Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-11-26

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village on each railroad entering
city for distance of forty miles is
visited by bill poster who posts bills
announcing the forthcoming visit of
the circus. The circuses of today are
the worlds largest advertisers. 1t was
the pioneer cirucs owners who fostered
the growth of Autograph printing, used
today by so many advertisers.
The Advertising Car.
Along about the same time as the
No advertising car reaches city
the contracting press agents puts in his
able appearance. He, as the title i'm
plies, deals solely with the newspapers,
arranging for so many inches of dis
play advertising and the running of a
liberal quantity of readers" and
cuts" The dailies are glad to use the
copy of the modern press agent for his
press matter is usually descriptive
matter of fact circus stories that are
of intense interest to the reader
The opposition brigade is kept in
readiness to jump to any point where
| their services may be needed to fight
any kind of opposition. Should rival
circus be advertised to appear in the
same city on or near the same date,
! the brigade is often held at the one
point for a week or more, literally
flooding the country with their bills.
Three days ahead of the show goes
the program brigade, securing adver-
tisements from the local merchants
for the attractive pages of the circus
program. When it is considered that
the programs are daily read by prob
ably ten thousand people they are read
lily recognized as excellent advertising
mediums
With the famous John Robinson Ten
Big Shows there are two twenty four
hour men-really "forty-eight houl
men" They alternate in visiting the
various cities. The twenty-four hour
men look after the final plans incident
to the coming of the big show. Some
times a sudden period of rain necessi-
tates that the original exhibition
grounds must be changed. The twenty
four hour men carefully examine the
bridges and culverts over which the
circus wagons must pass If the show
grounds are muddy with no prospects
OF bright sunshine to speedily dry
them, straw and sawdust must be Sc,
cured by the carload to be spread over
the lot for the protection of the circus
patrons. He must see that food for
the big circus hotel, for the menagerie
and the stock, must be on hand at the
proper timeSto meet the arrival of the
big show. In short the twenty-four
hour man must see that everything is
lit readiness for the coming of the
mighty organization. There must be 10
haltS or perpleXlng hltcheS.
Twenty-FOur Hour Man.
Finally the twenty-four hour man
must be in the railroad yards when the
first of the long line of yellow cars
bearing the flying squadron" reaches
town. He along with the railroad of
ficials has the circus cars conveniently
located for unloading. AS the various
trains bearing the paraphernalia and
equipment arrive he sees that they are
properly spotted" or placed. At day
light the work of unloading begins He
shows the boss hostler the location of
the show grounds. The boss hostler
sees that the circus wagons are trans
ported to and from the place of exhi
bition.
Persons who are not entirely famil-
lar with the workings of great tent
ed organization like the John Robin
son Ten Big Shows frequently ask the
question DO circuses split up in
playing the small towns and join again
for the city engagements? Circuses
have never and can never split or d. !
vide. 1t is a physical impossibility. L,
would be necessary to have two VI
each kinds Of tents and duplicates o.
the equipment that each houses. There
would have to be two sets of canvas
hotels, two ticket wagons, nearly
oduble force of working men, in fact,
two complete shows. INSCRIPTIONS
showmen some time advertise great
deal that they do not carry and natur
ally one inagines that "the other part,
is in another city. The MANAGEMENT Of
the John Robinson Ten Big Shows will
give $4,000 to any recognized char
table institution for proof that the
show splits after making the cities to
play the smaller towns or that it has
ever Divided A vie;4on - ~ =,