The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-05-31

Campbell Brothers Circus Sorely Feels
the Loss Of DOC" Campbell, Who
Lies IN a Critical Condition In a
Hospltal-A Home on the Cars.
Campbell Brothers circus, which
showed in Norfolk yesterday afternoon
pleasing n big rainy day attendance
under adverse weather conditions, IL
for the time an organization without
head Charles Campbell, known
over this western country as DOC"
Campbell the general manager and
the moving spirit Of the big Nebraska
show, lies In critical condition in a
hospital at Council Bluffs.
While the circus Is bringing smile
and pleasant day to the children of
the land and to all those older chill
dren whom the spirit of circus land
still attracts. the men who are back
OF the show are moving about with
heavy hearts. The gay smile and the
peal of laughter still come from the
encircling audience but back behind
the scenes the men who plan and own
and manage the big amusement cir
Gus are missing the brother who was
the close companion of their successes
and their hopes and who shared the
heaviest burdens of the management
Human life Is back behind the can
vas show and the moving trains of
circus cars For few short hours
city sees the energetic rush of tent
raising and fastened preparation, the
smooth movement of the big perform
ance and the quick melting away of
the city of tents In the quiet hours of
darkness. But back behind the rush
OF the horses, the growls of the Gagged
Creatures and the bold joke of the
clown, there Is n town of flesh and
blood people, family life and ties of
home and linship. So when the Camp.
bell boys are together they are not
and snow that has blown across these
western prairies against their circus
show but they are thinking about n
brother whom the physicians say has
small chance of ever being again with
the circus that represents his life
work.
A Home on the Cars.
When the two sections that carry
the Campbell circus left Norfolk last
evening the last car of the second
section was Campbell brothers pri-
waite coach. Here usually with their
families the four Campbell brothers
and nephew have made their home.
If IL notie pF HON, t,, -,
midst of the crowded restless circus.
It is from this home that Charles
Campbell has been taken by mental,
nervous breakdown attributed in part
to the strain of overwork and in part
to the recent death of the father of
the -four Campbell boys.
Charles Campbell was the active
manager of the show, the man in inn
mediate contact with the several hun
dred employees of the circus. He has
worked with his brothers while they
have built up through square dealing
and Nebraska energy big modern,
progressive circus out of tiny string
of wagons that drove over the country
few years ago as Campbell Brothers
N'AN"'' WV tNlNuNNNl SlloN pu tdllu
only in the wild hopes of the Nebraska
boys who had put their spirit into it,
Word received by the Campbells
from Council Bluffs while In Norfolk
was not encouraging. A feeling OF
encouragement among the brothers,
sense of loss that would be both
heavy TO them and to the big show
that a ctA al
their ambitions was hidden yesterday
by the swing of the circus.
A circus is a big machine, sensitive
to an extreme but a machine which
once started for time sweeps on
largely of its own momentum. So
Campbell brothers watched over the
details of the circus yesterday but their
hearts for the day were not in it.
Evening Performance Abandoned.
Only one performance, that of the
afternoon, was given in Norfolk yes
terday. The continued rain of the af
ternoon resulted in the management
canceling the evening show. After the
performance the wagons were again
hauled from the rain soaked grounds
for Sioux City shortly after 10 p. m
over the NJ, & o. From Sioux City tn,
show is routed to the lakes and ther
west towards the coast. Twenty
eight cars carried the wagons ant
showmen from Norfolk yesterday.
Circus Shows Growth.
Campbell Brothers circus came bacl
to Norfolk this year better than eve
before. Norfolk has watched this Ne
braska circus since its birth down a
Fairbury and with each passing set
son come marked improvements.
was said that it has been a long, lon
time since as much money wake
down the streets of Norfolk as wa
represented in the splendid street pi
rade which struggled through the mir
of Norfolk avenue in the Afternoon