The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-29
State Fair Grounds About the Busiest Place in City These
 Spring Days
GORGEOUS TRAPPINGS
 ARE ALMOST FINISHED
Trained Animals Are Being Put Through Faces and Actors Are Daily Re- hearsing-Over ssO,OO0 will
 Be Spent Here
BY WALTER HARPER

The making of a big circus is an in- teresting operation; perhaps more inter- esting than the real road performance itself
 Since the first of this year circus of large proportions has been headquartered at the Alabama fair grounds. The ani- mals, the actors and the trappings that go into the making of a big sawdust ex- trsvaganza are being assembled, trained and put in shape for the coming sea son.
 The Robinson Famous Shows Is a new concern. With one of the former lead ing shows of the country as a basis, new attractions and parts of other shows are being assembled to make an entirely new outfit.
 Almost half a hundred people, car penters, blacksmiths, harnessmakers, an- imal trainers and actors have been on the ground for three months. Many more are coming this and next week and the real rehearsing will begin for the season which will open in about 30 days.
 The rehearsal of actors and the train ing of animals has been going on all winter. but the full show is to be put in training before the aggregation is ready to Init the road"
 Is New Show The work of the Robinson Famous Shows at the fair grounds this winter is peculiarly interesting for the fact that almost everything in the way of animals is new and untried. Nearly 100 new horses have been purchased fresh from the market and they must be trained for the ring and other duties peculiar to circus life. The circus horse is not born, as many may suppose, but must be trained for the work. A draught horse today may be a first-class bareback rider next season.
 Of course, just any horse cannot be made into circus horse Some make good while others fail. Like people, horses have individual capacities. Some can learn to do tricks while others are impossibles.
 as year. horses that look promising are turned back into the transportation de- partment as failures in the ring.
 A pair of fine black horses that were bought for draught purposes by Dan R. Robinson, owner and manager of the Robinson Famous Shows, were later set aside for double bareback riding. This IS OHe .Ol tHe uneSl pdlTS Ol dnlIndlS III the show stables and took the initial training magnifcently. MT. Robinson is proud of them and has right to be. Interesting Spectacle The exhibit halls and grounds present a most interesting spectacle where the various and varied duties of getting a big show ready for the road are being performed.
 In one corner of the machinery hall a harnessmaker is making and over hauling harness trappings fashioned to dazzle the eyes of the small boy and the adult lover of spectacular display In an opposite corner not many feet re- moved from the smell of grease and har- ness oil, a man and woman are prac- ticing their tumbling stunt on a sheet of canvas spread on the ground. A lit tie further down trainers are drilling new horses in improxised circus rings. Some of the women and men who will ride them here and spend several hours day and night rehearsing their parts and helping to train the horses.
 In the south side of the building pa rade wagons, animal cars and other ve- hicles are being built, overhauled or re- painted. In another part of the same building two big elephants are taking their lesson in trick work. These big,