The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-07-18
ELEPHANT BROKE
UP FREE FIGHT
But Baked on Shriner
Enthusiasm and
Fled
FROM CIRCUS TO BALL
Custodian of Chicago Coli
scum Tells Of Reminis-
x cences of Big Building


the crowds I have seen at the coli
scum. including five republican ma
tionai conventions. the biggest tab
ulation we ever made4 was at n
fireman's ball back around 1905.
remarked Charles II. Hall. man tgins
director OF the coliseum. today.
THE firemen sold 4T,ooo tickets
for the ball and $1,000 came"
Next month will bring tho 20th
Anniversary OF Chicago's largest
convention place, and Mr.. Hall. who
has been with tho coliseum since II
began business. grow reminiscent.
"The largest crowds, though, that
we ever saw here" no added. 'werc
those gathered for the return OF
tho first colored regiment from
France We didn't try to count
them. They filled the coliseum as
tight as II would hold and Jammed
The streets with Thousands and thou
sands more.
"There were n thousand less peo-
ple In the coliseum for the last re-
publican convention on It's biggest
day than at the 1915 convention.
This was because the police were
on tho door at the 1919 convention
and they let hundreds of their
friends In.
"A large part of the business we
do hore Ia fitting the hall up for
ing tho shows here runs around
conventions. The business of build
100000 q year. I spent s700 more
than my contract Of $50. 900 for the
republican arrangements, but will
get my profits IN time aa we use
up tho materials left over.
Putting In circuses-and the
biggest OF them--is a part OF the
regular work. The circus men leave
II to US to do. because we can do It
faster than they can. Under can
vas they could beat us. OF course.
Sometimes we have TO clear
them out quicker than they come
In. I have had q circus close after
giving It's regular performance fin
ishing at 1880, have moved them
out, put the plow into the dirt,
carried II away. cleaned the whole
place up and manicured Il, and
waxed tho floor and installed coat
rooms for a ball the next evening
at 1880. We have gone from a cir
Gus to . dance In 16 hours.
so many circuses have come here
that have gotten more or less use
to the animals. In tho case Of
elephants. less.
; Fifteen years or no ago club
put on a French bail here. They
had throne for their king and
queen. and I proposed TO them. In
planning out tho settings. that they
have n couple Of elephants. one on
zach side of the throne. A circus
was leaving just before the ball
and borrowed q couple OF eIe-
plants. We got them In and stood
them beside tho throne. The poor
elephants were so scared they
shook all over.
The ball began 10 get rough and
fights broke out. Pretty soon the
men were fighting In punches all
over the floor. 1t was my Job to
keep the peace and fine prospect
II was. me tied to an elephant and
a friend holding the other. Finally
j hollered TO him to ask IL he would
take his elephant and follow me-
he didn't know any more about ele-
'pbants than did. He answered
yes, and sang out 'Gangway',
and steered my elephant into the
nearest fight. with the other eie-
phant close beside. II broke up
that row. and all the rest of the
night when any fighting broke ou,
we cleared the floor with our ele-
plants.
do you remember when they pu,
through 400 Shriners down theirs
when Mayor Busse was in office ?
They hired an elephant for the oc.
casion. and brought him down with
his trainer. But the trainer wasn't
% Shriner and at the door the ele-
phant, baked.
They sent word to me, Whats
the matter with the elephant7' and
i told thom the trainer wasn't q
shriner. Can't you bring the elc.
phant inf' they asked. and sale
! would. There was q lot of cand,
and popcorn around for the doings
and I got q couple of handfuls anS
fed II to him. That pleased tn,
elephant ana he started In.
"Just then along came Mayol
Bussc and the thousand or NOR,
shriners outside let out will,
yell. The elephant got scared
turned around and started TO rui
down the street.
Il got mighty scared, too. but tn,
c4rcuses had been around enough 70
me to know an elephants veal
spots and I threw the hook int,
him hard and ran my hand into hi
e-s.>>.---as-~-