Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-01-08
mady over the

madIy over the 8
that awful scroll OF fanct
And the fire won. abandoning the
river. the manager IN desperation set
back fire going, drew his caravan
into a huddled circle and waited.
EneireIed by fire.
NO sound. says C9up. Il have ever
heard approaching = ahject terror
the awful symphony Of roars, growls,
screams, walls and screeches that
went up from the nladdened beasts
IN that caravan as the great sky
reaching cylinder OF fame and smoke
rolled down upon re and was meS,
barely forty rods away by the rapidly
spreading line nj nnr own Back FIRE.
Thu came momen- whhb WAS q
dizzy blank to most OF as We had
scarcely recovered the use of our
faculties when the wse of the circus
broke the strain by the remark: I
reckon there's been more genuine
praying done in circus circles in the
last hour than since Noah let the
elephants out of the arA %
From this sort Of thing to the lux
ury of travel by Pullman was a long
cap. So long, indeed that show folk
accustomed to jolting nights on the
bandwagon, to bad roads. TO break
fast anywhere between midnight aud
sun-up. couldn't believe in their good
fortune. For months Barnum's per
formers went about their travelling
palaces with an expression of ludt-
crous concern.
But the striking change WAS in the
morale of the circus troupea So big
were the companies Of the revised
railway show that It beanie essential
for economys sake % feed them On
the grounds. They slept, OF course,
in the circus sleepers No more
doubtful hotels, no more sleeping In
promiscuous heaps in wretehed band.
wagons. The heath OF the per.
formers improved and the managers
noted that with better health came
better performances. They began tG
look askance on such az taxed their
systems with large cold bottles be-
tween meals. Decency was found 70
pay and lax morals became unpOpu-
lar Then there was an end Of Loaf.
ing round town at night; for the cir
Gus train is scheduled TO start the
second IL is loaded. loading is done
with alarming dispatch and the lois
erer may find himself not in a position
to 90 his tomorrow's turn The re,
suit is. circus performers, from being
unsayory vagabends. have become
pretty respectable wellbehaved
people
Modern Circus Manager.
| The modern circus manager is also
| a new creature, with deepened con
volutions IN his brain Fer Il takes
an amateur Napoleon 10 lay out
modern circus campaign He must
know the lay OF the land from Florida
TO Maine and back again to CaIifoT
MIA. and not only the land but the
people. the crops. business conditions
and everything which can affect their
/ ability to pay half dollar for big
/ show. Tucked away In his mind 10
/ has visions Of the railway yards Ia
every important show town In the
country and the relation Of the yards
to the circus grounds. lie knows the
/ face Of the countless grounds" an3
| Just about how much earth win have
10 be tisei to I'll in holIows which
| in the eve II of rain would become
unpleasant lYlddles. He knows the
proper route from the train to tbe
| tent pitch and whether any bridges
viii be encountered too weak for Gle
plants and loaded vans He makes
| II hts business to know sw, national,
state and municipal So far as Il af
fects the passage n the shows. He
studies the price of provisions hither
and yon that he may tako advantage
of cheap markets He Knows how TO
order proper circus cars which won't
stick in tunnels or crash through
bridges. The rate question gives hins
much care. for IL he WAS gniiible the
railways would charge him for more
| men and more engines thar are nee
| essary to tug his vast show. Oh
course he knows horses and how to
care for them. and how TO feed doz
ems Of different wild animals. Lithog
raphy and the weatherdetyipg quality
of paper and inks is one Of his spec
ialtles, as is advertising IA Barnuns.
And of course he knows how TO pack
and unpack q circus and all that.