The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-05
JOHN RINGLING, CONSTRUCTIVE SNOWMAN
RAILROAD BUILDER AND SCIENTIFIC FARMER

/ the dour tragedies constantly being en-
acted within his tented city. The reek
Of dampened slwdust, the blare Of cal
Hope and brass bands the scintillations
OF gold leaf and tinsel, the thrilling feats
Of riders and acroblts. the pageantry OF
the daily parade, the fat woman and
! the skeleton man, the interesting bands
Of native Indians and African Somalis
and the thousand and one animate and
inanimate things that are gathered to-
gether from every part OF the earth to
instruct, amuse and enthrall n circus
audience are just props to Mr.. Ring
ling.
And to Mr.. Ringing the map Of the
| United States is like a great chessboard
over which he moves these props" in
, the most advantageous and profitable
manner. Not long ago In Chicago Mr..
Ringing laid wager OF a supper with
friend that he could. blindfolded, IL
his finger were first placed by this
friend on the capital city of any State.
move his finger along the nearest rail-
road route to any city in that State.
Mr.. Ringling won his bet. This illus
trates Mr.. Ringiing's intimate acquaint-
ance with the railroads of the United
States. He is known as walking rail-
road encyclopedia. Routes. mileage.
| earnings and by whom operated-he
knows them all. This knowledge is Of
| inestimable value I'm laying out a circus
| itinerary.
Mr. Ringling's knowledge II railroad
| statistics extends as well To an acqualnt.
ance with general conditions in all
| parts OF the country. II n certain terri
tory Of any State happens TO have suf-
fered drought. IL mills have been
closed for a considerable period, or If
| for any other reason certain commune
| ties are not enjoying "a reasonable pros
perity. "Barnum 4 Bailey's Greatest
Show on Earth" fits silently through
| In the night time without even hestat-
ing.
Thus we have map Of circus land
with its infertile regions registered and
its possibilities Of "A golden harvest we'll
| defined.
When the great show retires to Its
winter quarters in Bridgeport. Conn. it
does not hibernate. Within the high
board fences enclosing the circus prop
erty there are sawmills foundree.
harness shops, costume factories and
miscellaneous workshops. Three hun
dred men are constantly employed. New
wagons are built. those returning from
their twenty thousand mile journey over
the country are made new and re.
painted. harness. trappings, howdahs,
tents. scenery for the new spectacle, all
are sent away bright and new in the
sprin.time to Madison Square Garden.
Where the canvas men. lemonade and
peanut vendors. ballyh", men and the
fiotsam and jetsam Of camp followers
disappear during the five months of the
shows retirement to its winter quarters
will ever remain a mystery. They
vanish completely in October and re-
appear almost to a man In March OF
each year. Many OF them have been with
the circus for twenty years and more.
Mr.. Ringing has found plenty OF oc-
cupation for himself in the interval Of
time when the wheels Of his business car
have ceased their revolutions. His close
study Of railroads resulted in his becom-
ing Interested in the building of them
and he now owns two lines in the far
West. one in Montana and the other in
Oklahoma. He is the largest individual
land owner in oklahoma, where he ma 8
seventy thousand acres Of farm land.
fifteen thousand acres Of which are
scientifically irrigated.