The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-02

circus, six brothers from Baraboo Wis consin, were making their way upward in the show world. They started on nothing. the elder brothers, gradually drawing in the younger as they grew stronger. They realized the wisdom of Baileys business idea, and they had the same personal principles.
 Each brother mastered the details of the circus business, then each specialized in some one department. Their motto was that of the Three Musketeers: "One for all and all for one!' Today the five Ringing brothers-one died about year ago-dominate the circus field In Amer ica even more completely than did Bar mum and Bailey. They own the Barnum and Bailey show, the Ringing brothers show, and the Forepaugh and Sells show the three largest in the country.
 Each of the two biggest circuses rep resents a cost of about $3,000,000, all though it Is doubtful whether either Of them could be duplicated for that sum.
 Suppose we go a little way into the details of cost; In the first place, big circus has to have pretty big manu- featuring plant maintained In It's winter quarters. All the big circuses build their own flat cars Because they do not con- form to the standard in size and con- struction, 1t is cheaper for the circus to build them than to go to the big car manufactures. Nevertheless, the rail- road transportation equipment-averag- ing sixty-three flat cars, fourteen Full mans, ten coaches, two private cars represents an investment of nearly hal1 a million dollars.
 What the Chnriots Cost
 Then-taking the figures of the two largest shows-there are 62 chariots, band wagons, and floats, which range in cost from 5000 for the biggest one, drawn by 40 horses, down to 5000. There are l42 cages, which cost exclusive of decora- ton, $500 each. The big circuses do all their own decorating. for the same req son that they built their cars-its cheap CT in the long run. Tn addition to these showy vehicles, there are the baggage wagons, the blacksmith wagon the cook wagon and many others. bringing up the total value of this equipment to about $400, 900.
 The wardrobe of big circus nowadays is very expensive. In addition to the costumes for the people-and nearly thousand take part in the parade, each have costume or uniform that the show provides-there are the gorgeous trap pings for the horses, elephants ana camels the banners and flags. The pig show must not save a penny al the sac rifice of gorgeousness, and the materials must all be of the best, because of the wear and tear. They must last two sea- sons. the fine ones this season, becoming the rainy-day ones of next Therefore the annual outlay for sartorial splendors Is about s150,0O0, and this doesn't include the ring costumes, which the performers must themselves supply.
 Obviously circus harness, too, because of its elaboration and quality, is very ex- pensive, and there Is an enormous quan- rT,t,. al
 The biggest shows carry between $50 and TOO horses and ponies. The 400 bag eapes horses cost about 1850 each, and about a hundred of them have to be re- placed every year. Out of the 60 bare back horses perhaps a third are owned by the performers themselves, and there is no estimating the value of we'll trained bareback animal. The total value of the 42 special parade animals. 30 Ara bian stallions, 40 thoroughbreds and Jumpers, B trick horses, and 50 ponies, with the baggage horses, is about $4Oo,0OO.
 AS for the manageries, those of the Barnum & Bailey and the Ringing shows are valued at about $75O,0o0 each But the estimate in different circuses and at different times varies widely-from half a million dollars to twice that sum.
 For other equipment: there are no fewer than nineteen tents with the big shows, covering some twenty acres or ground. They do not cost so very much in themselves, but when one adds poles, cordage, seats-the main tent seats 1b,OOO people-mechanical stake drivers. light ing apparatus, and all the rest, the total cost amounts to more than $100,000
 If you should add these figures, you would find the total considerably short of 8 100000 For one thing. all of the in- vestment of the winter quarters hasn't been included--the grazing land the ex- ercise arenas the living places for em- ployes. and scores of other things, which add perhaps $0O0000. Furthermore. the travelling mechanical equipment for the show carries a paint shop. harness shop. a dressmaking establishment, and so on: and these. with other offshoots, represent an investment of about $l00.0o0.