Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-26
MAN HELD FOR MURDER
WILL NOT TELL HIS NAME
Monday is Circus Day.

Monday next is the day the small
boy has been waiting for. He showed
passing interest in the opening of the
baseball season, but the circus posters
have had him hypnotized ever since
they were posted on the bill boards,
Now the circus is coming. 1t will be
here on schedule time next Sunday
morning, and on Monday give two per-
formances.
1t is great big circus--a combina.
ton Of the show operated and organ
lied by the late Adam Forepaugh and
that Of the equally well known Sells
Brothers.
Have you ever seen the arrival of a
big circus and watched the erection of
the tents? Well, if you haven't you
have great treat in store Monday
next at the circus grounds, if you go
there early enough. You will find
thousands of people there on the same
errand, and as for the small boy he
will be there in legion. 1t is sight
worth going long way to enjoy.
First appears on the scene the ad-
vance guard of tent men, a small
army of them. With them comes the
boss canyassman. Before he is half
way across the grounds his tapeline is
out and he and his assistants are busy
measuring and marking the location
OF the tent stakes. Very soon after
wards the wagons begin to arrive
with tent stakes, poles and canvas.
The moment they arrive everything is
hustle and activity. A thousand men
are here, there and everywhere.
Among the earliest arrivals are the
commissary wagon, and those contain
ing the kitchen and dining tents and
their furniture. The first tent to go
up is the kitchen, and before the brace
ropes are drawn taut row of cooking
ranges is in position. and smoke is
issuing from the pipes and the stew.
ard and his assistants are hard at
work preparing breakfast for the hard
work of circus men cannot be done on
empty stomachs. The dining tent is
up almost as soon, and men are busy
arranging the long tables and benches.
Other men lay the table with granite
ware, cups, saucers and plates. 9th.
e-s are peeling potatoes and others
are building fires under the camp ket-
ties. While this is going on the tent
men have put up the stable tents, the
menagerie tent and the blacksmith
shop. There are 500 horses, a herd Of
twenty-five elephants, and large herd
of camels, besides the other animals,
and they must all be housed and fed.
The blacksmith forge is set up and
the blacksmith and lis corps of as.
sistants are soon ready for work The
Forepaugh-S Sells find it absolutely nee
essary to carry their own blacksmiths
AID shop, as the shoeing of 500 horses
and the repairing of so many vehicles
keeps half dozen blacksmiths con.
stantly employed.
1t is not until these smaller tents
are up and all the preliminary work
finished that anything is done toward
erecting the large show tent-the big
top tent they call it. But when the
work does begin, 1t is with rush.
Now up go the great center poles
looking like masts of an ocean ship
Now the canvas is brought out in sec.
tons and laid on the ground making
a sea of cloth. Nimble fingers lace
the various sections until it is all one
piece, others arrange the tent pole
openings, the side poles are placed in
position, the guy ropes temporarily
fastened, and when all is ready the
signal is given. three t is of horses
haul away on the main ropes, and up
goes the tent. Once it is securely fas.
tened by the guy ropes the sides are
placed in position, and the whole work
is done in half an hour.