Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-19
Library Is Living Room

LHe III lIll4lBo LOulAN ~ a iActAAS
sleeping room, like slipper cases,
dainty window curtains, little cabinets
for toilet articles, homespun counter
panes and other things of comfort and
ornament.
The library is really the living
room for the big family in the Pull
mans. There are card clubs, a Wo-
mans club, clown society, cosmopoli-
tan club, charity guild and literary
society in the social life of the cir
Gus. To be eligible to membership
in the Clown club one must have seen
five years of active service.
After dinner, there is little time
left before the night show, and then
the women come together, fetch out
their embroidery, fancy work or sew
ing, and talk of everything but their
business, which topic is forbidden.
The COSMOPOLITAN club with the
RingIine show, which opens in Los
Angeles Tuesday was started last sea-
son. Very few of it's members speak
English and they stumble hopelessly
II is a polyglot crowd, working far
from home and needing such fellow
ship. At present they are studying
English under the guidance OF Mel
lie Jordan of the Jordan family OF
aerialists. Miss Jordan Is we'll equip
ned for her missionary work, for she
speaks seven languages.
No Longer a Gypsy Life
The old idea that circus life resem-
bles the wanderings of the gypsy Is
in no sense true today. In every town
the show grounds are laid out In eX-
actly the same way, except now ana
then, when the lay of the land necessl-
tates a slight change in the relative
positions of the two main tents. When
the performer comes to the lot IN the
marning he can find his way without
inquiry. The circus grounds are the
town he lives in, and they always look
the same to him. Behind the main
dressing room is the postoffice; IN
front of 1t the long row OF private
dressing tents; the property room Is
at the right of the big top" at the
behind the hotel are the general store
and the barber shop. The dynamo
plant, the various shops and the sta
bles do not concern the performer, so
he pays no attention to their location.
When the performer goes to his bed
at night the train is standing notion
less on the side track. When he wakes
the next morning, though he may have
travelled one hundred miles during the
night, his home is again on the sid
ing; so the idea of movement scarcely
enters his mind.
But when the circus season is ended
and he has to go to his home on a
regular train, he breads the idea of
trip as much as does a nervous old
woman.
Simple Life In Vacation
"In be glad when I get there" he
says to himself, "for l hate this traV-
cling" And he hasn't the slightest
reference to his eight months of wan
dering that the sharp fall winds have
brought to close.
Once at home the circus performer
settles down to the simple life. An
occasional trip to the postoftice and the
store and a short game Of cards in
the evening break the monotony. He
usually lives in the country or in some
small town. He has d horse and
COW, and perhops some pigs and
chickens. He does the chores himself
and enjoys the work. and his wife
finds pleasure in taking care OF the
house.
But when the first robin appears In
the spring they both begin to read
the publications that concern them
selves with circus affairs for news of
the coming seasons plans. They long
to return to their real life. 1t is like
moving back to the town where one
has lived for years.
And the inhabitants of Ringlingville
are a wonderfully harmonious people,
There are many clotheslines but no
quarrels. They adapt themselves to
each others eccentricities with ad
mirable diplomacy. They share each
others joys and sorrows, but never
the grievances.
Foreigners Own Midway
On the circus train neighbors live
close togther, but there is no fraction.
If the Pacheccos cook an unusually
unseemly Italian mess in their chafing
dish in the evening, the Belfords across
the hall close their transom and for
get it. If the Clark brothers play on
their violins after 10 o'clock, Robidello.
next door, retaliates good naturedly
with his mandolin
On one of the coaches there is no
one but foreigners. The car is called
1.-THE Midway" Fifteen nations are
represented there. BY code Of signs
and grunts they have succeeded in
establishing a means of communica-
tion, so that an italian may borrow
Jap's safety razor without calling in
an interpreter, and game of whist
may be enjoyed with none of the an
noyance of irrelevant chatter,
Circus folk are more "cliquey" than
are the inhabitants of a small town.
Congenial spirits naturally seek each
other, and little picnic clubs, fishing
parties, ball teams and card clubs are
the. result. But In the case of birth
day party, or a wedding, or a dance,
the latchstrlng is out for all.
-
Those Biz Feeling Ones