The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
ny ropY HAMILTON.

ny ropY HAMILTON.
copyright. 1907. bpR r. Hamilton.
m. evolution Of the thriller or death
defying act Of the circus Is really the evo-
luton Of the show-that is of the human
r,rios. menagerie and circus combined.
The first American circus Of record waa
oreanized by a shoemaker named Turner,
n North Salem. N. Y. He had imbibed
hs ideas from a customer named Bloomer
Iueeyine, whose shoes he Incidentally re-
n,ired. Augevine's show existed for several
rears prior 10 the Turner affair. but 1t was
an insignificant show and had poor success.
The concern was simply q circus and the
capital invested vas very small.
II ia impossible 10y to say what the
l.,dipR feature or thriller Of the Turner
circus WIS in 1923. but probably it was
feat Of horsemanship or tumbling. As
two Of Turner's sons were ring riders it
isaltogether probable that they we're starred
in sone double act on the pads, 1t 10 a
,ct that for many years thereafter the
leading feature. or thriller. as it is now
trmed was a riding act. a swing or a
tumble,
The early riding act grew until it became
bareback act. and the bareback rider was
he attractive star Of the ring, whose per-
tormapce was witnessed with 5ated breath.
In It's time the daring bareback carrying
act was a greater thriller than the dip
NJ DEATH After the man on horseback
came the woman, and from merely riding
around the ring. erect and reclining and all
that. on the saddleless animal, grew dancing
and turning s~omersaults while in full motion.
Then followed the back somersault at full
c,nter. and next came the woman somer-
nut rider.
Meantime the broad pad went out entirely
and every ring rider. male and female,
rode bareback. At n time during the
evolution the two horse act, then three.
then four, succeeded zach other as the
= thriller.
The principal feature Of certain success
ful drcuses at one time was a tumbling act
double somersault on the ground, or over
the backs Of elephants. While these were
icing lone the rest Of the performance
stopped, the music became hushed and the
audience drew a long breath. preparatory
10 the universal shout Of approval which
invariably followed. This was always
ushered in with great solemnity by the
manager, or leather lunged announcer,
AZ indeed we're all thrillers Of that day.
They were also advertised with great par
ticulaity and In the most ~extravagant
terms.
The flying ,trapeze sensation camb after
these other thrillers and for a time held
the lead in public estimation. One daring
midair act quickly succeeded another,
louble and quadruple acts followed. each
more sensational and dangerous than those
which had gone before. And they held the
= centre Of the circus stage until brushed
aside in turn by the mechanical thriller.
Curing all this time the show itself had
do teloped into the gigantic combination.
The first combined circus and m~enagerie
was by Turner and Jim June, father OF Lewis
Z. June, subsequently a partner OF p. T.
Barnum. This was some twenty years after
Turner had started out with his little circus.
There we're several travelling menageries
already, out the first combination was the
small Turner circus and the smaller Jim
June menagerie.
1t proved highly profitable, for in those
days the circus was considered by many
good people as wholly disreputable, II not
ungodly, and the study Of animals formed
good excuse for seeing just how wicked
le Circus really was.
George r Bailey, a son-in-law OF Aaron
Turner. became the manager Of the oom-
bined shows in lSI7 or 184s. This Bailey
no relation TO the late James A. B~ailey-was
afterward, and for many years, a partner
dP. T. Barnum until 1879, when, as one OF
the fiat foot party he was superseded by
James A. Bailey and ]. l.. Hutchinson.
Ihave often heard George F. Bailey relate
bis experiences with the Turner show.
THE receipts Of the show he onoe said,
did not touch $500 a day oftener than once
week. A very small amount OF printing
was used. Newspaper space in a weekly
dailies did not exist over the route-costt2
aveek at the outside, the more cuts the bet
ter, as it saved typesetting; and the publisher
would gladly give o the benefit OF two
Insertions for one price, il you we're far
enough ahead OF the show.
During my management Of the Turner
show the elder Turner was engaged in build
ing his hotel at Danbury, Conn, and such
a thing as spending a dollar on the show
property was not to he thought Of. Tn old
hRndwagon had fairly rotted away and been
cast aside, the musicians riding in an old
box wagon.
i rem ember that when we played in
Washington the band was taken up to the
White House in this old vehicle and under
The portico serenaded the President, much
70 his edi6cation. Without consulting
Turner, | contracted for a bandwagon to
be built in Cincinnati and shipped to Frank
Tort, ny, to be placed upon an old running
gear. When he heard OF the enormoNS |
expenditure Of $23s j was called 10 account
IN ChAraotaFietio tarrna. 4
George, you are going to ruin me- pro-
tested Turner, and / was instructed to
cancel the contract.
But il Was too late; the chariot was
awaiting us at Frankfort. The new chariot
proved a great feature Of the parade. and
the old man forgave me for what proved
money maker all along the line
From his 1t would appear that a new
oandwagon was the principal feature Of the
turner show at that time. or course, with
NE combined nenagerie and circus, the wild
smnals Of the desert were attractions.
lhe FIRST elephant TO reach these shores
sts brought over by q Capt. Growing
.nield and landed at Philadelphia. No
dwelling show was enterprislng enough
@buy It. 30 1t was exhibited singly In Phiia-
oeiphin, New York and Boston.
The first hippopotamus was secured by