The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-04-21
CIRCUS MEN MEET
IN WHEELING
GATHER IN LOCAL HOTEL AND
DISCUSS CONDITIONS.
Colonel Miseo Tells of Study ~
Methods and Talks Of Both
Past and Present.


ir the lobby. They represented vari-
Gus tented aggregations and some ~
them were only in town between
trains. but when the circus fellows CT
together they are just as conCenidl
as members Of the dusky tribe who
gather annually for their camp meet
ing I'm the south. There is an old say
ing among show fellows that circus
folks don't need am Introduction AMI
- was shown last might between tn
older and younger members Of the cir
cuses who were thrown together.
No. am not "a bit pessimistic
about tn" circus" said COL. Jack Mi
AGO. veteran follower 81 the tented
life. whose head was d. zted with the
frost Of al least thre. score winters.
1t is better TODAY than over. 7 know
q lot 90 fellow are inclined To be pes
simistic. \ great many old-timers are
still In the rut Some Of the old ball
players don't think they play ball to-
day as good as they did in other DAYS.
just like John l.. sullivan thinks they
don't fight today as they did in his
palmy times"
You could not look into the face NJ
Colonel MiaCo without believing eV-
cry wore he said. His face was tam
ned rom the winds of many states
am creased with the tropical suns ~
n any countries. ~. Is simply cir
Gus man who has spent half century
under the white tops" and there are
few fellows Yet IN the business better
qualified to ak 81 circus lifc than
the colonel as he was called by his
associates. In spite. Of his advanced
age. colonel Miaco b. still in harness
and Is here ahead of the HaRcnhecN-
Wallace show. which comes NonGay.
Mav -
Il have seen two generations OF cir
Gus folks come and 90 said Col.
Miaco as h. relit his sjogie and settled
back in a huge chair beneath a canopy
OF near Havana smoke Some mighty
good men. TOO Along way back be
fore my time. there we're a few scally-
Wags in the circus business who gave
- a black eve. But today circus men
are wide awake fellow with business
principles and ideas. \ man who
makes success o. the circus business
can make good in any ordinary limo
OF commercial life.
"When old John Robinson died
lost one OF my best friends. Even
his show which was on the road for
TWO decades has been taken off and
IS now almost forgotten. John Rob
insou was a rough fellow until you
knew him right. he was a diamond in
the rough. lie was not very strong on
reading and arithmetic but he was the
greatest man for details l ever saw.
His show made several hundred
thousand dollars each year. bur he
was liberal to charity. lie did not
belong 10 any church. but his wife
aui FOLKS were very religious and when
they built the Grace Episcopal cuurr1
~ Cincinnati thu elders came around
with a paper raising money. How
much DO Won need said old john
Robinson tie was told Sl5.o0O. AMI
De pulled out % check box and wrote
on order for that amount. lie had u
beautiful nome at Terrace Park OF
the Ohio river near Cincinnati There
vas an elegant pool table IN IN" hil-
liard room hat th'r- was seldom a
game OF poo. played ON g. puriu.
Oh" long winter months John Robinson
would spread his nap oi the United
Si"ir~ uut aud IN up the route of
l'- show Tie knew every Nillag, aud
hamlet in the country BE uad IhI.
tosTapheu iu his mind the LAY of each
town. ~, success was due 10 10.
fact thaf hr knees the country
The Sells brothers. Adam. lev
EpIram and Peter ar. an dead now
too. ana their show mas long been
sent To- the scrap leap These boys
were TIC SONS ~ e Methodist preacher
and TO" careful training they secured
Iu childhood ALWAYS remained time