Evening journal., 1906-11-12
CIRCUS TO TOUR
IN AUTOMOBILES
Barnum & Bailey to Abandt
Railroad Method Of Trans
pOrtaiiOn After This Year
BIG SHOWS RENEW WARFAk

Dlu JttOVJ ALltLU UnNa TN
Barnum and Baileys Greatest shoy
on Earth" has sounded the doom G
the picturesque six, eight and tl
horse circus driver and of the sorg
ously canarlsOned and plumed steed
the parade. The Organization VIII ton
the country in mammoth automobile
beginning next year, it was announce
by 'Tody' Hamilton.
with the news of this radical de-
parture from all custom and tradition
came information Of the dissolution o.
the Circus Trust and the Resumption
OF the cid time hostility. This viii
mean a renewal after this year, Of tbs
bitter warfare which characterize.
circus conduct until the late James a
Bailey formed friendly business
union.
For many years the expense Of rail-
road transportation has been source
Of growing alarm to the circus PRO
prietor Railroads do not want the
job of hauling the big three section
organization The work delays pas
senger traffic and the danger Of ac-
oident, involving tremendous damages,
is great. Several railroads have gone
to the extremity Of positively refusing
to accept the business and others
have made rates so high that oircuses
cannot travel on their lines with profit
Mr.. Bailey appreciated the urgency
of overcoming this condition long bo-
fore his death last spring and had set
tied upon the automobile as the solu-
ton. Before the electric and gasoline
mode OF transportation had reached its
present high state Of efficiency he once
nearly decided to return to the wagon
show" days when horses furnished the
motive power, but the modern neces-
sity OF long Jumps" forced him 90
abandon the plan. His show took TO
the road from Madison Square Garden
last April with several experimental
automobiles. These have demonstrat-
I'd their ability so conclusively that
next year viii see the canvas enterprise
moved from town to town by chauffeur
and battery.
The Barnum and Bailey circus num-
bcrs one hundred and twenty-five
wagons-pole canvas, baggage, prop
erty, cage. tableau and chariot vehicles
and the average daily run is sixty miles
Sometimes the distance reaches a hun
dred or more miles, but only on Sum
day. The average daily railroad bill
approaches one thousand dollars.
In trying. in his mind, to wrest him
self from the power of the railroad, the
circus owner was perplexed himself
almost solely with the problem Of NOV
ing the wagons carrying the centre
poles and seats. These are so heavy
In rainy weather or on sandy Tots
they often defy the straining efforts of
ten horses. The pole" wagon carrier
the lower Joint Of the Oregon pine pill
lar which is erected in the centre OF
the circus canvas. 1t is fifty-six feel
long. and many a house or store or
sharp narrow country corners has fell
it's protruding nose as it was draggec
to its fiat car In the darkness after the
night performance in a rural commun-
ity. But a seasons trial has demon
strated that electric trucks have the
power and speed required for the
undertaking. They have suffered break
downs, but none which delayed more
than inexorable railroad schedules. and
they have been stuck" but never SC
hopelessly that the herd OF elephants
marching gravely behind, could moi
promptly extricate them.
The question Of Transporting per.
formers has not yet been settled. sleep.
ing and eating automobiles may be con.
strueted. or the performers may make
the journey by railroad, spending th'
nights in hotels. There will be fir'
padded cars for the valuable rinl
horses, but most of the rest Of tn
lied" stock win travel on foot
The circus world, which is again Il
New York with the ending Of the sea
son. heard the news Of the Barnum an
Bailey move yesterday with astonish
ment Ringing Brothers immediatel
announced that they had bought fror
the Bailey estate its interest In tn
Forepaugh- Sells circus and now own
that famous old show complete.
Carl Hagenbeck's representative de
clared his show was grand enough an
sufficiently popular after its first yea
on the road under Charles n Thomp
son. to meet all opposition. Pawne
, Bills Wild West agent said his en-
ployer had plenty OF money and wa
willing to spend It as freely as com
petitors. Frederic w. Thompson, {
Thompson and Dundy, let It be know
, that he had not abandoned his pun
pose. announced n few months ago,
send out a gigantic show equipped o
solutely new lines.