Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-05-21
CURIOUS ARE
ATTRACTED
s-e
Many People Visited the Circus
Grounds Sunday and Watch
ed Every Detail Of
Work.
PEEPED INSIDE THE TENTS.
Watched How Circus Folks Live,
Eat, Dress and Wondered
Where They Slept.
PEEpED INSIDE THE TENTS.

Mythically it is believed that only
the small boy is the one who Is in
terested in circuses. The average
youngster is the member of the fam
iIy who can tell to a minute when
the first train arrived and just how
hong it took to haul the first wagon
ito the slot" and how much time IT
took to get the menagerie tent up,
OF course this is theory, for in re-
ality the father or man of the house
hold is just as interested as the
children and one view at the inter-
ested throng that surrounded the
Gollmar Brothers tents Sunday,
would have convinced the most
skeptical Of this fact
This is the 25th season for the
show and the four brothers, who be-
gan their show business so modestly
twenty-five years ago. with a few
wagons and cages, now have twen-
ty-four car train and travel in state
as does any other circus. Four
hundred and seventy men sat down
for their meal in the dining room
tent at noon Sunday. There were
three hundred head of fine stock in
khe stables and ring stock tent, six
lag numbering elephants and seven
eamels, one of them baby, lions,
tigers, hippo in his huge tank,
chattering monkeys, a cappabarra, a
strange and wonderful ANIMAL
birds, leopards, ponies, Zebra, the
last of team of six, and other ami
mails too numerous to mention in
the big menagerie tent
The Gollmar Brothers, four in
number, own everything about the
show. Unlike many circuses they
conduct their own cook and dining
tents. own their own side show and
all their ring stock and animals.
One of the innovations this year is
the automatic stake driver--a gaso-
line engine affair that drives the
stakes about tine tents with pre-
cision that is wonderful Their din
ing tent is divided by curtain in
to compartments. One side for the
band and performers and heads of
departments, the other for the work
ers. The same food is served to all,
but one side has table cloths and
china dishes. the other oil cloth and
metal ware.
All the details of the kitchen
were inspected Sunday by the cur
ious throng who watched the skill
full cooks prepare the dinner, serve
1t and then wash UP for the next
meal. The crowd even poked their
way into the dressing room tents,
where the Sunday barber shop was
In evidence, invaded the horse tent,
where the men were making every
thing spick and span for the parade
OF today. n
The menagerie tent was the most
favored spot and except for chos-
en- few, the public was kept out
They could not see the big lions and
the lioness who watched the antics
OF the three six month old cubs,
who played like kittens and were as
curious at the spectators looking at
them as were Che spectators them
selves. The monkies chattered and
begged for peanuts, while the
strange cappa barra grunted like a
hog and chewed his supper.
It was the trained seals that at
sracted the most attention. In their
wagon with big vat Of water they
sported playfully and tlopped to the
bars to look out inquisitively. They
can do almost anything but talk.
Capt. Kent, their trainer, vouches
for the statement they know every
thing. At any rate their perform
ance today in the ring was nothing
short of marvellous. Balancing, toss
ing balls, baskets, playing musical
instruments, they showed wonderful
training.
The parade yesterday morning was
most excellent and bespoke the fine
entertainment this afternoon at thel