Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-08

There IL . tremendous amount OF
work done In h winter quarters OF
the Hagenbeck Wallace circus at
West Baden. Ind, of which the public
knows nothing. Rolling stock suffer.
ing from the hard effects Of q sever
months campaign must be repaired;
new acts and novelties must be Sc
! cured to keep abreast with the times;
agents r sent into the innermost re-
cesses Of the Orient for novelties;
Europe is ransacked for performers
with acts out Of the ordinary.
Contractors Get Busy.
As soon as the route is laid out ten
tattvely, agents are sent out making
all sorts Of contracts. The first man
Is the railroad contractor, he gener-
ally knows by the, first name most Of
the important passenger agents in the
United States, most often before he
contractor he took several years
training in railroad offices and on
the road.
The next out is the contracting
agent who generally is six weeks
ahead Of the big show. Three weeks
before the advent Of the circus comes
1.-The advertising a No. / with twenty
bill posters. banner men and litho-
graphers. =
~ oNv0A - "a SO11IC0 -
week later. The men on this car re-
store all torn % damaged paper; bill
posters are sent up and down every
railroad entering the town for q dis
lance Of forty miles. posting bills and
distributing circus literature: no town
or village Is overlooked. the entire
country Is gridironed with the flaming
circus posters.
In still another week the third and
i Anov q AVorffcir0 No~ oovooo o~A ~
places some Of the bills and repairs
others. Each big show carries sew
eral Checkers" men whose sole du-
ties r to account for every sheet Of
paper posted.
The circus specials. three in NUM-
Der and each consisting of twenty ex-
ira double length cars, roll into the
town ABOUT S o'clock in the morning
on the day of exhibition. The first
section is known as the flying
squadron" baggage train, it starting
the wants of immediate encampment,
al follows: Stake and chain wagons,
cook house, ~paraphernalia for feeding
1000 people. stable wagons, side show
wagons. harness and blacksmith wag-
ons, canvas wagons, horses and two
sleeping cars bearing workmen and a
part Of the executive staff. Thirty
minutes later the No. 2 circus special
will arrive with jack wagons, tableau
wagons, dens, cages containing the
menagerie, elephants, camels and the
property" wagons. The third ~and
final circus section is made up en-
tirely Of Pullman sleepers bearing the
performers and remaining attaches OF
the big show not carried on the other
two sections.
The first wagons unloaded are the
stake and chain wagons, after which
comes the " cook house" wagons
Napoleon once said that an army
moved IN it's stomach, and the same
may be said of a great circus organi-
cation. Within fifteen minutes after
the first wagon reaches the show
grounds .savory fumes will begin tc
issue from the great steel ranges and
within another thirty minutes break.
fast will be ready for the workmen.
Boss Canvassman Chief.
Meanwhile the boss canvassman ha.
taken possession Of the ground and hi
is master of the lot. The boss can
vassman is a practical. surveyor and
from long experience he is able to tel
where to place the various tents tt
the best advantage. Teams Of horsel
pull the towering center poles init
position. The monster tented palac.
which seats comfortably 5000 people
is soon elevated and within the-spac,
of four hours the once still and tran
quill vacant bit of ground Is trans
formed into a hustling and busting