The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-28
CIRCUS MAN
Largest Horse Dealer in Country
Brings Show to Topeka.
He Is Unique and So Is His
Circus.
HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE
Wears BigDiamonds and Tuxedo
Every Day.
Last Year He Sold 21,O 900 Head
Of Horses.
HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE

There is a feature in the Hall shows
which are exhibiting here this after
noon and evening that you do not 90
INTO the large canvas tents to see. It's
out and around. One time it may be in
IN the large tent, then it may be in the
s1deshows and then it is off in the ticket
wagons. It's William Hall, the proprie-
tor himself. Hall is a feature which is
not played up in the gaiIy bedecked
posters on the bill boards but he ought
to be.
Where's HaIl?'' said reporter this
morning trying to locate the Snowman.
He's around here somewhere, he is the
only man on the grounds who wears a
SILK hat, came the answer. From over
near the horse tents came the eyIfmner
of silk hat and over went the repor-
ter. Hall was walking around in all his
glory. Clad in light blue Tuxedo suit
with black silk facing, a black silk hat,
soft bosom silk shirt and three 15-carat
diamond studs anchored down with
gold chains upon his shirt bosom, Mr.
Hall presented himself. The cornbina-
ton was startling as well as impress
slVe and It took several minutes for the
reporter to get over the Raze produced.
Mr.. Halt was in a hurry, he always is.
He scarcely gets one thought tripped
out on his tongue until another comes
IoILh perhaps Numerically opposed.
one time he is telling his employees
that they are the worst rascals on
earth and while they are considering
the question of going to the box Of
fee and asking for their wages. he re-
verses the throttle and comes full tilt
the other direction, slaps them on the
back and praises their work and
promises a raise in salary. Such is q
glimpse of Hall. A long way back
when he was running around in bare
legs and knee trousers, he reveIed in
the dream of owning a circus some
day That dream was resolved into a
firm determination when one day at
Lancaster, No, his home town, he
was caught creeping under the canvas
OF big tent and summarily dealt
with by the canvas man who was in
charge. The little fellow was angry
ana sald' Some day am going to
own circus and then I am going to
throw you out" The retort came
from the employee, 81 should think
you would want to employ me be
cause [ take such good care of my
job"
Today that canvasman. Jim Har-
rison, is working for that small boy
in the same capacity as canvasman
that he did years ago. The small boy
remembered and engaged the services
of his quondam enemy. HE would
rather give q boy a ten dollar bill than
see him crawl under the canvas" said
Press Agent Parvin in speaking of his
employer. Essentially Hall is a horse
States and annually ships $1,000
horses to ali points of the world.
Horses of all kinds. During the Eng
lish-Boer war Hall supplied the Eng
faithful army mules and all the pack
animals it had a need for. He fire.
quently fills whole government
contracts of this character. Several
ranches are in the possession of the
Snowman and upon these he raises his
horses. On his home place of 200
acres at Lancaster, No. he has one
of the finest stock farms in Missouri.
Born of poor parents but with par
ticular talent for judging horse flesh,
Hall started out by trading off the old
family horse for a better creature and
five dollars to boot He kept up that
trading and soon was possessed of 4
small capital capital sufficient to
esta blish him in business, and he has
never been headed off since. just kept
going. Without any schooling, SO de-
void of education that he can scarcely
write his own name, Hall has yet
achieved success:
This for Hall.
The Show Itself.
And now for the show. It is just
about a year ago that Hall went into
the business, yet he has done this.
He has gotten together a show which
though it belongs to the lesser satellites
is clean, decent and commendable.
They have two bands and both are
good, as much could not be said of
the Sells Downs. It's saying some
thing when you can speak with praise
of the circus band.
J The show came in this morning at
1880 from Ottawa in two sections of
| - cars each. The usual parade down
| Kansas avenue was given and attract
! ed large crowds
The features of the big tent are the
| st. Leon family of acrobats who come
from Australia, LeBellea Leona, fam
Gus bareback rider, the De Nova fam
| lily in aerial wonders. the eight Della
meads in a realistic statuary act and
among still others Ed Millete, cham
pion head balancer on the trapeze,
who smokes a cigar while standing on
his head on a swinging tsapeze, and
still other wonderful tricks of superb
/ balancing.
The equipment is all fresh, the
tents large and well kept and the me-
nagerie. though not large, of choice
character. A zebu, two black tigers,
/ the only ones in captivity, and still
other features that are not found out
side of the very large organizations are
under the canvas out at the fair
/ grounds. On the whole the show is
above the average, and the crowd to
the afternoon performance testified to
/ this fact.