Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-26
Some Things You Want to Know
The Circus is Coming.

Ths ANais with its iinsilng music and
admospnel Of mlrth and wonder has made
place II itself In American life. The
multi-colofed poster. hung 80 aiiuringiy
on the roadside barn, catches the eye OF
the small boy as he wends his way home
ward from school and makes him late for
the evening chores. Its extravagantly
Worded and elabrstely pictured promise
OF scenes Of splendor and mystery arouses
IN his sanguine mind a rapturous deter
mination TO see that show" II develops
IN him spirit OF thrift and a propensity
Tor economy that. II maintained through
out his life, would make him rich.
The tented city. coming in with the
gray dawn. rising spectre-ilke out Of the
mist, revealing it's wonders during the day
and then disappearing in the darkness Is
almost like some trick In magic. The sys-
TEN BY which all this is accomplished Is
quite as wonderful as the astohishing
things seen IN the ring. The circus men
pave perfected the routine Of their calling
IN every possible way. They have the add
Nng machine IN the ticket wagon, the cash
register at the door, and they carry with
them their own portable telephone system
and electric light plant
Before the circus comes to town more
than 100 men have preceded Il 20 perfect
All arrangements. They are contracting
agents, advertisers and inspectors one
arranges for the railroad transportation,
one for the lot where the exhibition is to
be given one for the license, one for the
newspaper advertising one for the bill
boards, one for the livery teams to take
RAe bill posters 10 the country, etc The
men in advance have a world OF details
TO look after. They must report on the
railroad run coming into the town, as
Wel as the one leaving II. The curves and
grades must All be investigated 80 the
propefA Aailowancs for time may be made.
II thefe are tunnels II must be made GER
tain that the heavy vans and tail elephant
cars will clear them. A careful report
also is made on the haul from the railroad
yards to the exhibition grounds. 1t must
b Rscertained II all bridges and culyerts
Efe strong enough to bear the weight Of
the heavy vans. Contracting for the daily
provisions constitutes another feature Of
the advance work. There are from 100 to
800 people with a large circus, and ''show
day is an event to be looked forward TO
by dealers in the towns along the route.
ere IS no other calling which has such
day as the circus. 1t begins early
,ho morning and runs we'll into the
SHIT The dusty engines are hardly un-
coupled from, the trains until the canvas
covered wagons are rolling from the cars
and trundling through the streets toward
the lot The scene at the grounds is one
which never fails to attract hundreds OF
spectators. There is hardly any other in
stance where so much work is accomplished
in 20 little time. the morning work being
the most visible evidence of the highly
perfected organization order comes out
Of chaos while you look. Every man has
his place and every driver knows where
his wagon Is needed and at Just what time
Everything with the circus is on wheels
and It is of the greatest Importance that
there be no delay in moving the wagons
containing the stuff. II the wagons come
promptly on the lot in the order that they
come from the cars there is little danger
Of delay. First the stakes and chains.
then the poles. then the canvas, and as
soon as the tents are under way the seats
Nnd apparatus for the performance At
the same time the wagons containing the
cook tents, eating tents. stables, side show,
the menagerie, dressing rooms. etc. must
be delivered and their contents rushed into
their respective positions. II there is de-
lay in getting the wagons from the cars to
the lot 1t means that the parade must be
delayed.
The parade Is the trial Of the circus pro-
+, fession because It comes in the morning
during the greatest rush OF the day, and
II there is the slightest delay II runs over
into the business Of the aftssAoon and
gives no timeefor rest for either the people
or the horses. on a hot morning when
there is a long haul from the cars to the
lot the stock should have an opportunity
to rest. but this often Is impossible. More
accidents happen during the jam which
results from the parade than at any other
time during the visit OF the circus. The
TRrning. Hold your horses. the elephants
are coming" often goes unheeded and
serious runaways are frequent. Great