Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-08
is NOW TOO BIG TO PARADE
Barnum & Bailey's Elimination of
Feature No Longer an Experiment.

The elimination of the street parade
is no longer an experiment with the
Barnum & Bailey circus. This is the
big shows third year without a prclim-
mary procession, and the innovation.
the management declares, has proved
a popular and successful one from
every point of view.
A representative of the show. i'll
speaking of the matter recently said
THE Barnum & Bailey circus is literally
too big TO give a parade, even if II
were considered desirable or neces-
sary. AS matter of fact. there is no
general demand for the circus paradA,
and every other circus management in
America would cut it out if it was not
Il necessary means of advertising their
show and arousing interest in the per
fOrmances. The remark is frequently
made that the Barnum & Bailey circus
is the only show in the world that
would dare 10 eliminate the parade
The reason for this is obvious.
"Barnum & Bailey do not need the
parade as means of advertising the
show or attracting the public to the
circus grounds. The Barnum & Bailey
name. its great reputation, and the
fact that the public is absolutely as
sured of a superb performance, are
sufficient to crowd its tents without
the questionable aid of a street dis
play 4 parade is undoubtedly a good
advertisement for show that neeis
it, Barnum & Bailey do not need il.
Who ever heard of an Irving, Soth-
ern, or a MarlOwe giving street par
ade? In the dramatic world parades
are confined to repertoire shows, min
strel and Uncle Toms Cabin aggrega-
tions. No circus can afford to be
grouped in such a class, and circus
that cannot crowd its tents without &
street parade has something wrong
with its performance and reputation.
There are. of course, other reasons
| for eliminating the parade besides the
belief that professions are no longe:
necessary for advertising purposes. i
we could be absolutely sure of arriv-
| ing in town by daybreak. day after day,
| il might be possible to give the parade
| simply as a free Offering TO the spuo-
| lie; but with our five long trains of
cars. this is too much to expect of the
railroad companies. In many instances
| it is eight or nine o'clock before it Is
unloaded and the paraphernalia trans
| ferred to the show grounds. This
leaves just sufficient time to erect the
noon performance. To take several
+, hundred men away from the show
grounds at the most critical time in
the morning, in order to give parade
would mean delay in opening, and con
| sequent discomfort to the public. To
| compel thousands of people to stand
out in front of the entrance, in the no:
sun or rain, because the giving of thu
parade has delayed the opening for an
hour or more, is positively cruel; but
there is frequently no help for it VIII
parades are given. By eliminating the
parade the public is also saved a long
and often uncomfortable wait on the
streets pending the always more 81
less delayed procession, which at beS:
has nothing new to offer, to say moth
ing of the interference with publ;
traffic and the business of the city,
merchants. Many municipal govern
ments have recognized the latter fact
by either refusing to give licenses foi
parades, or by making the tax so higf
as to be prohibitive.
The elimination of the street par
ade means a very much better per
Torrance in every way. The horse!
and elephants, instead of being won
| out by several hours marching through
the streets, are rested, fresh and full
of life and ginger; the performers
not being overworked. give their act:
, with a dash and go that is refreshing
and even the animals in the menagerie