The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-23
RICHMOND TO SEE
CLOSE OF CIRCUS
Barnum G. Bailey's Big Show
Disbands for Winter on
Wednesday Night.
STARS GO EVERYWHERE
Merchants Preparing for Shop
ping Rush Before They
Depart.

When the Barnum & Bailey Circus
closes Its season with the perfor nance
in Richmond on Wednesday night, the
port. Conn, where the show will so
into winter quarters. while perform
ers will scatter to the four corners of
the Garth Railroad passenger agents
are already at work routing these
people, while enterprising merchants
of the money which is paid in by
people at the main entrance. Nearly
everybody connected with the circus
will find 1t necessary to buy clothing
and things. and IL the usual rule il
followed this year there will be line
business for local people who so
after 1t.
Eleven hundred people are connect
ed with Barnum & Bailey in work
ing and wage-earning capacity. There
are 400 performers, all of whom receive
big salaries. and while they will he
anxious to leave town with the least
possible delay 90 per cent. OF them
Will have to do IL little shopping be-
fore they can get away. Merchants
have found that the closing of circus
in their town is big thing. and nut
urally they are gratihed that the great
est show on earth will disband In
Richmond.
Street Parade . Feature.
This colossal amusement enterprise
which Barnum G. Bailey send over the
country represent an actual invest
ment of si,500.000. The Average daily
running expenses reach $4,000. In the
big kitchen tent and canvas dining
hall. food is prepared and served to
LOO people three times a day. There
are 500 horses. animals OF every sort
size and description. and the real spec
tacular feature will be the street
parade.
There are twenty eight distinct tents
in the city OF canvas erected each day
for the temporary home OF the circus
The most interesting of these are prob
ably the three large stables. veritablc
models of equine luxury. The
geological collection includes five
herds of elephants. four droves Of
camels, the worlds rarest and most
costly collection of siraffes. hippopot-
ami, rhinoceroses. more than 100 dens
of wild beasts and group of zebras
In the arenic tent. where the per-
formances are given, are three circus
rings. two large stage platforms. al.
immense hippodromc oval. innuInerable
aerial contrivances and seating ca
pacity for $4,000 spectators.
Five Full Length Trains.
To transport the paraphernalia of
this world of entertaining merrimen;
requires the railway equipment os nvc
full length trains. all of which Is the
property OF the Barnum & Bailey man
agement. railway companies furnish
ing only the engines and tenders.
One OF the most interesting features
of circus day is the unloading and re-
loading of these trains. 1t is rhen
that the observer gets some idea of the
immensely of the undertaking. This
herculean task requires the services
of $50 especially trained horses. The
work must be accomplished with the
utmost care and circumspection. The
slightest detail requires diligent at
tention. all this in guarding against
possible accidents. Then, too. spee1
is an essential part OF loading. TOR
the first section must pull out of the
railway station at midnight. to be fol-
lowed at intervals of thirty minutes
by the other sections. and when the
last train has departed. circus day in
that particular city is over for the
year.