The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-07-22
NOTHING like A CIRCUS

NUTHlNG LIKE A CIRCUS
Americas Most Popular and Largest
Patronized Enterprise
Half of South Dakota was talking
Ringl!ng Brothers. circus last week.
This greatest of amusement enterpris-
es-save one-entered the State at the
northeast corner, showed at Water
town, Aberdeen, Huron, Mitchell and
Sioux Falls the last named place
M~onday-and is now touring Iowa. At
every town people tlockcd by thous.
ands, many going from seventy five to
one hundred miles at an expense any,.
where from five to ten dollars per per-
son. 1t was the same everywhere, the
big tent being packed to its utmost
capacity, with 5000 to 5000 reserved
seats at 81 Il head. The tent seats
about 1900.
Something like n hundred went
from Kimball to Mitchell Saturday to
see the show, Chamberlain turned out
about the same number and Plankin-
ton likewise. White Lake and Mt.
Vernon contributed to the jam on the
train and when it reached Mitchell
nine coaches were packed as full as
they would hold, and the platforms
were covered. Everybody enjoyed the
trip and the circus even more so. They
can have the satisfaction of knowing
that it will be many a day before they
see its equalizer the Barnum s. Bail
eY show is the only one that approach
it, and even that does not EXCEL the
Ringing outfit.
One does not have to borrow a small
boy as an cxcus to go to the circus
these days. 1t is considered quite the
proper thing. AS the old saying goes:
lit has the endorsement OF the press
and pulpit The clergyman has no
hesitancy about attending and when
he arrives he has the pleasure of meet
ing most nf his congregation. p. T.
Barnum was the first circus proprietor
to recognize the advantage TO the tick
ct wagon in catering to the best eIe-
ment of society and others like Bailey,
Forepaugh and the Ringlings quickly
caught on. The result is Il show nova
days as clean and free from offense in
any form as the most fastidous could
ask. With this haye disappeared the
grafters and hangers on and the fight
ing, swearing circus hands.
And in referring to the manage
ment of Il modern circus reminds us
OF how few realize the %stupendous re-
s%ponsibility resting on a few men in
moving a big circus representing sew
eral million dollars in outlay. The
expenses Of the undertaking are enor-
So long as no mishap happens,
like a railroad wreck. a bad storm or
something Of the kind, it is compare
lively easy sailing for the old hands at
the business. But when a streak OF
bad weather is encountered and the
receipts drop below expenses, with a
railroad wreck or two thrown in, the
way $4,000 bills will melt up is a eau
tion.
The Ringlings carry nearly a thous-
and people, five hundred horses, one
hundred cages of wild animals, besides
twenty to twenty-five parade wagons
and any number of others in which
are packed the tents and equipage be-
fore loading on cars. Everything is
loaded on wagons. The circus is
transported on eighty-se,en double
cars. They put up twenty
three tents, n big tent 215x465 feet,
menagerie tent, two side-show tents,
three horse tents, n pony tent, four
dressing tents, three restaurant tents,
one animal hospital tent, one tent for
electric meters and one office tent,
Think of razing all these tents to
the ground, loading in wagons, then
to trains, together with an army of
employees and laborers and car of
paraplernalia and be ready for a 10
O'Clock parade next morning one hun
dred or more miles away from the per-
Torrance of the evening beforehand
repeating it day after day and night
after night without a Slip. No army
corps in the world can show such dici-
pine, and it is only given to a few
men in each gcneration-the brains
to accomplish it and show a profit at
the end of the season.
When the first American circus
struck England the unloading from
the cars and pitching the tents: the
cooking for the army Of employees and
performers, The tearing down again at
midnight and loading up on the trains
was more Of a sight and attracted
more attention and wonder than any
part of the performance. The hand
ting of the circus between points was
especially the marvel of military men,
and many officers Travelled with it to
watch the work of unloading and pre-.
for the performance and start.
ing out again at dead of night, often
In r, l1so1,n.. --