cnolce Principee'-two for a cent
ara they were good cigars, too"
In the later 40's and the early 5os
raymond & Van Amburgh had con,
siderable corner in the menaoor;.
business. having three exhibitions tour-
ing: The Eastern. Raymond e. Drois-
bach's kid Glove" show: woctann
Van Amburgh & Co.'S Great NJ,
Exhibition; Southern, RAYMOND o
cos Native American Menagerie ~
seven cages, mot a foreign animal in
inc collection except a monkey" In
1868 they joined forces with p. r Rar
mum, and were proprietors of Barnum
van Amburgh & Co.'S Great Colder
Menager1e, Longworthy's Menspario
ana Circus. Herr Driesbach' Menag
erie and Floating Palace, sharing with
Spaulding & Rogers, owners Of ,ha
unique water amphitheater af,oat on tbo
waters of the Mississippi. Messrs van
AnDurgh, Driesbach and Ionewortbv
were lion kings" their performancas
in the 'iron-bound den" being q sense
ton of the day.
Seth Il. Howes began the orpaniza.
ton OF large show in 1850 and invited
L. L. Barnum to join with him in tba
importation Of a herd of eIepbants
from Ceylon. Barnum was favorable
to HoWes' project but as he had SEQ 600
tied up in a deposit to guarantee the
American tour Of Jenny Lind. the
Swedish nightingale, he had no money
to invest. Howes shrewdly admitted
the already famous Barnum to partner
ship. thus insuring the success of the
enterprise. n small bark called the Re-
getta. was chartered and a member of
the Howes family was sent out to Cey-
lon, returning after II months with II
elephants, one of the herd dying on the
voyage. All of the elephants were
small except Canada, large fellow of
unsavory reputation, afterward owned
by Adam Forepaugh, and known as
Romeo. Romeo was finally put to
death while upon one of his vicious
and destructive rampages.
i The elephants, counting expenses.
cost Howes & Co. the very moderate
sum of $1,000. During the seasons Of \
1882 and 1853 the proprietors We're P. T.
Harnup. Seth b. Howes and Lewis B.
Lent, afterward Of the New York circus
on fourteenth street. The title Of tho
Exhibition was p. T. Barnum's Ameri-
cap Museum and Menagerie, and the
great drawing powers were the name
Of P. T. Barnum, Tom Thumb, and the
ten elephants. The active management
devolved upon Mr.. Lent. The adver-
Using Of the show was IN the Bar
numesque, as Piineas was handy with
the pen and liberal with the press,
great deal of capital out of his tenn
crate habits.
Barnum and Howes also imported
giraffe at an expense of SIS, 900, but it
was not the first of these delicate ami
mails seen here, as announced in the
small bills and large advertisements.
Out of revenge for the fib. the giraffe
died early, as did half dozen others
that Barnum in vain attempted to ac-
climate. Howes & Co. brought out the
first hippopotamus, nfterward dispos-
ing of it to Sands. Nathans & Bailey.
who quickly turned s15O,0OO in profits
nection with their circus and MENACE
rie. The Bailey of the firm was George
F. Bailey, who married n Miss Turner.
A. daughter of one of the exhibitors Of
The previously referred to leather BE
hemoth of Holy Writ The Sells
Brothers of Columbus. O., were the
first managers to exhibit a pair of hip
pos, male and female.
"Old'' John Robinson, in 1924 organ
lied a circus under the title of "Robin-
son & Eidrid's Great Southern Circus"
Robinson was n rider and Eldrid was
/, clown, both experienced, performers.
Their announcements were headed.
Southern men, Southern women.
Southern horses and Southern enter
prise against the world" Up to 1856
they toured the Southland winters.
Adding n menagerie of eight cages,
Robinson & Eldrid exhibited in Flori-
Ia as early as 1S45, being it Is the
boast Of the Robinson family that the
Old John Robinson Circus and
Menager;e was the first Of any conse-
Iuence to visit Texas. In 1852 Connecti-
tut, by legislation. secured by John
Robinson and other tent-show man.
ayers, removed prohibitory law
against that Immoral affair."" the cir
,us. Robinson (: Eldrid quickly took
advantage Of the removal Of the em-
1argo, and as a pledged concession the
aides riding with the show wore long
lresses, and the gentlemen knee ~
,reeches instead of trunks, juffed ana
rilled shirts instead Of tight shirts
the Nutmeg state en-. M
lcted a prohibitory measure aEaaGst
he tent shows. but by some hecutg
,ocus the bill was stolen and ueRe
IL, -ter fIIr