Arizona republican., 1909-09-07
BITTER WAR OF THE
 BIG CIRCUS TRUST ALL: THE THREE-RiNG SHOWS ARE NOW OWNED BY THE
 RINGLINGs. Miller Brothers Have the Only Wild West Aggregation the Trust
 Has Not Absorbed.

The early coming of the Ringing Circus to Phoenix makes timely and more than usually interesting the fol- lowing story of the growth of the Ringing business into the most gi- gantic enterprise the world ever saw, as published by the Kansas City Star.
 The early days of September will make Kansas City the center of the fight to the death" that is now go- ing on between the circuss owned by Ringing Brothers. the trust" and the other big shows of the country. The Ringlings own the Ringing Circus. the Barnum X Bailey Circus. the Buffalo Bill -Pawnee Bill Wild West and Coll mar Brothers Circus. This gives them them almost a monopoly of the three ringer circus business, and leaves them only one big wild west" show to fight That one is the Miller Broth CTS 101 Ranch Wild West Show.
 The Ringlings aspire to monopoly of the circus and wild west show business of this country. and they come pretty close to having it. Sev- eral years ago they pursued the Fore paugh and the Sells Brothers cir cusses until they were glad to sell to the Ringlings, and then both of these big shows were disbanded and their equipment distributed among the Ringing shows. Then the Ringlings went after the Barnum & Bailey show and the Buffalo Bill Wild West shows, both of which had been developed to greatness by James A. Bailey, the greatest genius of the circus business that ever lived. But even Bailey, with all his ability. could not withstand the combined genius of the five Ringing Brothers, all working together as a unit, and the year before he died the Barnum show lost so much money that the stockholders, the majority of whom lived in England, were glad to sell both the Barnum and the Buffalo Bill shows at bargain prices to the Ring lings.
 After Ben Wallace Now.
 This year there is only one big cir GUS that worries the Ringlings. and that is the Hagenbeck- Wallace Show II is owned by'jBenjamin Wallace of Terre Haute, Ind. He is one of the oldtime circus men of this country He has been in1the business for near ly half a century. and has grown wealthy. This season the Ringlings have chased him over nearly the whole length and breadth of the con- tinent and theyimust have caused him to lose a great deal of money, but he told friend in St, Joseph two weeks ago while his show was there that only his knowledge of the country and the circus business had enabled him to escape from the nets that had been wound around Jim. He has dodged here and there seeking towns where he could show without the near oppo- sition of any of the Ringing shows and has managed to keep afloat.
 The 101 Ranch Wild West Show is the particular prey of the Ring lings now. The Barnum Circus and the Buffalo -Pawneee Bill Show are both after the 1O1 Ranch show. The 101 Ranch show had begun to bill St. Joseph for Labor day, September 6, but had neglected to rent lot for the show Just a few hours before their agent had planned to pay for the lot the agent of the Ringlings went to St. Joseph and rented not only the lot upon which the 101 Ranch show had planned tC exhibit, but rented every other avail able lot in the city for several weeks thus shutting out the 101 Ranch show from exhibiting there at all this fall Then the 1O1 Ranch show decided tc show Levenworth, Kas., that day. The Barnum show will be in St Joseph September 6. To make the opposition all the harder the Ringllngs will play the Barnum show in Kansas City Sep | tember and the Buffalo Bill-Pawnes Bill show will be here September l; and in St. Joseph September 10.
 The Bill Poster Game of Freeze Out The bill posters of the opposition shows are having warm time of it The Ringlings have instructed theil advance man to plaster the whol, country around here with their paper and every road leading from all direc. tiOns into Leavenworth and from al places where patronage could possibly come to the 101 Ranch show have beer covered by the bill posters of the Ring ling shows. Every barn and outhouse is papered from end to end.
 It is said that the war is to be kep up to the end of the season. The Ringlings have the Gollmar Brother: | circus to oppose the smaller shows like the Yankee Robinson and the Sells-Floto circuses. The Sells F'lotC show is owned by Tammen. who made his money in the newspaper business and in the Indian "curio" business ir Denver. Showmen who have beer watching the fight between the Ring.