The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-17
CONTRACT WILL
BE CLOSED
I. Necessary Funds FOR Carrying on
the Fair Can Be Secured
in Few
Days.
8. c. TALBOT PRESENT
At the Meeting Last Nigh. and Made
Very Good Proposition to
the Assoeia-
ton.
8. c. TALBOT PRESENT

Inc nItn meeting for the purpose
OF determining whether this city is
70 have street fair or not was held
last night in the Commercial club
rooms This meeting was of special
interest to the boosters of the cele.
nration, owing to the fact that a rem
resentatiye Of the Parker shows was
present to lay before the meeting the
terms of the amusements which he
represents. President Roberts pre-
SIDED over the meeting and Rice Bell
who was elected secretary at form
er meeting, acted in that capacity last
evening. In the course OF proceed.
ings It was decided, after the repre-
sentative OF the company had given
MS terms. to close contract with
the Parker people If the money was
forthcoming. Thus if there is fall
celebration. Keokuk will have the
best company on the road.
After the minutes of the last meet
ing were read, President Roberts
called upon Mr.. Talbot to lay before
those assembled his terms. Mr.. Tai
Dott suggested that the committee
which went to Quincy to see the shows
while they were there some time ago,
De called upon before he said any
1nlng. The members of this COM
mittee in turn each gave short ac-
count OF their impression OF the shows
which in every case signified that the
shows were the best that they had
ever seen and were far better than
anything Of the kind which were
ever here They dwelt particularly
on the superiority of the perform
ances and the high moral tone Of
everything in the carnival. Mr..
Talbot then took the floor.
In starting out he said that all de-
tails concerning fairs was useless as
the citizens Of this town have had
plenty OF experience in this line. He
went on to say that the shows which
he will bring here providing the
money Is raised are the largest ever
organized. 1t requires thirty cars to
carry the people and paraphanalia
and the $50 people They have
$4,000 electric light plant and they
carry no wild men nor snake eaters.
There are no hooche cooche dances
connected with any of their paid at
fractions and any one can attend the
shows without being the least bit
shocked. The free attractions which
they carry are high dive and
casting act He said further that the
only week which they have which is
not contracted for is the week of Oc-
tober the fourth.
ALI the shows in the organization
have wagon fronts which are worth
from $500 to $1,000. In all they rep
resent an outlay OF s1s5,000. The
show is without doubt the best in the
U. S. and is the only one rated with
Dun and Bradstreet. He next gave his
| proposition.
The company requires the use of the
streets, licenses. advertising, water
! for the engines, ticket takers and fuel.
/ the last named article not to exceed
ten tons, and $1,000. In return, the
city will get for one week the Parker
shows No. 1, and 50 per cent of
all the money from advertising
schemes the same amount from con-
cessions, meaning small stands. so
per cent of the receipts of the
i Queens contest, so per cent of the
receipts Of the country store and Is
per cent Of the receipts Of the paid
attractions.
Tn ooptinuiro tba rarraran+o+iya
said that the expenses CT their show
for a week are 5000. and if the
weather is good the committee ought
to clear between $500 and $3.50. The
shows all have their own electric
lights and the company furnishes $500
worth of Autographs for advertising.
They have man who comes four
weeks in advance of the time set to
look after the affairs OF the local as
sociation.
When asked for information CON
corning the electrical plant and light
ing system, Mr. Talbot said that the
power for the light was transmitted
through long rubber covered cable
which stretched eight blocks and fur
nished the electricity for lighting the
$500 IS candle power lights which
they use. From $50 to 300 lights are
used on each show front.
The band they carry is made UP of
80 pieces and gives two concerts a
day, one in the evening and one in
+ the day time. After giving these con-
certs the band breaks up into four
parts and plays this way for the
rest Of the time. This will make 1t
possible to get along with about one
band less than has been required in
former years. while the fact that they
furnish lights for their own shows will
save nearly three hundred dollars.
The space occupied by their shows
ranges from % by 40 to so by $50 feet,
the largest show being the one in