The sun., 1910-06-13
CIRCUS UNDER TENT IN TOWN
CANVAS SHOT UP m FBE AIR
LTkE MAGIC YESTERDAH.

hGhtsr began 10 smoke and almost bursi
into fame hon slsdgshammar friction
when about 800 circus FOLKS started In ID
build q canvas city late yesterday after.
noon 10 hOuss tho Fcrspaugh a Sells
show a few minutes after Applas welsh
chief hostleT. ed the first wagon on the
lot under the caves Of the Polo Grounds
grand stand az lSSth street and Eighth
avenue.
New York Central third RAD. trolley
wires and overhead railroad bridges CON-
btnsd 70 keep the circus from arriving Al
Manhattan Field on schedule time. but
quicker than you could throw a seven
or eleven the first big circus 10 show
under canvas on Manhattan Ialand for
mora than twenty years had blossomsd
INTO q city Of whits-sxosPt where the
canvas still bore stains Of the rod mud
Of jersey
Bob (Cy) Perkins. the boss canvaaman.
stood in a puddle Of water in the middle
Of the lot blasting out orders on a police
whistle Oi shrillneas The phut-phut-
phut-phut of the slsdgehammes whack-
Ing the stakes was added 10 by a racket
that sounded like the hum Of a combined
harvester when tho neWfangled gAsolene
propelled stake driver began 20 shove
bigger stahes into the muddy grass where
the big top was about 10 riss.
The high viaduct that leaps out from the
bluffs at lSSth street. CoogAns BluH. the
lawn Of the Jumel Mansion. the elevated
platforms and the roofs of the Polo
Grounds grandstands held a crowd that
stood or sat in the rain Tor hours watching
the city nse. They saw teams Of
horses -SiXteen sometimes dragging gay
hand wagons and animal cages out Of
mud holes into which wide tire wheels
had sunk TO the aXlcs. But even while
the rain still fell Apples Welsh. astride his
bay pinto and encassd in yellow slicksr
and a dripping sombrVrO and riding about
the lots like a Ma tor- General at 0ettys-
burg. had not only brought about order
but with the aid of sand, straw, clay and
saWdust had turned all the mud holes
INTO 90 OTIS where. With q bat Of Sunshine
70 help, one may walk in pink silk stock
ing.
The black rows OF OAlooking thousands
which trimmed the natural ampithoatrs
raw no greater mishap that the settling OF
heavy wagon into a mud hole. unlesa one
lists the fight between a canvas person
known a. Bullets and the driver of an
eight Ia hand which was quickly sup
pressed by the shows chief dstsctivs. Mr.
Piuggett The story handed cat by a
Spectaci-d young man in the pr.sS tent
that one Of the eight ply as they are
called ganEs Of negro stake drivers had
mistaken one u their number for q stake
aud by pounding him on the head had
accidentally driven him into the ground
several feet befOre noticing their error.
could not bs verified
Ths clusters Of small boys and girls
and grown boys and girls that waited
10 the rain around the lot IN Harlem all
forenoon and afternoon wondered WHISTLER
the circus ever would arrive A matter
u fact tho circus started from jersey
City for Manhattan not long after dawn
Yesterday and was loaded on baTges and
being tOWrd up the North River 10 Wesi
SiGty y-ninth street bsfore any u W even
started nut IN the pouring rain to attend
church services
But when the siEty railroad cars were
transferred 70 the tracks u the New York
central a. West sixty ninth street and the
rods under the cars projected - FAR on
either side that they sOuld hat the third
rail when the electrified section Of the
New York central tracks vas reached
further north Also the wagons on the
cars jutted too high 20 pa@ under the
bridges along the short route 10 the Mel
russ yards
Whsreupon the railroad people had 70
hurry Out Rangs 70 remove The truss rods
from the cars In the meantime the circus
men were removing the whsela from all
the long atTing o. circus wagons 80 that
the bOdy II the wagons might rast on the
cars Before unloading AZ Harlem All
the wagons ~ cOunss had 10 he lacked up
again and the wheels once more fastened
on
A. , O'Clock yesterday afternoon q vtsi
tor 10 Manhattan Field saw only a sOdden
stretch Of grass dotted by bits Of limp
white rag that dangied In the rain from
iron rOds which the layer out ~ Per
kins. had plaCs-d about the field early IN
tho dAv 10 indicate he spots where the
poles aud stakes Wsr,s 20 BE- driven Out
on piis 10 wet gravel under the el--
yated tracks some canvaAmen lav asleep.
their heads resting on a rusty section
u water pipe. while they awaited the
coming ~ Apples Welsh aud the wagons
and work. small boys watched them
enviOusiy while they snOFed VA the damp
hess
When they all had fallen asleep a U,tI.
bov more yenturssOme than the resi-
lay down on the piis Cf gravel also and
pretended 20 snore Another tad turned
his little coat inside out 20 look more
ragged aud canvaamanliks and also
stretch ed out luNunOuslv The sec
Ond boy before closing his eyes on the !
gravel pile warned Willie Somebody
- watch out fer th' boss canvasman |
r we'll all of ~ ct fired Willie. how !
sver. promptly started la 90 stretch |
Jut also with the regular circus men.
when Willie's mother or aunt or something
joined the umbrellaed crowd around the |
,nOrers and dissuaded Willie viOlentlV |
from joining the slumberers
u was just A. well. Tor somebody afar |
N yelled They're cOminI- Then II was /
that the bridge far above and the elevated
stations and CooEan's Bluf and the win.
lows Of the tall apartment houses hang
ng 10 the edge Of tho bluh began 20 show
heir thousands. And they didn't budEe,
Except TO elbow away late corners until |
he canvas town was built. rain or no rain
u Uas all soggy rope muddy poles and
nuddisr tarpaulin Yesterday But when
he hand crashea out this afternoon and
hs curtains are drawn aside and the
sn ghts and ladies' rids into the arena
glisiening IN cloth Of gold and velveta
'plashed With silver. With elephants and
'amels. horses ponies and zebras twin
nc and Wreathing and twisting through
he grand entry evOlutiOna. you'll doubt
hat this circus ever has encountered
ain. Rome Of this evolution from mud 10
mirror surfaces had progressed long before
Itgh9inu Yesterday and the btIndlea
4 silks and velvsts and cloth Of gold