El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-25

emitting the parade in Europe was
because a great many people came to
see it and then went home satisfied.
Circus Ticket Wagon.
The ticket wagon is the heart of the
circus The financial branch of the
business is an improved and highly
perfected system in itself In the morn
ing the treasurer sends out his agents
to pay bills, dictates correspondence
to a stenOgrapher and rapidly disposes
of the various features of the days
business. When the door Of the big
show is thrown open a busy hour fol-
lows for the men in the ticket wagon.
A big five pole tent will seat 10000
people, and if the show plays to ca
pacity" all of this number must buy
their tickets and pass through the door
within an hour and half, in fact most
Of them pass through within an hour. \
This does not afford much opportunity
for the men in the ticket wagon to be
sociable- After the audience is seated
the employees are paid off. Every day
is pay day with the big show. One
day the performers are paid. another
the laboIers, another the drivers, and
so on
People who stand in front of the wa
gon while the money is being taken in
often marvel at the amount Of it, but
they seldom remain long enough to
see most OF it go out again.
Cost of Operation.
1t costs a great deal of money to
operate a big circus. There are nc
available statistics of the exact amount
because no two shows cost the same,
and the expense for no two days is
identical in the same show. The most
concise proof that it is an uncertain
&c he e.
few men who succeed in it. The big
ones can be counted on the fingers of
one hand
The final cost of circus property Is
great and it wears out rapidly. The
property Of big show is the aceumu-
lation Of years. with no two pieces the
same age or in the same state of re-
pair. It represents an investment Of
hundreds of thousands of dollars and
yet it is only worth to its owner what
he can make it earn in 80 weeks of
uncertain weather.
Expensive cages will get stuck in the
mud and be pulled to pieces in the eff
fort to get them out, and great losses
are sustained in the death of valuable
animals During the winter the circus
animals must be cared for, and a force
of men kept busy arranging for the
coming season.
The circus proper never pays for
itself, the profits coming from the re-
served seat sale. the side show, the
concert and the privileges If a show
could only have the reserved seat sale
left profit, after all expenses are
paid, the seasons work would net a big
gain
Expensive Acts.
Some of the big acts cost a thousand
board and transportation of the per-
formers. The bill for colored posters
and other advertising matter during
the season often runs as high as $780,
600. which does not include the cost
of putting it up. The expense of trans
porting the show from one town TO an
other rarely falls below $500.
The sideshow is always a money
Garner, because it does not cost in pro-
portion to the ring performance. It
will take in from $3.50 TO $500 per
day. The sideshow performers hage
longer hours than anyone else with the
show. The familiar cry of che bark
ers" and the hurry-up music of the
sideshow band is the first challenge OF
the morning and the last call at night
The sideshow frequently will take in
$50 or $40 while the big tent Is bling
taken down.
Check on Advertising.
The show business has undergone
many important changes during the
past few years. One improvement is
the perfection in the system for keep
ing an absolute check on the advertis-
ing. Inspectors are sent through the
country after the bill posters/to make
sure that all of the posters are up. and
others follow 10 see that they stay up
until the day of the show.
In the matter Of Autographs a con-
tract is made with each storekeeper
to keep several bills in his window for
a consideration Of a number OF free
tickets. An inspector goes around the
town just before the show gets in
and unless the paper iYin position in
each place. the contract is taken up at
the door and refused.
Another new thing is advertising
only such features are are actually
given. Formerly shows advertised
without any expectation of living up
to their promises. but now if ANYTHING
happens to one of the acts that is
being featured the special paper is at
once "cut out
Sunshine and Rain.
The bane of circus life is rain and
mud. When there is fair weather ev-
t4AAi-S SoCS we'll II Is IKE camping f,
out. With the sun shining, the dust
flying. and the country folks crowdiug
around the inexhaustibIe supply of red
lemonade. the circus goes its merry way
with its people quite as happy in their (
life those in any other
Altogether 1t is not a bad thing not I
bad because Its jingling music and its 4
atmosphere of mirth and wonder serve I
to amuse the young and drive away
dun care for the old and anything i
which does this even for a day is net I
without its excuse for being.
TomorrOw-Bilibid Prison.