The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-25
HOW DOES CIRCUS
 MAN IMPROVE TIME
Interesting. Sketch of Their
 Winter Pursuits
WINTER IN WISCONSIN
How Special Men Are Sent Abroad to Find New Attractions-Home Life of the Men and
 Women.

Where does the circus man come from when the trees begin to bud? Where does he go to when the fall winds begin to blow?
 How do they get the menagerie ani- mals? Who trains the horses and where do they come from? Is the clown an ordinary being in the winter time? And who, oh who. originated red lemonade7
 There is so little known of the Inside of tented show life and so little to be seen of It from the bleachers in the 'Tbig top that no wonder an air of fascinat- ing mystery surrounds the circus that for an age has held people in it's grasp.
 When one considers that with Ringing Brothers circus there are 12S6 persons and that of these there are blacksmiths, painters. carpenters. barbers, laundry men, doctors, a lawyer, cooks, detectives, trainmen, butchers, walters, seansTesses, harnessmakers, musicians, sh0emakers. postmaster hostlers, electricians and dog ems of other mechanics and artisans. be- sides the performers, all jumbled together and working in a common interest, the task of organizing this travelling city each springtine seems the most wonderful fea- ture of the institution.
 In Ringing Brothers winter offices at the home quarters of the show at Bar aboo, Wis, the work of organizing this years circus began early last Decem- Der. The important thing is to engage the acts and this is done by agents of the show who. during the winter months, visit the amusement halls of Europe and Asia in search of novelties. When an act Is seen that Hooks good" for an American attraction the agent has full power to engage 1t. This he does with out delay, cabling the home office to that effect and following by mail with photographs and a detailed description of the act
 From this data the force of billwriters prepares the advertising matter and art ists make the originals from which the Autographs are reproduced. This work is sent to the Autograph plants as soon as possible for there are many hundreds of thousands of sheets to be printed for the coming season.
 Meantime in the ring barn the regular trainers of the circus are putting the various animal acts into shape, keeping old tricks in constant practice and or iginating new acts. Robert Stickney. William German, Frank Shade, John Agee and John Mercer break and train
 
 rings George Kealey and George John son are the elephant teachers and Phil White trains the dogs and other small animals When a wild beast is to be broken and trained the task falls to | Charles Smith, who is also the head keeper of all the menagerie animals. 1 A few weeke before the season begins 1 the various performers who have been resting during the winter arrive at Bar Ia1.l fr 1aaf,- onfc fY. --ft, barns that they may be perfected by the time rehearsals begin
 And all winter the sound of the anvil and mallet is heard at the circus quart CTS, for there is always new outfit to be made; the property men must originate and build new things for clown stunts, acrobatic and gymnastic work, more wagons must be made, cages remodeled, harness made new and costumes for the parade and spectacle executed from artist made designs.
 Then everything must be painted, and Steward A. L. Webb and his assistants must overhaul the hotel and kitchen out fit.
 So Baraboo, which is often cut off from the outside world by the northern snows, is very busy little city between seasons.
 There is a hotel at winter quarters where the circus workers live. It is a cheerful place, with big grate fires and a bountiful table. There are shops and training stables, granaries, water works and a dynamo plant. All buildings are heated by hot water.
 Ringing Brother always begin their sea- son in the Coliseum building at Chicago. | where they remain for three weeks. This l means that canvasmen, many of the host l lers, the various mechanics and the hotel | corps are not required till the regular | road season begins under canvas. The | tents are built new each season and 1 shipped to the first outdoor stand. There 1 is no parade in Chicago, so the equipment , used in 1t is also sent to the first road | town direct from Baraboo with other-road paraphernalia, to combine with the regu- | lar circus when it comes from the Chi cago Coliseum.
 The bosses of the various working de- l partments have advertised in periodicals | that concern themselves with circus af- | fairs, calling for men to assemble on such | a date at the opening road town. These 1 are all organized and the tents are up l and ready when the Chicago contingent | arrives.
 | Meantime the three advertising cars have | started out in advance. The first one travels three weeks ahead, the other 7 two following at week intervals Each , carries a force of 25 billposters, a boss ] and car manager. The first car blazes the trail. spreading in glowing colors the 1 first tidings of the coming of the circus. The second car covers what space has been released by other advertisers since the departure of car No. 1, and the last ! car repairs stands of bills that the wealth CT has damaged, distributes small print 1 ed matter and furnishes supplies for and issues orders to a body of men who travel on the regular trains, and who are known as the country brigade. These are the merry fellows who decorate the farmers 1 barns and hen houses with multi-colored 1 lithos.
 l Then there are contracting agents. who