The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-29
B|G CIRCUS WILL
 REACH TOWN TODAY The RingIings' Show Due Here
 This Morning COMES FROM MEMPHIS
Many Spectacular Features Will Be Shown and the Street Parade Will Be Dazzllng-FIgures
 About the Circus.

The Ringing Bros. circus will arrive this morning over the Frisco from Mem phis. The big tents will be pitched at Smith park.
 The Ringlings bring herd of forty ele- phants, along with a display of animals from jungle, plain and mountain. The Ringlings use their own cars, of which there are eighty-three. and on these eighty-three cars they store away the menagerie, the tents, and all properties for the show, to say nothing of some 12oO people and 675 horses.
 Today the show Is in Memphis, and will come here over the Frisco railroad, trav- cling In four sections, the first of which, termed '"The Flying Squadron" Is due to arrive this morning, probably late in the forenoon. The remaining three sections should arrive at intervals of one hour. Immediately upon arrival men, horses and properties will be detrained and taken to the show grounds at Smith Park, where the performances are to be given at and clock p. m. tomorrow. Only neces-
 
 grounds today. The menagerie will be erected, together with the horse tents. mess tents and living quarters for the performers. The main tent, which seats 15,000 people, and is 540 feet long, will not be erected until Monday morning, but everything will be in readiness for the announced programme for Monday.
 The Leading Features.
 The leading feature for the circus pro- gramme this season Is the spectacle called "rhe Field of the Cloth of Gold" It em- ploys 1000 people, including 300 dancing girls, and the costumes are gorgeous.
 Massive stage settings and electric eff fects are used and most of the men, women and children in the circus take part in this production.
 Few people realize what a big thing the modern circus is," said a representa- tive of the Ringling Bros. last evening. T mean one of the growth and size of Ring ling Bros.' show. They have over 1900 people on their pay rolls who come from all parts of the globe. Nearly every lan- guage is spoken in this strange colony and all religions are represented. There are Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics, followers of Mabomet, Episcopalians, mostly Englshmen; Presbyterians, includ- ing the Scotchmen; Baptists Methodists, Hebrews and what not. It is not record cd, however, that there are any Dowie- ites in this large circus. The Ringl1ngs employ 375 performers, 13 bill posters and advertising agents, 100 railroad men. known as razor backs 70 cooks and kitchen helpers. 15O hostlers, or grooms, as they are politely called, and $50 can vasmen, property men and animal men, Every day in the week is pay day for some class of employees. The best riders are paid s75 to s125 per week according to their ability and reputation Those who do sensational aerial acts and novel gymnastic feats get the fattest envelopes. The best clowns draw s75 to $125 month. The majority of the circus people have members of their family with them. You will find men and their wives, sons, daughters. cousins. uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces with Ringing Bros.
 When the circus is spread out it used m twelve acres of space, although very often that amount of land is not available and the affair has to be put up in somewhat cramped condition There are some twenty tents. big and small, In ali If costs $7400 a day to meet the ex- ,enses of the enterprise. The circus car ries a. doctor, veterinary surgeon, post ,naster detective, barber, blacksmlth' storekeeper and about everything that yoes with a well regulated village except .he charter, To build up and tear down this vilIage with A. population of nearly 13Oo every day, with the minimum of fric- tion and delay, is one of the wonders of this age of system.
 Street Parade.
 "The street parade will start from the show grounds tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock, covering the principal streets and will be found wonderful exhibition of the growth and resources of the Ring ling Bros circus Most of the 12O0 peo- ole connected with the circus will have some part in the street pageant. Many of the animal dens will be open, twenty tableau floats, with picturesque groups of national types, smartly gowned women riders, fashionable whips and traps, clowns and herd of elephants soldier types of all countries, horses of the high est breeding, numerous bands and other things, some familiar and others dis tinctly novel, will be found in line. All day tomorrow admission tickets and re- served seats may be purchased at Parker's drug store at exactly the same prices charged upon the show grounds.
 Doors are open at l and D. m.; per- formances at and 8 o'clock