Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-01-08
SOME THINGS RECALLED BY The
ABSORPTION or sARNuM's.
FIRST OF RING DISPLAYS
{ Was at Boston in 1885 ann Was
Called the Equestrian Pantheon
Modern Circus Campaign Re
quires Napoleonic Managerial sys-
TEN.

| now sha.i We stretch our nenectual
adjectives to cover the latest even,
in the wor of shows? Three vast
circuses-each in itself "stupendous
agrega Ion of monster shows.--rollea
into one? The Forepaugh-Sells, thu
R.nsling and now the original Bar
NUN q Bailey's all clustering their
various bedazzlements under the au.
spices of the happy Brothers Ring
ling Small wonder the Brothers
Ringing smile says the Boston
| Transcript
AS for the language, we shan just
have to blow 1t up with bicycle
pump to make it so round.
This marks an epoch. this merger.
All the really serious circus enter
prises in the country coming under
the management of single concern,
the business rises TO the trust class
and invites our mature consideration.
Besides, there's something NOV *
in the thought OF p. T. Barnum's be
loved greatest show on earth" pass
ing into the hands of its canny rivals.
True, it viii go on touring the coun-
try under the dear old name, but
never again win Barnum, or bailey,
his prophet, or even the prophets
wife have voice in its affairs. From
a sentimental standpoint il is the end
Vale! Vale! r. T. Barnlm. Thy
works do follow-another man.
Beginning Of the Circus.
Pierce through the fog OF hyper.
hole that normally enshrouds the cir
Gus, and you shall find business pro
position of such proportions as u
take your breath. We will, not com.
nit the stupidity of barking back to
the shows of Greece and Rome Bat
folk with a taste for out OF ,ae way
information may li.,e to trace the
American circus to certain lonesome
high riders and pcrforners in hors =
manship' who exhibited near tho
windmill above the slaughter house.
in the Bowery, New Yora, away bach
In the days OF the Boston tea party
Boston had a chance at "mga
rider Of her own at about this time
for a particularly appealing gentle
man who coud mount upon a single
horse and ride him erect, playing al
the while siren strains upon the
French horn, petitioned for the right
to fence in section Of the com
mon for exhibition ground. But
though he offered to erect seats
proper for ladies' and gentlemen,
which ! sure no circus ever did be
fore or since, the selectmen right
eously forbade him their gates So +
was not until 1856 that Bostonian,
saw their first circus. and then they
gave ii the light Of their countenanc,
Only because Tire proprietor. on'
Thomas Pool had suffered and hlet
for his country In the war Of inde
pendence.
For all his "sufferings and services
poor Pool was tota ly eclipsed a dec
ade later by Ricketts, circus, which
came from Philadelphia boasting tn
patronage of the father Of his country
Not that II was called a circus II
Boston. Ricketts, opened in hos
ton--oh, knowing Ricketts, AZ
Equestrian Pantheon" and tbs
Athens of America stra, ghtway b.
sieged the classic door
First Shows Modest Affairs.
The late lamented nineteenth con
tury was on the boards before thl
first rumble OF circus wheels VA
heard. They we're modest affairs
those pioneer rolling shows--twt
wagons, perhaps, four horses, and I
clown. no band, no menagerie, n,
tent "A informal stockade Of po Q,
and canvas served to battle the eyes
Of the nonpayIng public while thu
show was going or
And then II was the story Of tbs
raindrops on the window pane, a gra,
ual trickliug together of minor shows
the larger rills competing amoni
themselves and gathering in th'
tricklets as fast as they could Men
ageries appeared. though II was th'
| iituutt vi TIC CENTURY bttDIb lbt1
were thrown In with the circus for th,
price Of a single ticket. II tnen &C
CURED to BaFey. later Of Barnum &
BaiIey's to open the menagerie fire.,
as trap TO catch the unwary feet o
those too righteous 10 patronize tbs
circus proper. The church-gc'ng ele
ment would enter the tent to se3 th'
menagerie only, but when the bant
struck up, cupldity. curiosity ant
"the children" would drag them u
the seats they held tickets for.
First 5arnur,'s Circus.
The acme Of spIendor was no
reached. however, until somebody be
thought him 70 drag into the circu'
business the ininiitabe Barnun.
whose industrious self.advertising
together with his museum gave his
name magic never turned To a Or
Gus purposes before. That Barnum
circus was indeed absolutely Colo
sal exhaustive and bewildering vart
GUS a museum. mepaEer'e, caravan
lhippodrome and circus in one. Un
der the stimulus of Barnum's rhetoric
and his ambition, the colossal aggre
cation" rapidly outpew the POSSIBLE
lies Of transportation By wagon road
Barrum forced the adoption Of Tn
4